PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is a file format that aims to accurately represent a document onscreen regardless of which computer system the file is viewed on. PDF is widely used in the printing industry and West Press prefers high-resolution Adobe PDF...
Letterpress basics: Embossing
Services, Graphic Design, Marketing, Tips
Embossing is raising the surface of your design so it has some depth. Embossing is done by pressing a sheet of paper into a “female” die with a design engraved or etched into it. This is usually done with a “male” counterpart underneath the paper so the paper is...
How to Order Green Printing
Ordering green printing starts with the initial brainstorming and design process. During this preliminary stage, it’s important to keep the end stage in mind to minimize the environmental impact of the project. While you may not have control over whether a customer...
8 Tips for Building an Impressive Brand
Find what sets you apart: What makes your company unique? Customers want to know if you have the service or solution they are looking for. Having great testimonials and a mission statement is good but customers are in search of answers. If they think your company can...
Tips For Creating Good Print-Ready Files
We love good design and good printing. Good design and good printing go hand-in-hand with good files. Here are some standard and lesser-known things you can do to help create good print-ready files. When starting any new project, it’s always a good idea to have a goal...
Planning Ahead: Making the most of the calendar when it comes to promoting your business
Holidays have a funny way of sneaking up on us if we let them but it doesn't have to be that way. With a little effort and planning ahead, you can take advantage of using holidays to promote your business and get customers in the door. Giving yourself enough time to...
The Print Industry isn’t Dead, It’s Alive & Well
UPDATE 6-20-16: A related article titled Not So Fast: Print Ain’t Dead Yet by MindFire Studio highlights that direct mail outperforms digital channels by 600%. Our article below is still relevant but this recent article provides insight into how direct mail is...
Live green on Earth Day and every day
Today - April 22, 2014 - marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 and was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin in response to an oil spill off the Santa Barbara, California coast. In 2009, the United Nations...
Should you subset or embed?
Graphic Design, Services, Tips
Should you subset or embed? When creating a pdf (portable document file) you may have noticed the option to subset fonts. Maybe you’re wondering what subsetting is and/or if you should do it? Basically, you have two options—either full font embedding or subset font...