Proofs are critical with any project, and there are many from which to choose. Below are the proofs we offer at CPC Solutions.

•  Soft Proof – This proof is posted and viewed online, which provides a great way to share a proof with multiple locations at the same time. Soft proofs are typically the least expensive. Although they are not accurate for color, they do provide a fast and easy way to proof your file after it has been preflighted and “ripped.”

•  Plotter Proof – These cost effective, low-end printed proofs are best for proofing trim lines, positioning, and pagination.

•  Oris Proof – These high quality proofs are calibrated to our presses and offer the best shot at accurate color. These should be used if your project is color critical. A plotter proof will always accompany an Oris proof.

•  Digital Proof – These proofs are essentially press proofs since they are printed on our Indigo 5600 digital press.

•  Variable Data Proof – It is essential to proof a variable data printed project with the actual data being used. We typically do this by showing several variants via soft proof, but it could also be done using several digital proofs.

•  Packaging Comps – For any die cut or packaging project, we create a comp using our new die less cutting table to give you a near exact representation of the final product, on the actual stock. We may also print the artwork on the comp by applying a thin film for ink adhesion.

The Super-cool Fold Factory Video:
Source - foldfactory.com

Featured: #94 Right Angle Accordion Mailer

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Awesome App:

The ParkMe App does exactly what it says. However, better results are found in larger cities, which will certainly cut down the amount of time you spend driving in circles.

Tips from the Trenches:

Proofs are not perfect. Most proofs are made on different machines using different inks using different substrates, compared to the intended final product. They may be very close, sometimes scary close, but never perfect.

Interesting Integers:

10 to the 26th power per second (100 million billion billion calculations per second) – The projected speed of a $1,000 computer around the year 2048, provided that Moore’s law holds true. This is the equivalent to all the brains of the entire human race. That’s when things get interesting! From the book Abundance; The Future is Better than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis & Steven Kotler

Almost Famous Quote:

You can choose to be extraordinary. - Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, Chairman of SolarCity

We have found that our new packaging equipment, knowledge, and software are making its way into many other areas of our clients’ businesses. These new capabilities have been a big hit in the direct mail sector as well as with companies needing custom, interactive print solutions.

The vertical piece below was conceptualized on a napkin; recreated in our CAD software; and ultimately sent electronically to our die-less cutting table, thus producing a real working mockup. The other piece in the collage below is our zip strip mailer, which works wonderfully as a direct mail solution.

If you dream up unique printed pieces and need a source to create it, please think of CPC Solutions.

The Super-cool Fold Factory Video:
Source - foldfactory.com

Featured: #99 Circus V-Format Popup Direct Mailer

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Tips from the Trenches:

It all starts with data. When preparing your list for a direct mail campaign, try to keep each data point in a separate field and in consistent columns. Disheveled data will increase processing time and may be a recipe for disaster. Of course, if you need extra data work done, we are certainly there for you. 

Awesome App:

"Pocket full of palettes"
ColorSchemer is a great productivity tool, which will help you find the best color space for your project. One neat feature allows you to search for the perfect combination of colors by typing in keywords, such as spring, gloomy or desert, to name a few.

Interesting Integers:

10 + 2 = 12

There were twelve winners from last week’s drawing. And since we had two extra scoring and folding books, we expanded the pot to 12! Congr

atulations to the following companies:

Big Agnes
DMX Direct
The Christian Connector
American Animal Hospital Association
National Strength and Conditioning Assoc
Kissane Viola Design
Assenmacher Specialty Tools, Inc.
OCG Creative
Fort Lewis College
Saint Mary's Hospital
Los Chileros
Mountain Media

Almost Famous Quote:

Think finishing at the beginning. - Trish Witkowski from foldfactory.com

In celebration of our 80th consecutive weekly e-newsletter, we are giving away 10 scoring and folding books produced by Sappi. The Standard is a guide to designing for print and includes tips, techniques, and methods for achieving the best printing results.

The Super-cool Fold Factory Video:
Source - foldfactory.com

Featured: #188 Clamshell Cube Mailer with Cootie-Catcher

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Awesome App:

Airbnb connects people with space to rent with those seeking accommodations in some of the most unique places – and we’re not talking about hotels here. Experience over 200,000 listings in 30,000 cities across 192 countries. The experience can be quite the adventure.

Tips from the Trenches:

For complicated folds, request a mockup on the actual stock to help prevent problems in production.

Interesting Integers:
Source: Mobithinking.com

6.9 billion: Projected mobile subscribers by the end of 2013, from Portio Research.

