Archive for ‘Design’

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January 7, 2013

Bring lush elegance to your marketing campaigns with Pantone’s colour of 2013

The world has gone green! We’ve entered the age of balance, harmony and lush elegance. From 2010′s vibrant pink, to 2011′s lively tangerine, we’ve seen the colour trend go topsy turvy in 2012. On Friday, Pantone, the professionals behind the standardized color reproduction system, has announced that the 2013 PANTONE Color of the Year is Emerald.

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The more relaxing emerald “is absolutely the opposite of 2012′s Color of the Year,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s color specialist.  Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. It’s also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity – no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” says Eiseman, “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

Green is said to represent growth and fertility, which is why we think emerald is the best hue to help you inspire new sales in your latest marketing campaigns. The gem-stone shade of green is rich, and lush, and is perfect for conveying a sense of exclusivity and elegance in your campaigns.

Other colours also in the spotlight are:

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Mix and match in this palette easily. They all translate into plastic with ease. The CardsPlus graphics specialists recommend freshening up emerald with a dose of Lemon Zest and Dusk Blue for a young fresh approach, or enhancing it’s elegance with a dash of Monaco Blue (my personal favourite!) and Linen. Oh the possibilities!

Go ahead and give your campaign the 2013 twist by going green and including emerald in your upcoming plastic card designs and marketing ventures. We can’t wait to show you how it will turn out on plastic!
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CardsPlus is committed to providing fully inclusive customised plastic card solutions. We do this with help from our unique combination of speedy service, flexibility, knowledge, commitment to quality and support.

We’re proud to have helped thousands of African companies get the most from their plastic cards. Read more about us on http://www.cardsplus.co.za/

Posted in Demystifying the Technology, Design, Industry News, Insider Insight, Pre-Printed Cards, Pre-Printing 101, PVC cards | Leave a Comment »

November 29, 2012

Managing your ID photos (Part 4): How to crop a photo in Microsoft Picture Manager

During our last post series we talked about how important taking good ID photos is. When the purpose of an ID card is for accurate identification, there is nothing more important that accurate data and photographs. Many clients manage to capture great photos of their staff, but worry about the best way to crop the image for best print.

GOOD NEWS! Your PC probably has the software to crop the photos perfectly without hassle!

If you have Microsoft Office installed on your PC, you should have a programme called “Microsoft Picture Manager”.  Here’s a brief tutorial on how to crop an image using this basic software. In my images I am using Office 2007,  and your version may appear a little bit differently. However, the concept will be exactly the same no matter which platform you are operating on. Having trouble following our screenshots? Try Microsoft directly being sure to specify an aspect ratio and orientation.

Crop a picture in Microsoft Picture Manager

Step One

Open the image you wish to crop. Here is a sample from our recent CardsPlus ID card photo-shoot of our Technical Manager. You can recall the set up of the shoot by clicking here.

Step Two

Select the Picture menu in the top tool bar and click on Crop.

Step Three

If you have taken all your images in the same consistant way,  you can use this procedure with success if one or more images are selected.

In the Aspect Ratio box, select the ratio you want to use, and then select the Landscape or Portrait orientation. In my example we need portrait orientation

The simplest way to select an aspect ratio is trial and error, although most companies prefer the look of 4×6 or 5×7. Here we’ve selected 5×7.

Drag the handles to resize the crop box to head and shoulders. If multiple images are selected, please be aware that miscropping may occur.

Press OK to crop the image.

We recommend “SAVE AS” to save your image to the employee staff number or other manageable name. Remember, when compiling your data for print, the name specified in the database and the name of the photo must match EXACTLY.

If you have further questions about ID cards or how to send your files, please contact us!

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This post is part 4 of a 4 part post about managing your identification photos. Here’s some tips to ensure your ID cards are the most professional ones yet.

Did you find this series helpful? Please let us know!

Posted in Design, FAQ, ID Card Technology | 3 Comments »

November 28, 2012

Managing your ID photos (Part 3): What makes a good ID photo

What Makes a Good ID Photo

Having a good ID photo that clearly shows all identifying features of the person is great news for high security ID cards. It is simple to set up a professional ID photo-shoot, and just as quick to snap off some great photos as well.

When you are taking ID photos, here’s a cheat sheet to ensure best photo quality:

Pose:

Can you see the ears, eyes, top of head and chin? Hats, sunglasses, and face coverings are not ideal- and should be removed for the photograph. Being able to clearly see all distinguishing features on the subject  is most important when using the ID card for high security purposes.

Clarity:

Blurry photos are a no-go, as are photos that have harsh shadows across the face. The goal with any ID photo is to capture an accurate image of the person’s physical attributes, and ensuring the photograph is clear will alleviate frustration down the line.

Consistency:

When shooting an ID photo, it is ideal to consistently get the image square on the person’s face. Shooting up the nose, or down the forehead will distort the subject’s features and make it difficult for a positive ID later on.

Cropping:

Nearly every photo you take with your camera will need to be cropped to size after you upload the image to your computer. “Cropping” refers to the removal of the outer parts of an image to improve framing, accentuate subject matter or change aspect ratio. In the next segment we’ll offer some advice to help you crop your photos professionally.

The quality of the ID Photos  you take is important. There are many different ways and methods to ensure that your photos allow for clear identification. Even the  South African Home Affairs promotes high quality ID photos. Click here to download the PDF.

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This post is part 3 of a 4 part post about managing your identification photos. Here’s some tips to ensure your ID cards are the most professional ones yet.

Did you find this series helpful? Please let us know!

Posted in Design, FAQ, ID Card Technology | 3 Comments »

November 16, 2012

Managing Your ID Photos Series (Part 1) : Introduction

Oh the humble ID card. While entirely practical, current trends are bringing in more professional, higher security and better looking plastic cards.

The professional appearance of your cards can rely on not only the artwork of the card, but also on the quality of the photographs displayed on each card.

We receive weekly queries from clients looking for better ways to capture their companies or client’s ID photos for the best possible print quality. Whether you are printing the cards at your own office using a small desktop printer, or if you are using our cost effective ID card printing service, there are things that you can do to ensure that the end result is as professional as possible.

This four part series will help you with the tips to make sure the photos are as professional as possible.

Continue Reading:

Did you find this series helpful? Please let us know!

Posted in Design, FAQ, ID Card Technology | 3 Comments »

January 31, 2012

Adding glamour to your plastic cards is easy (and cheap!)

Bring on the Bling this February!

What’s so great about a plastic card? Plastic cards reveal uniqueness.

In Identification, plastic cards are used as a validation tool. The card proclaims “This person, seen here, is important to this company!” Plastic ID cards allow access into certain areas. They provide certain perks and they recognise the importance of that individual.

In loyal sectors, a loyalty card and membership card  is exclusive- even a little luxurious. They entitle the bearer to special treatment, discounts or opportunities.

People who carry plastic cards relish in their own uniqueness and in their own sense of belonging to an exclusive segment of society. Making your card feel luxurious and exclusive is the key to launching your plastic card campaign.  By embracing the feeling of uniqueness in your card holder, you increase their willingness to spend money at your establishment!

Thankfully, there are many ways to add glitz and glamour to your plastic card campaign without costing you a small fortune. This month, we are featuring our new most popular (and FUN!) glitzy features.  We offer a selection of “bling” that you can add to your plastic cards while we manufacture them and capitalise on that sense of exclusivity.

Add Sparkle:VIP Plastic Card Sparkle Sparkles are now available on digital offset!  Most recent to the CardsPlus arsenal is the ability to produce sparkle plastic cards in our standard 2 week turnaround. This shimmer metallic effect is particularly striking paired with light artwork, and provides an elegant backdrop to your gift card, loyalty card and membership card. This process of printing is a quick, cost-effective method of adding shine and character to your plastic card campaign.

Add Embossing: embossed-gift-cardSometimes called “Raised letters”, embossing is a beautiful and functional feature to add to your card. The cards are run, one by one, into a large embossing machine that punches the numbers and letters into the plastic. The cards are then “tipped” with a coloured foil to make the characters stand out visually. We recommend choosing silver or gold foil for the most shine. Embossing is most appropriate on gift cards, loyalty cards, or membership cards, although we’ve seen several companies use embossing for their luxury business cards.

Add Foil Stamp: Foil Stamped Loyalty CardFoil stamps are the most flexible and fun way to personalise your card design. Foil stamps are custom die cut foil pieces that are stamped into the plastic. By resting above the overlay, the foil provides a brilliant shine in the design of your choosing. The foil dies are precise and can be used for geometric shapes like circles or stars (Hint! Sterkinekor uses gold foil stamped stars on their cards!) or organic swirls or text (Hint: Truworths uses foil stamped text on their gift cards!). The design options are huge!

Although most frequently seen on gift cards and business cards, foil stamps are moving into every industry including security, loyalty, and membership. Foil stamps are available in many different colours, as well as a fun mirror finish.

Adding little touches like these to your plastic card campaign will make your card just a little edgier than the rest of your competition and secure a little extra loyalty from your very important clients.

If you would like to add extra features to your plastic cards, contact us for a complimentary consultation and quotation. We want your campaign to succeed!

Posted in CardsPlus Services, Demystifying the Technology, Design, Gift Cards, Insider Insight, Loyalty Cards, Plastic Cards, Pre-Printed Cards | 2 Comments »

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January 3, 2012

Warning: This one colour could jolt energy into your plastic cards.

The world doesn’t need more grey. We’re covered on the charcoal, silver and greige front. What consumer products need is a jolt, a shot of energy and boldness, all of which comes from Tangerine Tango, the reddish-orange hue that Pantone announced late December as its top color for 2012.

