Company Folders Free Print Typography Contest | PrintFirm.com

Our friends over at Company Folders launched a pretty cool contest for the design community. I saw the contest on Facebook the other day, and I finally overcame the selfish urge to keep quiet in hopes of walking away with the awesome prize—a Wacom Intuos5 Touch pen tablet!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tg3dDgCSi3M

For those who aren’t familiar with these devices, the Intuous5 is NOT the same type of tablet as an iPad or an HP Slate. These tablets are made especially for creative professionals, including designers, photographers, and illustrators. The ultra-sensitive pad responds to hand movements much faster than a regular mouse and gives users more control for precision editing. The Intuous5 speeds up workflow because you can perform lots of common actions using simple hand gestures instead of relying on keyboard shortcuts all the time. Of course, you’re able to customize these actions to your liking. You can access said shortcuts through an on-screen menu as well so you don’t have to step away from your work to navigate. The compact size will fit in your backpack, and the device connects wirelessly to your PC or Mac. Best of all, you can use it with your right or left hand. As a South Paw, I really appreciate the versatility. I got used to operating a mouse with my right hand out of necessity, but I prefer to use my dominant hand for design or photo editing projects. If you win this sweet prize, be sure to tweet your designs with the hash tag #Madewithwacom for a chance to be featured on the Wacom website!

Company Folders Print Typography Contest

I suppose I should stop holding out and let you know how to enter the giveaway. All you need to do is visit the Company Folders Facebook page and answer the following inky question: “What is your favorite font used for printing?” You have until Wednesday, 9/18/13 to enter, so get on it. When you stop by, be sure to let’em know Katherine from PrintFirm sent you. Their CEO Vladimir promised me a purple unicorn if I can get 10 other people to enter, which sounds like a reasonable substitute in case I don’t win the Intuous5. If you’re having trouble picking your favorite print design font, you might want to check their list of 99 free fonts for print on their killer blog. Good luck!

Print Design Trend: Flat Style in Ink | PrintFirm.com

Are you still using dramatic drop shadows and garish gradients on your website? What about your print marketing materials? There’s no accounting for taste, but I welcome the return to simple graphics with minimal accents. The designers in the community are probably already sick of seeing this topic on the big creative hubs, although the concept may be new to other readers. The following is an overview of flat design and how you can incorporate this style to keep your brand feeling fresh.

What is Flat Design?

The word “flat” in this context refers to designs that are essentially made to look 2 dimensional i.e. free of unnecessary elements or effects, such as gloss, texture, and bevels. A completely flat piece will avoid the layer styles features in Photoshop entirely.

Flat Style Vs. Skeumorphism

Flat design gives off a completely different vibe from the Skeumorphic look of outdated Apple products. Maybe that’s why I love it so much. Skeumorphism aka realism attempts to make graphics on a screen or in print look similar to the way they appear in the real world with lots of shading and whatnot. Skeumorphism isn’t just about enhanced elements, though. Almost everyone uses an envelope of some kind to represent email because that’s a universally understood symbol for correspondence. Still, Skeumorphic design took a turn towards the ridiculous with overdone effects that bear little resemblance to objects on planet Earth. In this sense, flat design really represents a return to the minimalist aesthetic, something Steve Jobs always advocated despite his preference for cartoonish icons. Many credit Apple’s main rival Microsoft for the recent flat revival. When Microsoft released Windows 8 last year, the company debued a new logo with a look Apple ended up adopting for the iOS7 interface :
Microsoft-Logos

Yep, the brand that built a fortune off the creative industries took design cues from its supposedly bland competitor in the stiff suit. Oh, the irony.

Tips for Professional Printing with a Flat Look

Pure flat was all the rage in the beginning of 2013, but now we’re seeing designers strive for a balance or hybrid approach. It’s entirely possible to pull off a completely flat look for a wide variety of print pieces from business cards to brochures, posters, and trading cards. There are lots of great examples on the web for your inspiration, but here are a few of my favorites. Each one illustrates an important lesson about adapting your minimalist artwork for print projects.

Use Bold Colors and Soft Shading

Flat business card design
Source

This business card is really only two colors, white and teal. But there are different shades of teal going on to create a nice gentle contrast. The results make the message easy to understand within seconds due to the lack of distractions.

