In this country, commercial printing products are all around us. We have newspapers delivered daily, our mail is jammed with glossy brochures and catalogs, and billboards line our city streets. Like baseball and apple pie, it’s a part of our culture. But what many people might not know is that the traditional commercial printing process is very taxing on the environment. It uses tons of paper, energy, and—perhaps worst of all—the ink and solvents used in printing presses produce large amounts of volatile organic compounds, also known as VOC’s, which are pollutants that can contaminate air, soil and groundwater.

Luckily, many in the printing industry have sought and developed greener, earth friendly solutions to the pollution problem. One of the biggest advances has been the introduction of soy based inks into the commercial printing process.

Besides giving off high levels of VOC’s, traditional inks used for printing are petroleum-based. Soy based ink products, however, are derived from a mixture of soybean oil, pigments, resin and waxes. The VOC levels are greatly reduced, and because the oil comes from soybeans grown in the United States, using soy based ink boosts our economy while decreasing the need for a foreign product such as petroleum. Also, because soybean oil is clearer than petroleum distillates, less pigment is needed to produce the same effect, reducing the overall cost of the ink.

The recycling process is also helped by soy based inks because it can be removed more easily during de-inking than petroleum based products.

Although the environmental and economical benefits of soy based ink printing are reason enough to use them, there are aesthetic benefits as well: soy based inks actually produce brighter, richer colors than traditional inks, which is why they are used in over 90% of US daily newspapers. So while it’s true that traditional commercial printing has been harsh on the environment, the good news is that greener alternatives are making their way into the industry, with soy based ink printing leading the pack.

CONTACT ECO PRINTING COMPANY EAST COAST GRAPHICS TODAY
TO LEARN MORE! 631-231-9300

Tips:  Preparing For a Trade Show

Leave enough time as possible to prepare your signage: All too often do people wait until the last minute to get their trade show signage together.  Try to plan at least a month ahead of time to allocate an appropriate budget and proper specifications. When laying out your trade show booth, draw a mockup of the floor plan. It is important to consider table, chair, and drape placement when deciding sign placement. Another consideration should be foot traffic. Where are most of the trade show visitors going to be entering, exiting and standing in your booth? Although it’s important that our signs have a big impact, we don’t want to overcrowd an area and make an uncomfortable environment.

Do research on both the show and who will be in attendance: Although many of us want to express our creativity and uniqueness, make sure you research beforehand. A little subtlety goes a long way in creating a large impact and drawing the most amount of foot traffic to a booth. Here are some tips on how to research the show and the attendees when planning your trade show signage:

• Promotional signs should be large and straight to the point.
• List of services signs should be bright and clean looking.
• Backdrops should stand out and grab the audience’s attention.
• Many companies opt for interactive signage – Play a game and win, Spin and win, Take a picture in front

Although interactive signage is unique and effective when used properly, be cognizant of your audience.  If you have a prospect with whom you’ve been in contact for months that shows up at the show, don’t have them wait on a face painting line in order to talk to you!

Preparing for a trade show can be less stressful when you plan properly.  Effective planning includes allotting enough time (usually at least a month), researching the trade show, researching the audience, and using captivating visual signage.  Spending an exorbitant amount of money is not necessary to have successful trade show signage.

If you or your company needs large format signage for an up coming event and need a little help please feel free to contact East Coast Graphics, Inc. we are always happy to help.

East Coast Graphics, Inc.
Thomas Glenn
631.231.9300 xt.11
info@EcoastGraphics.com
631.231.9300 xt. 11

“Still wondering about the best channels through which to deliver your messages when you’re trying to boost your bottom line? Consumers are more likely to purchase based on messages they receive through traditional media. In this year’s study, we included television commercials and infomercials as channels through which consumers may have been directly influenced to make a purchase. While this approach does not take important factors like branding into account, it does give us a basis for comparison where branding may be the primary goal—as is often the case with social media.

Our research shows:

Direct mail has directly influenced more consumers to purchase than any other channel.

76% of consumers have been directly influenced to purchase through direct mail.”

For the first time in years, someone has actually taken the time to look at media channels in an objective way. And what media channel came second as an influencer of purchases? Television. Email came in third, which considering email marketing is a tiny fraction of the cost of TV advertising, is an excellent result.

Another gem in the report was the statement that email is still very popular and we love it, but only 15% of people like to receive marketing messages via this channel!

Thomas D. Glenn
East Coast Graphics, Inc.
p. 631.231.9300 x.11  |  f. 631.231.5159
ECoastGraphics.com