This example shows both a blind and an ink-filled letterpress design.
The history of print is rooted in letterpress. We’ve come a long way from the hand set type of a traditional printing press. And while digital printers make printing fast and affordable, we haven’t left our roots behind just yet.
A Time Honored Tradition That’s Back!
For over 500 years, from the invention of movable type in 1439 to the development of offset printing in the 1960s, letterpress dominated print. As printing techniques became more refined over that period, print quality came to be judged by the level of visibility that printed plates left on the paper. A less visible indention was considered a higher quality product.
Today, it’s a deep impression in the paper that gives letterpress its appeal. Typically printed on heavier, softer sheets of paper, letterpress inspires a sense of quality, solidity, and elegance. It’s a go-to method for printing wedding and event invitations and can help to add a sense of maturity and sophistication to business cards. And it’s an effective design element that will help your brand to stand out from the crowd.
How Does Letterpress Work?
Letterpress can capture small type and thin lines.
Letterpress pieces are often noted for their craftsmanship, because the process is typically completed by hand. It involves a plate or set of plates that are used with a traditional printing press.
First, a plate is created with your artwork/design. If you’re using a single color, or no color, for your letterpress design, only one plate is needed. Each additional color requires a separate plate, and a separate pass through the press.
Whether you’re using one plate or several, a plate must first be locked into the press. Ink is mixed, then carefully applied to the press rollers to ensure an even spread. Then, one piece of paper is run through the press per pass.
When the stock is run through the press, the rollers apply ink to the plate, which is then pressed into the paper. The final product leaves an impression in the paper, which can either be blind (no fill) or filled with your selected color of ink.
Artistic techniques like letterpress, foil stamping, engraving, and embossing and debossing give your printing a unique and memorable look and feel. If you’re interested in making a positive and powerful impression for your brand, by utilizing these exceptional processes, call Paw Print—we make printing easy!
Are you tired of sales pitches? Do you hate feeling like you’re being sold to? So do I. Like many consumers today, I want more from the companies I choose to do business with.
There are two key things you need to know about consumers today:
They make purchases and do business based on trust
Purchases are made on their own timetable, whether or not it aligns with your business
In other words, traditional marketing styles no longer have the impact they once did. Consumers are more discerning and focused on the value your company can give them rather than simply the products or services you provide. If traditional marketing is sale-based, today’s approach is education-based.
What is Education-Based Marketing?
An education-based approach to marketing means moving away from a typical sales pitch and messaging. Instead, you’re providing consumers with valuable information related to your industry or products that allow them to make confident, informed purchase decisions. By providing consumers with a wealth of information related to your market, you establish yourself as an authority in that field. You show that you are knowledgeable about what you’re selling. You know what you’re talking about, and now your customers will, too. In creating this sense of authority, you build trust with your audience.
Education-based marketing is also a long-term strategy in that it allows consumers the freedom to learn about and purchase when they want. With an education-based approach, you create content that can then live on your website, so that consumers can access it whenever they like. It allows you to have a constant pipeline of prospects accessing the information without you having to seek those prospects out.
To implement an education-based approach to your marketing, you’ll need to know your product and your customer well. Consider what a customer who purchases your product would want to know about the product, its uses, and any problems that often come up. Speak to their specific challenges and goals to develop a message that will resonate with your target audience.
Depending on what industry you’re in, lack of knowledge can be a significant hurdle when it comes to making a purchase. If a consumer feels overwhelmed at the thought of encountering your service, providing them with clear, concise information in various forms can help to ease that fear, making the consumer feel more comfortable with your industry. This article from Forbes outlines an effective example of using education-based marketing in the financial sector, to educate retirees.
Trust typically takes time to build up, and you won’t create trust with every consumer overnight. However, consistently providing potential customers with helpful, informed content will help to build trust faster than you may think.
How to Implement an Education-Based Approach
With any marketing campaign, you’ll need multiple touches before a consumer will engage with you. Education-based approaches are no different. Once you’ve identified your prospect and your message, put content out on all channels available to you. Make sure your message, tone, and imagery are consistent to make each touch point meaningful.
Some effective ways to provide educational content include:
In this podcast, business strategist Tony Robbins talks with the late Chet Holmes about the power of education-based marketing. Holmes discusses a carpet cleaning company that he worked with to increase sales using an education-based approach. In this case, the company worked to fulfill a need after they established what the problem was.
First, the company took research from the EPA regarding indoor air quality. The study found that in buildings where the carpets were vacuumed daily, there were still high levels of bacteria and other unwanted organisms in the carpets. When the carpets were removed from the building, people got sick 4 times more often than before. Essentially, this research concluded that carpets act as a filter to keep harmful bacteria out of our bodies. But to maintain a healthy level of bacteria, a carpet should be cleaned every 6 months.
When they presented the facts, people were pretty grossed out. The company was marketing to clients who typically had their carpets cleaned professionally once every 3 years. The company established a problem which consumers didn’t know they had, but immediately wanted to solve. Then, this company was poised to offer the solution.
By presenting the research alongside a membership plan that offered twice yearly cleaning at a better than average rate, this company, which had been around for 100 years already, found a new way to grow their business. The final tally? Business increased by 100%.
You may not see quite as dramatic growth when you add education-based marketing to your business strategy. However, over time, incorporating educational content alongside traditional marketing techniques will help to build your company’s reputation and value for current and potential customers, giving you a competitive edge.
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For over 500 years, from the invention of movable type in 1439 to the development of offset printing in the 1960s, letterpress dominated print. As printing techniques became more refined over that period, print quality came to be judged by the level of visibility that printed plates left on the paper. A less visible indention was considered a higher quality product.
Artistic techniques like letterpress, foil stamping, engraving, and embossing and debossing give your printing a unique and memorable look and feel. If you’re interested in making a positive and powerful impression for your brand, by utilizing these exceptional processes, call Paw Print—we make printing easy!