Add Depth with Long Shadows

 

longshadow-flat-design-46
Source

Long shadows are a way of mimicking Mother Nature and calling attention to the focal points of your images. They’re usually positioned at a 45 degree angle; to keep this effect in the confines of flat style, maintain sharp edges and ditch the fade or any other attempt at realism. These days designers are adding long shadows mostly to icons, but I see no reason why this trend should apply to such as limited range of work.

Typography Matters More than Ever

Flat style brochure design template
Source

This flat brochure design would be perfect for an agency with a similar website for consistent branding. The template also shows an effective use of strong typography with clear headings and subheadings for emphasis as well as content separation.

Hopefully this brief introduction got your creative juices flowing. I know I’ve been inspired to bring the flatness to my personal business card design. Are you forsaking Skeumorphism for the flat side? Tell us what your brand’s doing with flat design in the comments below!

Print 13 Print Media Centr Bookmarks and Livestream

Are you interested in print marketing? Get all the latest news, see the most innovative print technology, and learn from top marketing experts from your home or office. You can catch the Print 13 action in real time through the Print Media Centr Livestream broadcast! We’ll be helping our friends at the PMC on Twitter, so please be advised that we’ll be more active than usual. With so many amazing things going on, we won’t be able to restrain ourselves.

Last week we shared a sneak peak of our social media business card design made especially for this event marketing campaign. Today we’re pleased to present the custom bookmarks we printed for PMC! If you’re at the convention, grab your free Printerverse bookmark souvenir at booth 5440:

Print Media Centr Bookmarks Printed By PrintFirm

As the image shows, you can join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtags #Print13 and #PrintWins. Be sure to tune in for our Print 13 convention roundup at the end of the week. We’ll be sharing the best tweets, event photos, and more. See you in the Printerverse!

Enter The HP Print 13 Photo Contest | PrintFirm.com

We’re gearing up for Print 13, one of the largest printing industry events in the nation that kicks off next week in Chicago. We already launched a social media business card campaign for the occasion; if you spot our CEO and company manager on the floor, be sure to check out the cool interactive card design in person. As part of the event promotions, I’ve been tweeting with the hashtags #Print13 and #PrintWins. But yesterday I got a random direct message on Twitter, and now I’ve got a new hash tag to fit into the mix: #13daysofprint!

13DaysofPrint Contest Entry

 

How the HP #13daysofprint Contest Works

The contest started last week on August 31st, but don’t worry, you have until September 12th to submit your entries. There are actually 3 ways to enter this fun promotion. If you have an HP press machine or digital printer in your office, take a picture that shows how the equipment helps your business. Another option would be to capture an image from the HP booth (1241) and tweet why the gear caught your attention. All twitter entries need to include the following:

• Must mention the @HPGraphicArts account
• Must have hash tag #13daysofprint
• Must use hash tag #prize
• Must caption the image (aside from tagging)

The last option is reserved for participants who don’t have Twitter accounts. I suppose there are some folks out there who haven’t joined the conversation, and it’s nice of HP to consider the socially reserved among us. These people can submit a free entry by mail. For more information, check the official contest rules page.

So What’s the Prize?

You’re allowed to enter once a day until the competition ends, so start snapping! By now you’re probably wondering what you’ll win. 13 lucky people will win an brand spanking new HP Slate 7 tablet (a $169.99 value)! We can think of a few ways to integrate this awesome Android technology into our workflow, starting with the Beats Audio.

We wish everyone the best of luck, and we expect to see a lot more tweets the next time we search. So far we see a few pictures, but we’re hoping the entries will get a bit more creative now that we’ve invited you guys to jump in. If you win a Slate 7, be sure to tell’em PrintFirm sent you!

Father’s Day Canvas Print Winner Shares Prize Photo

Hello everyone! As many of you know, we regularly host giveaways and sponsor online contests with our partners. In June we ran a canvas photo print giveaway for Father’s Day; today the winner posted a picture of his prize on our Facebook page. We love the image, but his comments really made our day:

Fin Forward Fathers Day Canvas Print Winner

“As winner of the Father’s Day giveaway, I want to offer my sincerest thanks to everyone at PrintFirm.com. Even though I provided a lower resolution photo, I’m thrilled with how it turned out! This is my first photo canvas and captures a life-changing moment when I got the idea to start Fin Forward to help cancer survivors!” – Brandon Betha

Brandon lost his mother to cancer several years ago; she always wanted to visit Australia, but passed away before she made the trip. To honor her memory, Brandon traveled on a voyage down under where he dove with Great White Sharks. While he swam with the sharks, he felt compelled to share the experience with cancer survivors to help them embrace life. The organization relies on donations to fulfill its mission, so if you’re feeling generous, this is a wonderful cause. For more information about this unique, exciting project, visit the Fin Forward website. Be sure to tell Brandon PrintFirm sent you!