Almost Famous Quote:

When you cease to make a contribution you begin to die. – Eleanor Roosevelt

A key aspect of great design is type and layout. Take a look at an issue of Bloomberg Businessweek for an example of design abuse, albeit with great content. In the latest release from lynda.com, John McWade shares foundational graphic design techniques in Before & After: Things Every Designer Should Know. The focus of this week’s feature story is on the last few chapters on type.

Type is often taken for granted and underappreciated. Avoid type that is overused or common place and integrate type, so it becomes part art form. San-serif, serif and script may be used together while color, size and weight add to the beauty of designing with type.

Layout and type should dance with each other. Constraining your type to a rectangle, with rigid design, will detract from the beauty of the type itself and reduce the effectiveness of the message.





Using color, size and weight differences in the type has improved the design. In combination with the graphic elements, the design has become less like an encyclopedia and more like a work of art.

Many designers get stuck in the position of having more content than space. The next example shows how six articles virtually blend together making it less inviting. It doesn’t have to be this way.





With the use of bold, italic, serif and san-serif fonts, the design is more distinct. John McWade states, "These bold typographical contrasts are a good solution to this mundane project."

The training video on this topic may be found at lynda.com, which is a subscription based training website for most computer programs from Microsoft Office to Adobe Creative Suite, and so much more.

The Super-cool Fold Factory Video:
Source - foldfactory.com

Featured: #133 Broadside Double Parallel with Short Gate Panels

Tips from the Trenches: 

TrueType fonts work best with variable data printing. To avoid compatibility issues, look for fonts that work on both Mac and PC. OpenType, TrueType and PostScript fonts are all suitable for commercial printing. Free fonts are mostly available for personal use only, although there are some that may be used commercially. As with anything, be aware of copyright laws and read the fine print, no pun intended. Font sources: dafont.com; fontsquirrel.com; linotype.com.

Awesome App:

The FontBook App contains over 730,000 typeface samples illustrating nearly 37,000 typefaces from over 8,000 font families. FontBook is the world’s most comprehensive typographic tool.

Interesting Integers:

More than 1,660 type designers are represented in FontBook.

Almost Famous Quote:

It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would never have multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. – Steve Jobs from his commencement speech to Stanford in 2005

CPC Solutions is taking delivery of the Kongsberg i-XE10 from ESKO, a digital cutting and creasing table, ideal for precise packaging proofs and design concepts. The importance of this new tool cannot be underestimated. It is critical in the design, the production, and in the package’s ultimate environment to have accurate files and prototypes. Those files drive the development of the die and ultimately the package itself. The ability to create one-off replicas practically guarantees the production of a well designed, structurally correct package.

It is important to note that these tools are not just for packaging. Any specialized, die cut project you have may be proofed using this device, giving you essentially an exact replica of the final product. The 3D renderings also allow you to envision the final product from the convenience of your computer, tablet or smart phone, thus speeding up the entire production cycle.

In summary, these new tools are now available to you at CPC Solutions:

Software:

• ArtiosCAD ArtMaker fully integrates design
• Complete 3D rendering and animation with transparency
• Multiple designs can be combined to build complex assemblies

Hardware:

• Perfect scores are placed
• The VariCut Tool can be used for kisscutting and perforations
• Your artwork may be printed on the actual stock and then cut with precision for a perfect replica

The Super-cool Fold Factory Video:
Source - foldfactory.com

Featured: #8 Funky Broadside Booklet Fold

Awesome App:

Have you ever forgotten a password?
1Password can remember them all and keep them secured behind what is known as your Master Password. You remember your Master Password and 1Password will remember the rest. Store more than just passwords, including credit card numbers, secure notes, bank accounts, etc. Purchase 1Password once and use it on all these devices; iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The iOS app is $17.99 and it is also available for Android, Windows and Mac.

Tips from the Trenches:

Backup your files. We are all guilty of rolling the dice with our digital files. Backing them up can be confusing, but just remember to not put all of your eggs in one basket; a cliché, yes, but it is the key to success when protecting your files from extermination. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• First, choose an online backup such as Dropbox, Crashplan or DollyDrive and backup your files so you have an offsite location in case of fire, theft or other potential problems.
• Second, buy a decent sized external hard drive and back up your files locally.
• Lastly, understand how each of these systems work and how you will restore your files in the case of an emergency.

Your mind will be at ease knowing your files are duplicated, protected and recoverable.

Interesting Integers:

The Kongsberg i-XE10 has a maximum cutting speed of 52 inches per second and a maximum acceleration speed of 1.2Gs. Yes, that’s Gs as in G-force. One G is equal to the gravitational pull of the earth at sea-level.

Almost Famous Quote:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle