KLUGE

At R and R Images we pride ourselves in our ability to push the envelope of “what’s possible” in print. Sometimes we like to spice our prints up with a method called foil stamping, done here in house. Although not a new process by any means, it is an attractive addition to any piece. Foil stamping is the application of pigment (or foil) to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, adhering it to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Foil stamping does not use any ink, resulting in no foil color change based on the shade of paper printed on. Foil can be used for a variety of finishes, including metallic, solid, clear, matte, gloss, chrome, etc. The die is a mold that is custom made to the customers specifications. The heated dies also seal a thin layer of metallic leaf onto a surface.

Through this process we’re able to add accents to pieces such as cards, books, posters, or any other printed materials we produce. Creating a pleasing accent that gives the piece another level of attraction to it’s end audience.

Foil

One of the machines we use to make this magic arise is the “KLUGE” which was manufactured in 1988. Once the apparatus is set up with the proper die, foil, stamping plate, and paper, the permanent process of foil stamping begins. The stunning results take more of an intricate routine from our pressman than what most people realize. This is where our production staff, with their years of experience, shine. Before starting the “KLUGE” the operator has to double check that the metal stamping plate is a mirror image to what we will actually see on the finished piece. Additionally, depending on the front, a good rule of thumb is to keep any font selections to at least a 6 point, ensuring that the message of your custom stamp is legible. The clearer the typeface, the better the foil-stamped finished arrangement will look.

Border stamping plate

Foil stamping can sometimes end up being costly depending on the stamp design, due to the amount of excess foil that goes underutilized. For example, pictures are often accented to make the image pop, only using the border allows for the center to be leftover. This idea of the highlighted fringe helps grabs people’s attention to the details around the edges. However has a large amount of waste seeing that the center of the foil stamp goes unused. It really comes down to the effect the client is trying to capture. Sometimes you have to go a long way to make a small mark.

As a company we take pride in creating the best pieces for our customers. The foil stamp adds another dimension to products and makes it more likely that people will spend more time exploring and interacting with the piece. Print will never go away, there will always be a measurable pleasure in holding a piece of art that shows care and attention to detail. We are not mocking the digital realm, but think about the last time you smiled at the surprise of opening a card… email just isn’t the same.

Click the video to watch the “KLUGE” at work!

Visit our Facebook page for more photos of the foil stamp process!

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Domino’s Pizza has recently taken creative Marketing to a whole new level in the UK, literally, with their octocopter drones. The new drones will allow two large pizzas to land at your home in about ten minutes as long as you are within a four mile radius from the a store. The “DomiCopter” is built for speed and stability with the design of eight spinning blades doing all the heavy lifting. Also, Domino’s made sure that Air Noids didn’t chill your pizzas by equipping the DomiCopter with a standard thermal insulation bag that is currently utilized by Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers. Ensuring the enjoyment of a divine, hot pizza when it descends to your doorstep.

The pizza drone operator doesn’t need to worry about a flying permit, they only need the permission of the landowner to take this drone up to 413 feet off the ground to distribute pizzas. The drone has potential to help expand domino’s customer engagement leading to more job opportunities since no certifications are required to operate this piece of machinery.

Being creative in your Marketing strategy can mean the difference of your company gaining a foothold though notoriety or quietly fading into oblivion. Over the years Domino’s showed us all of the key aspects to creating creative Marketing campaigns with things like The Noid and octocopter drones. Domino’s has definitely left an impression on the market by being bold, creative, and having the ability to stand out.

P.T. Barnum was one of the greatest marketers of all time. He employed the technology of the day to create spectacle and embellished vividly on the realities at hand to convince his audience that they would truly miss out if they didn’t enter the Barnum big top. The Domino’s drone campaign is a creative take on the Barnum way. Not only does it make possible the delivery of a pizza faster than a driver by avoiding red lights and traffic jams, but creates a moment of awe with the customer when the pizza arrives quicker than normal from the sky instead of the usual deliver truck .

Check out the new DomiCopter design by Domino’s Pizza and let us know your thoughts!

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The first piece in the “Digital Magic Experience” campaign took our team many long hard working hours in the shop, but for all of their tough grind we managed to receive a great deal of adoration which we see as a great achievement. The “Digital Magic Experience” came with many incarnations and two separate format designs before we could decide on the final piece layout. Our original thought was to just have a ticket as the only piece to the operation, but then we came up with the design of the mailer to make it a little more enjoyable and to show our aptitude. Once we made the agreement to use the mailer it ended up taking us fifteen to twenty revisions before we sent out the latter components .

There were many compromises throughout this first project. Deciding which secrets we wanted to reveal, or which techniques to include were a few of the more difficult decisions. Although we wanted to show as much as we could, we knew that this campaign would be more enjoyable and successful if each installment had a unique and educational aspect to it. This would allow us to focus the techniques used and give us more space and time to explain their uses in better detail.

Some of the execution on the first piece included Personalization that showcased a PURL (personalized URL) and envelope syncing. Each mailer had to match with the correct envelope which would ensure that the digital path and personalized copy made sense. This was completed by hand. The precision die-cutting allowed the ticket to fall perfectly into the pocket which enabled the artwork below to shine through. The final touch we arranged was the metallic foil stamps, these were the finishing touches that were embellished on before being shipped to their intended recipient.

Tied into the physical mail piece and just as important, were the emails and PURLs. These again had to be personalized and content specific for each individual within our database. All of which also had to have the same look and feel as the physical piece itself. The PURLs included a thirty-eight second video that was created to pull the viewer into the “Digital Magic Experience” reality and help advance the campaign message. All of the production such as the animation and voice over was done here in house at R and R Images and can be viewed on our YouTube Page.

Overall, we were very pleased with the response received by the first mailer in the series of the “Digital Magic Experience” marketing mailers. Not only does it prove the validity of direct mail still being a useful marketing medium, but also goes to show that a little creativity can go a long way to making your audience interested in what it is you have to say.

Stay tuned for the next installment that will be released soon, and definitely sign up if you’re not on the mailing list you so don’t miss your chance to enter in our future giveaways!

A magician never gives all their secrets away, I guess you’ll just have to wait and see!

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R and R Images adds a Prepress/Premedia Manager to its senior management team

Phoenix, Arizona, May 28, 2013.

R and R Images, announced earlier this month that Larry Whiting joined the team as Prepress/Premedia Manager. Larry will oversee prepress, premedia, IT and work side by side with programming, client support and operations. Currently our creative services will be separate, but there will be a close relationship between all of these departments.

As Prepress/Premedia Manager of R and R Images, Mr. Whiting is a working manager overlooking prepress, premedia (pageflex, presswise, directsmile and other online sites, web 2 print), the rips, prepress workflow, databases and mailing. The position will bridge the gap with client support, estimating for streamlining job input. In addition, this position will allow Larry to manage IT, network, servers and phone system. Larry is also responsible for hiring new employees in the Prepress/Premedia area when needed. The goal is to coordinate prepress and premedia to streamline our workflows and have it run smoother. On top of the duties listed, Larry will recommend and implement new tools/software to make the company sufficient on its technology and workflows.

R and R has some very tight deadlines and it is critical that prepress is there to meet these deadlines. It is the managers responsibility to make sure the company has the correct coverage to meet our clients deadlines, therefore employee’s need to be cross trained to allow for correct coverage. Operations, programming and client support (along with owner Rod Key) must all work together with clients to develop a successful plan.

Larry has been involved in the printing industry since 1979. Prior to joining R and R Images, he started up an in-house print shop for an insurance company called Deseret Mutual. After Deseret Mutual Larry then went to help out Interwest Graphics, which is primarily a trade color house. his career path also lead him to a small company known as Rastar. While working with Rastar he wore many hats and had many positions experiencing every facet of the Rastar print process. Rastar was one of the first to venture into the digital world and Larry played a key role in “building” Rastar to what they have become. His last role with Rastar was the Manager of Premedia and in that role, Larry was responsible for managing a team of nine as well as being a working manager. He was also responsible for programming all the variable programs and automating processes. Rastar was eventually purchased by Transcontinental and that is when Larry joined our team here at R and R Images.

“We’re excited to bring such an experienced asset to our team! With Larry on our prepress team, we can now continue to innovate our innovative processes.” Said Rod Key when asked his thoughts.

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Owners Amy and husband Samy fought Gordon’s attempts to help set the restaurant on the right path from the start. Gordon explained to them what they were doing wrong, but Amy and Samy couldn’t handle criticism of any kind, constructive or otherwise. Leading the owners to continuously tell Gordon he was wrong. This seemed to be the one common theme at Amy’s. Every time someone would complain about the food Amy and Samy would become annoyed and at times irate telling patrons they did not know what they liked to eat because their food is the best around. Amy and Samy were unable to handle any feedback especially from paying customers. As the old adage goes, “The customer is always right”. Surprisingly, the point of that adage is that your customer will tell you where you are missing the mark, and if you listen, you can improve. Making sure you do everything you can to make a customer satisfied, will almost ensure that you keep that customer, and in turn, your business. If a customer isn’t satisfied, chances are they won’t return and even worse, possibly spread negative news about your business.

The worst part about this story is the firestorm that occurred on social sites across the internet shortly after the Kitchen Nightmares episode aired. The next day, Amy’s claims that their social media accounts were hacked, and for their sake, we really hope so. We don’t want to unearth things that should stay buried (you can look for yourself if you really like), but let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. The one thing that was never offered at any time was an apology. This is the point. Whether they believe they are right or wrong, a public apology recognizing the circus that is surrounding their brand would do a lot more to calm the waters then the covert actions that have ensued.

As a positive example of how to handle criticism in a business one should only look to R & R Images and their recent “Digital Magic Experience” campaign. In our haste to push out some new print tricks and technology, we missed a couple typos in the copy of our campaign. Although embarrassed, we still had a positive outlook. Some of our amazing clients brought them to our attention and for their support we are grateful. The corrections were quickly implemented and we thanked the eagle eyed clients and continued on with business as usual. At R & R Images, we understand that in business, no matter the situation, you must always remain calm and professional because your business cannot afford to ignore your most important asset…your customers. Making sure the customer is satisfied is the key to running a successful business.

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The PIAZ/NM was full of laughter and appreciation of outstanding work created and produced by local printers, showcasing who was pushing the boundaries of what is possible within the print industry. We’re happy to report that we were on the leading edge of that push, granting us many accolades including Best of Show 2013

The following nominations and awards were presented to R and R Images at the PIAZ/NM event:

Awards:

Best of Show- The Cosmopolitan (Hardbound Book)
Best of Digital Print Hardbound Book- The Cosmopolitan
Best of Digital Print Book Other Than Hardbound- Tonic Photo Studios Portfolio
Best of Variable Data Printing- Digital Skinny

Marketing Campaign – Notre Dame – Bronze
Packaging – HP Swatchbook – Silver
Digital Print Greeting Card / Invitation / Postcard – The Cosmo Poker Tournament – Silver
Digital Print Brochure – Allstate Pop-out – Silver
Variable Data Printing – R and R Images Capabilities Book – Silver
Variable Data Printing – Digital Skinny – Gold
Digital Print Book Other Than Hardbound – Tonic Photo Studios Portfolio – Gold
Digital Print Hardbound Book – The Cosmopolitan – Gold

The piece that won best in show.

“It’s enlightening to see after all these years that our digital printing techniques won best in show over any printing technology. Digital printing is now mainstream and our team knows how to push the envelope to produce something that is totally dynamic and never been seen before. I’m very proud of our team and what they accomplished, they are officially best in class!”, R and R Images Founder and CEO said after receiving the Best of Show award.

As one of the judges, Dr. Thomas Schildgen, professor of Graphic Information Technology at Arizona State University said, “This piece will take you breath away. It is a true masterpiece and a great representation of how far digital printing has come.”

We were very proud of the acclaim received, especially regarding The Cosmopolitan client piece. “Many hours of thought, design, and revision go into every piece we create, but that Cosmo book is still something I’m very proud of,” said Ashley Key, Graphic Design and Product Development Specialist here at R and R Images. Key added, “Digital print really has come a long way over the years and we strive to push it further than anyone thought was possible on a daily basis.”

There were many amazing submissions to this year’s PIAZ/NM Print Excellence Awards, all of which deserve recognition and acclaim in their own right. We at R and R Images feel not only honored to be a part of the PIAZ/NM event, but also truly privileged to have received such recognition and praise within the print industry. We’re looking forward to the next step, which is on the national stage. Congratulations and kudos to everyone who took home awards, amazing work deserves recognition!

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So, what did the R and R Images team think of Dscoop 8 in Nashville, Tennesee?

Drew Swankie

“Overall a successful and rewarding experience at Dscoop8. As always it was great to reconnect with old friends and colleagues as well as meet new people within our industry. I am very intrigued by the upcoming software feature releases announced by both Pixfizz and PressWise. These upgrades to the core systems will directly benefit both our business and our customers greatly. My favorite session by far was GPA’s Presenting with Power and Persuasion. It was full of invaluable tips on becoming a better public speaker. I was able to apply these concepts almost immediately in the two sessions I was a featured presenter at on Saturday. I’d would like to thank all those who participated, especially my coworker Steve Klingler, for making both of these sessions a success. All in all, Dscoop8 was a high note on which to end my tenure with the Dscoop Operations Committee. In the coming months I will roll off the committee to make room for new members to keep the Dscoop train rolling. “

Steve Klingler

“This was my second DScoop and I was just as impressed.  It was great networking with my peers and interesting learning how many different ways there are to skin a cat.  The Solutions Showcase seemed to be twice as big as last year as well.  I gathered a bunch of information from suppliers and vendor as well as making some great new contacts.
I am most impressed, even a little suprised with how many people are so willing to share their experiences to help their peers.  The Digital Print community is a tight knit group and Dscoop is a huge part of that! “

Kelly Daniel

“I was so excited to attend my first Dcsoop! I thoroughly enjoyed the keynote speakers, they were all very inspirational and insightful. The sessions I attended were educational and the speakers were knowledgeable about relevant topics pertaining to our business. Networking is a big part of Dscoop and I had the pleasure of reconnecting with acquaintances and vendors and making new connections. I came away from this experience with a renewed enthusiasm about all the possibilities we can accomplish to be a leader in our industry.”

Cheryl Smith

“I first heard about DScoop when I started at R and R Images in 2012 and I was extremely excited when Rod invited me to go. It was something that I have never experienced in all my years in printing. Everyone was open and honest about what they do, so different then years ago when everyone kept trade secrets to themselves. From the DScoop8 Welcome, to the key note speakers, to the classes, it was an educational and networking experience I will never forget. I came back energized and wanting to learn more.”

Ron Costello

“Attending for my first time was quite an event. I did get sick on Friday but I spent Thursday and Friday Morning at the event.
The event was awesome on two fronts… education and contacts. Thursday was full of excellent sessions. I focused on learning more about how the end client can benefit from our products and services at the hosted sessions:
Social Media in an evolving Industry that focused on becoming an industry leader through social networking. The speaker was a PHD and business consultant whose focus is social media.
Grow your Revenue and Boost Print Profits hosted by Mindfire that outlined the client benefits of of multi-channel marketing. Through this contact we have an online session scheduled to learn more.
PixFizz Get the cloud to Spark your W2P Business was very interesting especially since they are one of our suppliers. Their session was about their strides to create reliability, redundancy and back up for our clients.
GPA.Presenting with Power and Persuasion …Drew is correct. This was a great session… everyone enjoyed the speaker and it was very educational and fun… which was the speaker’s way of telling us to do the same thing with our presentations.
I also was able to hear some of the speakers Friday morning. The future is bright and we need to ‘make hay while the sun is shining’
was the message that I heard.”

Rod Key

“Dscoop 8 was another great event. Fantastic networking, phenomenal keynote speakers and a great business learning/development arena.
It’s great to be around your peers, its not often you can be around the best of the best in the industry, so much to learn and share and not enough time. It went far too fast. The takeaways were the best ever.
It’s a good breeding ground to meet all our suppliers along with getting insights of the technology to come. It’s still the single most industry important event there is in digital print. I have a laundry list of ideas, things to try, and things to buy, not to mention I left with significant motivation.
While I only attended 3 sessions this was a great place to learn more of our industry. What you put in is what you get out.
Eric Hawkinson is certainly the best captain we can have for our association and an inspiration for our industry. (Along with his team.)
Like Drew, I role off the board of directors unless I opt to run for the head position, which, I’m not sure I can fill those shoes. I’ll still lead the Dscoop marketing committee and plan to help as long as needed.
It’s the best group I’ve ever been around and proud to be a part of such a great movement. I’ve been around Dscoop from its conception and I’m so happy to see where it’s now positioned.
I averaged under 4-5 hours of sleep a day and still wish I spent more time around my peers. “

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Soon enough, Saturday mail delivery will be a thing of the past.  Packages will still be heading to your homes on the weekends, but letters will not.  What does this mean for direct mail marketers?  Well, in reality not very much….

In the future, if you’re doing an extremely targeted short response window offer, you’ll just have to adjust your mailing plans a little. But, with such a long timeline before this change takes effect, it shouldn’t be an issue for direct mail marketers and consumers alike to be ready for the adjustment when the time comes.

We’re still about six months out from the changes taking place and the halt hasn’t yet been approved, but the USPS says that it is necessary to keep the business going.  Stopping Saturday delivery will save the USPS an estimated $2 billion in expenditures, helping bridge the gap of the $20 billion dollar canyon they are facing.

There’s also no real issue when it comes to the print industry either.  Although there is going to be one less day, the volume of work shouldn’t really change.  What will change is how marketers effectively use the time (frames) they have to engage their audience.

One thing you might want to think about though… no more “Weekend Madness Sales” that appear in your mailbox on Friday.  Those will have to be announced a bit earlier.

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Readers first…

We’re excited to announce that R and R Images has teamed up with HP and Brand Manage Camp to bring you a webinar next Thursday, January 24th, titled “Transforming Campaigns With Cross-Channel Personalization.” It will focus on creating targeted dialogues with your customers, incorporating all of your marketing channels, what you need to know about today’s new technologies, and how others are strengthening brand loyalty and increasing response rates by 20% or more using these strategies.

The webinar will last 45 minutes and offers great insight into maximizing your marketing footprint across many different fronts.  Our very own CEO, Rod Key, will be one of the presenters on this webinar and spots are limited—so reserve yours now!  To claim access to this educational webinar, follow the link HERE.

The second thing we wanted to announce is something we’re very proud of.  The Arizona Business Magazine chose R and R Images as one of the “2013 Best In Arizona Business,” which is such a honor!  It’s very exciting to be chosen among so many other outstanding businesses, and we look forward to continued evolution and satisfaction when it comes to meeting the needs of our clients.  We always strive to push our creativity and problem solving to higher levels—and it’s very humbling when a publication like the Arizona Business Magazine  and our peers notice!

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R and R Images adds a Director of Business Development to its Management Team

Phoenix, Arizona, January 2, 2013.

R and R Images, a leader in the Digital Printing and Marketing Solutions industry, announced today that it has hired Ron Costello as Director of Business Development for Major Accounts. “We are excited to have Ron on board, as he shares our enthusiasm for product excellence, unparalleled customer service and strong team building,” said Rod Key, President and CEO of R and R Images.  “Ron will undoubtedly enable us to continue to drive sales excellence in the printing industry and foster growth in the major account market.”
As Director of Business Development at R and R Images, Mr. Costello is responsible for acquisition and expansion for Enterprise and National accounts.  Ron brings a wealth of over 30 years of experience with the printing industry, business development and internet marketing  services providing innovative solutions across a breadth of industries.
Prior to joining R and R Images, Ron was President and owner of Central Graphics, an innovator of print solutions in the Phoenix market.  Ron was also the principal at Prodotools, LLC  providing internet marketing services and print solutions to both small and large companies.  Ron has extensive education in customer service, technology and sales.
About R and R Images
R and R Images is an Arizona-based marketing solutions company that specializes in digital printing, personalized 1-to-1 marketing, commercial photography, large-format output, creative services, production, bindery, fulfillment and mailing.
Launched in 1986, the company began as a traditional photography studio working primarily with large ad agencies, producing photos for campaigns that included billboards, catalogs, and magazine ads.
Since 1989, both Fortune 500 and SMB companies have put R and R Images’ print solution technologies to work making their function more efficient, more productive, and a greater contributor to the success of their organization.
In the mid-1990s, R and R became one of the first photography studios to embrace digital technology.
The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
For more information, please visit http://www.randrimages.com/ or contact Ron at *protected email*

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