31.3.11

Special Birthday Wishes to a VERY Faithful Old Friend!



Reaching a grand old age of 50 this year our old and well loved Platen is one of the 14 heidleberg presses that we have owned over the long history of Maslands.

Bought brand new in 1961, our platen has spent all of his well-oiled days in the Maslands factory, alongside the ever changing Litho & Digital technology which surrounds it. Lulling us, as kids in our buggies, to sleep with its hypnotic and beautiful mechanical movements, whirrs and sounds - whilst pounding out the copies with precision, impression after impression.

Happy Birthday Platen, we love and salute you!

Welcome Praise...


We're all so quick to complain these days... Brr, it's cold, urgh it's raining, 'that' costs too much, 'that' took too long... But, aside from the furrow of depression the country seems to have got into and ever optimistically looking for the good in every situation - When someone does say 'you know what, that was great', the praise seem all the more worthwhile... well done Team, well deserved!

Hi Andy,

It's very rare to get any acknowledgment from people within Clarks regarding positive feedback but for the first time ever I have. (please see email below).

I wanted to forward this on as it's not just down to me and to say thank you for your help in delivering the notebooks and postcards at such short notice.

Thanks again, Kate

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just a quick thank you on behalf of the Supply Chain team, Mel & Kate really went the extra mile for me this week in helping pull together some things for a Supply Chain Event. Thanks to them the day looked professional and was well received by the team. Kate especially pulled out all the stops to get some material from an outside supplier for a tight deadline.

Thanks again, I am sure to ask again in the future!!!

17.3.11

Moors Youth Team at Unveiling of Adam Stansfield Stand



The promising Moors Youth Team, sponsored by Maslands, have had a great season, holding their position mid-table and staying hungry for the lead.

Proud in their kit, the Moors Youth Team were honoured to be involved in the unveiling of the Adam Stansfield Stand, at Elmore FC's Horsdon Park.

Tiverton club Elmore dedicated the structure to Stanno's memory to show that the popular forward will never be forgotten there. A crowd gathered to see the unveiling, which took place before Elmore's match on Saturday 12th March against Hengrove Athletic.

16.3.11

Making the Cover!

I'm making the news again! Shame I don't photograph like Kate Moss... but at least the competition is thin on the ground, not another female to be seen anywhere amongst the leaves....!

15.3.11

Web2print... What's it worth?


How would a tailor-made web2print site benefit your company?

We like the personal touch of meetings, phone calls and email – we like to know that you're happy we have understood your project and appreciate what you need to achieve. We don’t ever want to lose this element of our business – it’s what we’re good at...

...but we also appreciate that time constraints in today’s working environment become ever more demanding and there are some jobs, office stationery orders for instance, which can be made much quicker and easier for you - saving you both time and money.

We've added web2print ordering to our range of services so that we can offer you more options for ordering your print, letting you choose whichever method works best for you and your product. Our web2print systems are bespoke, designed specifically for you – unique and personalised to give you the benefits that you need.

Your site is branded with your company logo, imagery and colour scheme. You can choose which products you do or don’t order through your web2print site. We can set minimum and maximum order quantities and values, allow certain users access to certain items. You can pay by account or by card. The site is custom-made to work to your advantage. You can order any item through your web2print site – stationery, direct mail, newsletters, leaflets, business cards. Orders can be placed by anyone, from anywhere with a PC and internet connection. You can upload your artwork or create your designs online. Stationery items can be ordered and personalised, across many offices, without any danger of affecting corporate branding. Proofs can be checked and approved quickly and simply before order completion...

  • FLEXIBILITY – tailored to your individual needs
  • CONTROL – access to all brand elements within layouts
  • ACCESSIBILITY – anyone can use the system, from anywhere
  • SIMPLICITY – user friendly, fast set up, review, approval & order
  • EFFICIENCY – save time with print ordering
  • RESPONSE – meeting your needs needs 24/7

We could keep listing the benefits, but again, time is money! We'd rather show you a demo site where you can have a go at ordering some items and see for yourself how it could work for you.

Interested? Give Louise a call on 01884 252613 and ask for a demo web2print site, no charge, no pressure, so that we can show you, first hand, how we can make print easier for you.




Printing Business Cards | Postcards | Flyers | Leaflets | Compliment Slips | Stationery
Sets|Posters|Brochures|Folders|Greeting Cards|Gift Wrapping Paper | Rainbows...

14.3.11

Writing Specifications for Printing Quotations... AND Avoiding Hidden Costs…


Printing quotes are ‘estimates’ that you can use to work out a budget for your printing project. Quotes are entirely dependent upon the information that you provide, missing information can provide you with non-comparable quotes from different suppliers ‘filling in the blanks’. So, how do you describe your job to your printer to ensure you get the most accurate price quotation? What information should you include?

Along with your contact information and the name of your organisation, your quotation request should include the schedule of timings for your job: when it will be ready for press and when you will need it delivered. You need to tell the printer whether it is a new job or a reprint, and if it is a reprint whether any changes must be made.

Note if design is required, or artwork is ready for print - if so how will this be supplied, and what kind of prepress work you expect to be done. For example, if you are providing FPO's (for position only) of photos you want the printer to scan, let the printer know this, and specify the level of proofing you require – PDF, Lo-res or Hi-res.

Note the number of copies you want printed, the size of the job (flat and folded) and the number of pages. If the job is a brochure, remember to count both sides of each page. If you are requesting an estimate for a book, note whether it is a self-cover book (no extra cover) or whether it has a cover of a thicker stock.