PrintFirm Honored with NAPL Marking Plus Award

Marketing-Plus-Banner2-1024x462

The PrintFirm team is pleased to announce our inclusion in the prestigious National Association of Printing Leadership Marketing Plus Awards! We submitted our Father’s Day Direct Mail Marketing Playbook campaign, which won a Silver Award under the category “Corporate Identity”. Read more about the award and view the rest of the distinguished honorees in the official print marketing awards announcement!

This award means a lot to the company, but it’s especially exciting for me as the online marketing director. I got the idea for the playbook while brainstorming for our Father’s Day press release in April. At first I planned to write a typical consumer-oriented story, but decided to switch gears and use the holiday as an opportunity to educate small business owners about print marketing.

Direct mail is a tool that some small biz owners may find intimidating due to the project scope along with costs. Still, direct mail gets its power from the personalization factor, an area where independent companies tend to excel. Local businesses can’t beat the big guys on price or selection, but they best their corporate counterparts when it comes to creating a unique customer experience. For this reason direct mail campaigns allow mom and pop shops to really shine. I hope the playbook inspired the small biz community to plan larger scale marketing initiatives.

The NAPL did not release the other winning entries yet, so we will have to post a follow up to congratulate the rest of the participants. There will be an awards dinner on the eve of Print 13 in Chicago; unfortunately, our team members won’t be able to attend. You can catch our CEO Nick Artounian and company manager Alex Vartanian at Print 13 on Sunday, September 8th and Monday, September 9th. They will be on the floor mingling with our friends at the Xerox Digital Printing booth, the Print Media Centr, and checking out the latest industry technology. Alex will be live tweeting from the event, and I’ll be keeping up with the action on Twitter. Use the hashtag #print13 to stay in loop!

September 2013 Small Biz Marketing Ideas | PrintFirm.com

September Marketing Ideas 2013
Labor Day 2013 is exactly 2 weeks away, and that gives you plenty of time to develop a promotional strategy for September. Mid-August tends to be a slow season for small businesses that are not in the retail sector, so if your company fits into this category, use the downtime to plan for a profitable fall. September signals the end of the year, and there are other important dates to work into your marketing mix besides the Labor Day holiday. You’re likely planning another annual Labor Day sale, so we’ll skip that idea altogether. Here are 6 other important dates to observe.

6 Lesser Known Dates to Remember in September

1) Rosh Hashanah (September 4th)- Otherwise known as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah marks the first of the High Holy Days. If you are a part of the Jewish community, you probably already incorporate related festivities into your advertising. Jews generally celebrate the New Year with a 2 day cedar, and eat symbolic foods that feature rich Fall colors. Decorate your store with fruit platters filled with apples, jars of honey, pomegranates, and dates to wish everyone a sweet New Year!

2) Football Season (September 5th) – Although baseball remains the official American pastime, sports fans can’t get enough NFL action. Your customers will be attending kickoff parties with family and friends, so throwing your own event might not be worth the effort unless you own a bar or restaurant. You can still participate by showing your support for the local team. Put a vinyl banner outside your store announcing your allegiance to the team and use social media to your advantage. Tell all your Facebook fans they’ll get a special discount for wearing team gear on game days.

3) Grandparents’ Day (September 8th)- Show your customers your commitment to family values on this lesser known date. To honor Grandparents, focus on personal connections in your promotions. Use the date to launch a program for older people in the community, such as a senior citizen’s discount. Send out branded greeting cards or inexpensive postcards to people in the neighborhood with a family-friendly handwritten message. You can send ecards instead, but beware of coming across as inauthentic. Handwritten cards are more memorable because of the personal touch.

4) 911 Remembrance Day (September 11th)– Obviously, it’s not appropriate to engage in any kind of direct sales ventures on this tragic date. Simply show your support for the fallen with an American flag in front of your shop, and light candles in honor of the departed. You can also collect donations for reputable 911 charities and spread the word through an email campaign along with Facebook, Twitter, etc.

5) Friday the 13th (September 13th)- Aside from the famous horror movie franchise, Friday the 13th represents the unluckiest possible date. The number 13 and Friday both carry negative connotations in North America as well as other parts of the world. Most Americans don’t take this superstition seriously, so you can have a bit of fun with the spooky theme. Check out the cute DIY crafts and recipe ideas on Pinterest, especially if your business gets a lot of kids and their parents.

6) Constitution Day (September 17th)- Respect for the founding documents is deeply engrained in the American psyche. Unfortunately, not many citizens pay attention to the text outside of history class. Constitution Day marks the date attendees at the Constitutional Convention signed the original articles in 1787, not including the Bill of Rights. By law, all publicly funded schools must participate with some form of educational program related to the Constitution. Find out what’s going on at the local college or university, and help them promote their event. For your part, create an in-store display with interesting facts and trivia to educate customers about this important part of our nation’s early history.

How to Use Social Media Psychology for Content Marketing

Over the weekend we celebrated our company manager Alex’s 30th birthday. The guest list included the PrintFirm team along with his friends and relatives. Since social media is part of my job description, people usually assume that I’m networking every time they see me on my phone. They’re usually right; I’m a self-professed Twitter addict. But when Alex asked me whether or not I posted about the party on Facebook, I shook my head no. I tweeted about the event, but it wouldn’t occur to me to share a personal event in real time on that site. I don’t even have the Facebook app installed on my phone (I tried it for a while and it sucked the life out of my battery).

His question got me thinking about social preferences and why people prefer certain sites over others. Most people belong to multiple networks, as do the majority of businesses, yet we all end up spending more time on the sites we enjoy. I’ve spent a sizeable chunk of my professional life mingling on the popular online communities and trying to figure out what makes their users tick. I believe that this aspect of our digital existence speaks volumes about our personalities.

Infographic: What Your Favorite Social Network Says About You

What Your Favorite Social Network Says About You by PrintFirm

Maybe Infographic isn’t the right label to put on the image above because I designed it without any hard evidence. The comments about each network are supposed to be funny, but I feel there’s a degree of truth to the humor. I’ll go through each section of the table in more detail below:

  • Facebook- The world’s largest social site started out as a place for college kids to hang out and hook up. The early adopters didn’t bail entirely; they belong to the group of passive users in their late 20s and early 30s who lost interest in nonstop status updates. Some have deactivated their accounts while others keep theirs open out of a sense of obligation or for work related reasons. These days Facebook is filled with middle aged and older adults, a large demographic group that’s stereotypically hostile towards change.
  • Twitter – The microblogging site is buzzing with realtime conversations 24/7. Twitter’s rapid flow of content stems in part from the concept of being able to send a text message to the world. Twitter users are often accused of narcissism, a trait that seems more applicable to the Facebook crowd in my opinion. Of course users share details from their private lives, but my timelines are filled with news and informative articles about subjects of interest, not passive-aggressive personal drama.
  • Pinterest – Seriously, I can’t go on Pinterest without leaving with a laundry list of wants. From food to new outfits, Pinterest is a constant source of photos that excite the senses, and make you want things you didn’t know existed…until you logged on.
  • LinkedIn – The business oriented platform stands out from the rest in the sense that it directly serves a purpose beyond online interaction. LinkedIn earned a reputation as a place to find employment, yet professionals rely on the site as a way of climbing the career ladder.
  • Instagram – As I’m sure you know, Instagram isn’t really a website; it’s a photo sharing app that started on the iPhone and then branched out. Unfortunately, they’ve ignored the Windows Phone market, so I’ve never actually used the service. My Instagram observation comes from conversations I’ve had with several young adults, all of whom insisted that they hated Facebook and loved Instagram. When I reminded them that Facebook owns their precious app, they appear immune to the irony.
  • Tumblr – I rate Tumblr just behind Twitter as my second favorite spot. The blogging platform definitely caters to the youth market. The account sign up automatically replaces “years old” with “years young” when you enter an age of 30 or older. I’m 30 years young, and I find the content on Tumblr 10 times more engaging than the stuff I see on Facebook. Tumblr certainly isn’t for everyone, and you can bet you’ll never find your grandma on there reblogging Workaholics gifs. Tumblr isn’t about what’s going on in the outside world. It’s a place to tune in, turn on, and drop out.
  • Google Plus – Aside from a few diehards, Google Plus barely makes a blip on the radar. It’s not a bad site per say, and I consider it more user friendly than Facebook. Nevertheless, I’ve yet to meet any avid users outside of the marketing sector.

    Adapt Your Content to User Behavior

    So what does any of the above have to do with your social media strategy? I believe applying my insights will help you improve your campaign results. You can’t gain any traction on social sites without making solid connections i.e. creating content that appeals to your target market. Here’s what you need to keep in mind when you’re mapping out your content plan for each of these sites.

    Facebook users prefer to interact with people they already know. Start-ups and unknown brands have a hard time gaining ground because they’re not readily recognizable. For this reason, young brands might want to think twice about putting too much emphasis on Facebook. Established brands should strive for consistency in everything from their designs to their voices. It’s ok to mix it up in some ways, post type for example, but if you stray far away from what your fans are used to seeing, they will quickly disengage. For similar reasons Facebook is also the wrong place to meet new people in the professional world. Despite bombarding users with “suggested friends” and “people you may know,” Facebook forbids users from sending friend requests to people they “don’t know outside of Facebook.”

    In this respect, Facebook and Twitter are night and day. To keep Twitter users’ attention, you need to be very active, and share content with substance. It doesn’t always have to be about your industry, either. Check your follower’s timelines to see what they’re talking about and what else interests them. For Pinterest, you need to focus on desire. Show your followers nothing but the best, even if you don’t sell the product or service. For example, we don’t do Letterpress print projects, but I pin Letterpress business cards every chance I get. Why? Because they’re awesome, and help people see business card design as an art form in its own right.

    LinkedIn users want to make more money, plain and simple. If you’re in the B2C market, then LinkedIn probably isn’t at the top of your priorities. B2B marketers need to remember that LinkedIn is literally crawling with salespeople, and it’s tough to pitch a pitchman. Don’t try. Instead share helpful career-oriented material along with industry news. Conversely, never come off as businesslike on Tumblr. In general, Tumblrs appreciate humor, art, and the unusual. Entertain them with original content, and you’ll build a ton of followed links in the process.

    Google Plus users are open to interacting with brands much more so than their Faebook counterparts. As long as your content relates to their interests, they’re happy to welcome you into their communities. Don’t be afraid to explore the site with hashtags because people actually use them as a way of starting conversations.

    That covers everything except for Instagram, which I have to leave out for lack of experience. Anybody want to share a few secrets to Instagram success in the comments below?

Social Media Business Card Designs | PrintFirm.com

This morning the Small Business Administration released a list of tips on brand building. Tip #7 caught my attention, and got me thinking about ways small biz owners can promote their presence on the social web. Before I delve into the design samples for your inspiration, I want to clarify that this strategy probably shouldn’t be your Plan A as far as business cards. Unless you’re a social media manager by trade, you should probably print at least 1 set of traditional cards with the usual logo and contact info. In my professional opinion, it’s never wise to rely on third party sites too heavily in your advertising. You want to send as much traffic as possible to your website directly; if you only print business cards to promote your Facebook page, you could end up hurting your growth in the long run. That said, there are plenty of instances where it’s entirely appropriate to focus on social networking in the offline world.

Local Business Marketing with a Facebook Page Design

True brick and mortar businesses have a fairly limited online audience. Local SEO can be highly competitive depending on the industry, and Google Plus certainly influences search results in powerful ways. Still, it’s easier to connect with people in your neighborhood through your Facebook fan page than on Google +. Besides, Facebook reportedly plans to create its own search engine that may rival Google’s popularity. Position your mom and pop shop to conquer a geographic area with this Facebook inspired business card design:

Facebook Business Card Design

Twitter Style Cards for Events

Twitter cards are a bit trickier for companies as opposed to personal brands. Twitter’s user base isn’t as big, at least outside of certain niches i.e. journalism, so I have concerns about the ROI of zeroing in on the micro-blogging site. Nevertheless, Twitter brings excellent opportunities for event marketing. A lot of events are now connected with specific hashtags, which makes it worthwhile to print special business cards to highlight your Twitter account:

Twitter business card
Note: the above template is for a mini business card size (3.5″ x 1.5″)

LinkedIn Profile Cards for the Sales team

Corporate sales reps usually have premium LinkedIn accounts, particularly those who work in the B2B sector. If LI plays a big role in your outreach plan, then it makes sense to model your card design after your online profile. Unlike the Facebook fan page concept, LinkedIn cards would likely make more sense at the individual level as opposed to promoting a company page. There are surprisingly few good examples with a LI theme online (designers, here’s your opportunity to publish an awesome template). I’m not crazy about the one below, but it’s the best example I could find:
Linkedin Business Card

Where are the Pinterest Business Cards?