When specifying the paper stock on which your job will print, note the weight, grade, color, finish – uncoated/silk/gloss/etc, and any other information you have. If you want the printer to suggest cheaper, alternate stocks, note this as well. Remember to specify cover and text stocks separately. Tell the printer the level of quality you expect: basic, good, premium, or showcase.

Note separately what colors the text pages will print and what colors the cover will print, specifying whether the colors are process (full color) or PMS spot colors. If your publication will include any coatings, such as lamination, Spot UV or varnish, tell the printer the percentage of coverage required and whether they will be a matt or gloss finish. Any extra services should also be noted, such as embossing/debossing, die cutting or foil stamping – any of these processes can be costed as optional extras, should you want to keep them separate in your quotation.

Don't forget post-press work: finishing and binding. If you want your job trimmed and folded to a specific size, note this on your request for quotation, and describe the type of fold (wrap fold, accordion, double-parallel, etc). If your project is a book, specify the type of binding, including saddle-stitch or side-stitch, perfect binding (and burst perfect binding), GBC or plastic comb, spiral wire or plastic spiral (or wire-O), or case binding. Tell the printer also what edge the book will be bound on, and be sure to mention any scoring, perforating, laminating, numbering, drilling, etc.

If your job is complex and includes special hand finishing, such as inserting, pockets with builds, etc., it’s always a good idea to make a paper dummy for the printer. It's always easier to communicate your printing needs when you can hand the printer a three-dimensional sample showing exactly what the finished product should look like.

Finally, specify packaging and delivery. Tell the printer if you will need any samples, where the job will deliver to, or if you expect the printer to enter the finished job into the mail stream. Labeling, ink-jetting of address information, etc., would be included in the specifications at this point. Bulk packing, shrink-wrapping, and maximum carton weight should also be noted.

There is a lot of information to include on a complex print project, but the more specific you can be, the less likely you will be to receive additional, unexpected charges on your bill.

Don’t forget though, there are many variables involved in the production of a printed article, and there are many junctures during the process, where changes to the specification can take place and each spec change will effect the final price you have to pay. Some of the most common variables to keep in consideration are...

  • The number of copies required
  • The type of paper used
  • The weight of paper used
  • The type/level of proofing required
  • Extra proofs/plates required
  • Additional in-house design, pre-press work or authors corrections
  • Changes to the size of the document to be printed – finished document measurements & page numbers
  • Changes to the number of ink colours used within the document – 4 Colours Process, Spot Colours
  • Changes to the coverage and complexity of any special finishing
  • Changes in delivery details – changes to print specifications affecting final weight of the product can also incur increases in delivery costs.

Before you change any element of your specifcation during the production process, check the cost with your account manager. Nobody likes an expensive surprise!





Printing Business Cards | Postcards | Flyers | Leaflets | Compliment Slips | Stationery
Sets |Posters|Brochures|Folders|Greeting Cards|Gift Wrapping Paper | Rainbows...

4.3.11

Making the news... Good News!!

Was sat at my desk sipping coffee the other morning, flicking through the latest Heidelberg publication, and was (more than) a little surprised to see myself staring back at me (nearly spat coffee on my keyboard!!) - Little pink cheeked, but BRILLIANT!




Printing Business Cards | Postcards | Flyers | Leaflets | Compliment Slips | Stationery
Sets | Posters|Brochures|Folders|Greeting Cards|Gift Wrapping Paper | Rainbows...

2.3.11

If a Job's worth doing, it's worth doing properly...


Finishing touches can make all the difference between something that simply 'does the job' and a job that really stands out from the rest.

Spend £100k on a home extension… but it won’t look like it if you don’t pay a professional decorator the final £5k to skim your walls, tile your floors or paint your walls because you think you can do the ‘finishing touches’ yourself (I speak from experience!).

Well, the same goes with your next Marketing Brochure. Whilst a printed and nicely finished A4 document would be perfectly functional and impart all the information you need to get across to your clients - ask yourself this question, ‘What will make my brochure grab their attention, over my competitors?’

There are many simple but highly effective print finishes, often applied to just the outer covers, none of which cost the earth. Each one will provide a look or a feel that will make your brochure just that little bit extra special…

Lamination is a plastic coating that will not simply help protect your brochure, but gives a smooth gloss or matt finish to the outer covers.
Spot UV Varnish allows certain areas to be picked out in high gloss, most often produced in conjunction with a matt lamination for increased contrast. Clever use of this effect can transform a basic company profile into a high quality brochure with an ‘expensive’ look.
Foil Block selected areas with one of many foil choices, not just gold or silver but high impact colours, effective black and white, as well as groovy holographic foils. Gives a stunning effect on Logos and key wording.
Embossing is a process which ‘pushes’ your logo or key wording through from the back, making an impression in the card so that it sits proud. A subtle but hugely effective finish that gives a real quality feel. (Debossing is a similar effect but in reverse)
Die cutting creates rounded corners, holes and shapes cut into the front cover. Can be used cleverly to reveal something on page one, create interesting shapes that catch the readers attention – Simple, with great effect.

Any of the above options, based on 1000 copies, can cost between £100 and £250 (dependent on complexity). This small additional cost really can make all the difference to your finished product. It could be the deciding factor in ensuring it is your brochure, your company, that your clients and prospects remember.

Want more info? Call us on 01884 252613