I really wanted to include a Pinterest themed design, but I couldn’t find one for the life of me. I would love for someone to point me in the right direction because I see a lot of marketing potential on Pinterest, and I hear real estate agents are doing very well on this visual medium. Have you seen any cool Pinterest cards? Tell me in the comments below!

7 Things Not to Say To Your Printer Part 1: PrintFirm.com

For most small business owners, commercial printing is a whole new ball game. If you’ve never worked with professional printers before, some of the terminology and design specs can be confusing. Your graphic designer might not even have a lot print experience as many focus on the web exclusively. To help you understand the ins and outs of ink, we’re publishing a series of articles about print advertising. As the title suggests, we’re tackling this issue with a touch of humor. Without further ado, here’s the first question that makes printers cringe!

7 Things Not to Say To Your Commercial Printer #1

Why Can’t You Just Fix the Picture in Photoshop?

Short Answer: Because we’re printers, not magicians.

Long Answer: All kidding aside, we really can’t do anything about image quality. Photoshop is an excellent software program, but the hype around it created unreasonable expectations about its capabilities. In short, printers ask for high resolution photos because we’re trying to ensure your satisfaction with the project. When you send us a low resolution picture, we can already imagine the phone ringing and your angry voice demanding to know why your brochure looks so blurry. We try to avoid these unpleasant conversations as much as possible, and we’re pretty sure you want a better outcome as well. The good news is that you can control this part of your campaign by using the best quality pictures available.

What Are High Resolution vs. Low Resolution Photos?

Short Answer: High Resolution = Happy Printer, Low Resolution = Suicidal Printer

Long Answer: You’ve probably heard the phrase 300 dpi in relation to hi-res images. The number 300 stands for the actual number of dots or pixels per inch. Together these dots contain the tiny specs of color information that make up the whole picture. The higher the number of dots, the clearer the picture will be because more dots means smaller specs of color.

Images set at 72 dpi are called low resolution; these photos usually look fine on the web, which creates confusion for small business owners. After all, you don’t have the budget to hire a pro photographer. You will likely find yourself wondering why you can’t recycle the images on your website for your product catalogs. The phrase the devil’s in the details rings true in this situation. The product photos on your website are optimized for the internet, so they’re small and light to prevent slow load speeds. When you print these low res pics, there’s not enough to color information to recreate the original image without a grainy, blurry appearance.

What Does Photoshop Do?

Short Answer: Nothing. We do all the work.

Long Answer: Photoshop is a multi-functional program primarily for image editing. In other words, the photography functions in Photoshop let you change things that are already part of the picture, such as the color saturation or overall brightness. That’s why Photoshop can’t turn low res into high res—the pixels aren’t there to begin with!

What’s the Difference Between Photos and Other Graphics?

Short Answer: The size of the designer’s headache.

Long Answer: Photos add a realistic quality to print designs, but they are difficult to manipulate. For one thing, they’re not scalable, which means you can’t may them bigger without getting distortion. Unlike photos taken with a camera, vector based graphics don’t have pixels. That means they’re easier to work with i.e. they’re scalable, colors change evenly, etc. It’s best to choose photos that don’t require a lot of editing to represent your small biz.

Where Can I Get Photos Suitable for Print Marketing Materials?

Short Answer: Not from Google image searches.

Long Answer: You’d be hard pressed to find free print ready pictures without violating copyright laws. Still, you don’t have to pay a fortune to find photos perfect for your postcards or poster prints; there are lots of online resources that sell professional quality stock images. Just make sure you pay attention to the size and resolution (dpi) when you’re selecting royalty free photos. Here are a few of the less expensive sites to browse in preparation for your next print project:

CanStockPhoto
DreamsTime.com
Flickr Creative Commons (Free!)

I hope this explains why resolution matters in print media. Do you have a question about image resolution or commercial printing in general? Are you a small business owner with an article suggestion? Let me know in the comments below!