“There’s the element of encouragement with orange, it’s building on the ideas of courage and action, that we want to move on to better things. I think it would be a disservice to go with a relaxed, soothing color now,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the research division of Pantone Inc.

Consumer spending is a big player in reviving the slow economy and it needs adrenaline, she said. Orange is a more urgent call to action than last year’s hot-pink hue Honeysuckle. Calls of action are good news for retailers who need to inspire extra business and motivate cash flow.

Pantone also released a full palette of colours that they expect to be particularly popular this year.

Colours of the year

We love this palette. There is a wide range of diversity, optimism and vibrancy that can be used powerfully as a call to action in your plastic cards. since we know how much colour influences purchases.

What does this mean to you?

This gives you power! These are the colours that your cardholders will be seeing at the stores. They will be buying dresses, shoes, kitchen appliances, stationary, and hip little gadgets in these colours. These colours will be seen as the trendy, chic colours for 2012- just as pink was last year. They want these colours around them…giving you the market edge.

The added benefit of Tangerine is that it is a powerful call to action. Orange is impulsive, capitalising on BUY! BUY! BUY! This is good for retailer, and it is good for you. According to a recent study, orange is prime for retailers, fast food outlets, and clearance.

And let’s not forget. Orange looks GREAT on plastic. We give a thumbs up to Pantone’s new palette.

Posted in Design, Gift Cards, Loyalty Cards, Plastic Cards | 6 Comments »

October 24, 2011

How Colour Affects Purchases [infographic]

We’re often asked how to best use loyalty cards to propell buyers into making purchases. Of course the way that you set up your loyalty and gift rewards is a personal decision that effects your campaign significantly, there are other factors in whether a card holder buys from you or from your competition.

We’re card people, and we believe in the benefit of plastic cards! With a brief primer (such as the one below) you can tailor your plastic cards to reach not only your prime target market, but also to encourage them to purchase from you, using colour!

Let’s have a look at our colours can influence your buyers:

4 ways you can use colour on your next plastic card design to help entice buyers to purchase from you:

1. Use colours that entice your target market. I recognise that this breakdown is specifically for North American buyers, however, South African buyers often mimic the US buyers in trends. Adding to their breakdown, our trends often add one or two colours triggering elitism and excusivity- two factors that are important to the South African buyer.

2.  Layer colour influence by combining big message images with enticing colours. Avoid large blocks of colour, but combine the colours that entice your Target Market with “big message” images. Combining two types of influence, will maximiser your effect on the buyer.

3. Use your branding vividly. Colour increases brand recognition by 80%!

4. Use Power Words. Calls to action are extremely powerful, and you can use this power to your advantage by advertising your power words like guarentee and sale right on your card.

Armed with more information on colour, you can ensure that your plastic cards entice your card holders to buy more from you!

Posted in Design, Gift Cards, Loyalty Cards, Plastic Cards, Pre-Printed Cards | 1 Comment »

January 7, 2011

10 colours to include in your 2011 marketing and loyalty campaigns for added benefit

What is going to get the attention of your clients this year?

Pantone predictions
Colour authority Pantone released their predictions in late December and as we noticed late last year– exotic, vibrant colours are on the up and up.

The colour of 2011 is Honeysuckle – a fresh, cheerful and versatile shade of pink. You can expect this colour to feature across the industries in new marketing campaigns, clothing designs and even home industry trends.

Pantone also gave Russet, Regatta, Coral Rose, Peapod, Blue Curacao, Beeswax, Lavender, Silver Peony and Silver Cloud the thumbs up for 2011.

This palette is strong, intriguing and healthy with a particular nod to saturated African and Indian inspirations.

How it will help you

Forecasting
Armed with this knowledge, you have the edge in trend appeal. You can choose to embrace the power of popularity– much like the turquoise of yore, these colours have mass staying-power and will still look hip and fresh for the next few years according to trend analysis.

African Influence
Local is Lekker and with the unique African influence these colours are primed and ready to pounce on your target audience.

Colour Association
Harnessing the power of colour provides subconscious messages to your audience.
These colours are energetic and vibrant. Using these colours for a marketing or loyalty campaign associates your campaign is associated to youthful vibrancy and positivity.

Putting it on plastic
We love this new palette of dramatic , rich shades– even more so because they look so good on plastic. Pair Coral Rose with Regatta and Honeysuckle for high energy impact – or Peapod and Blue Curacao with a touch of Silver Peony for a subtle chic result.

Give it the 2011 twist with increased interest in striking colour combinations. You can’t go wrong in this palette– so go big and reap the benefits of trend appeal.

Posted in Design, Gift Cards, Industry News, Loyalty Cards, Pre-Printed Cards | 3 Comments »

January 7, 2011

FAQ: Why make the switch from paper to plastic business cards?

So many businesses have chosen plastic business cards over paper for their marketing. But what benefits are being enjoyed by our clients with the upgrade to plastic? Here are just  4 benefits of switching your paper business cards into plastic that our clients have shared with us

Appeal
Plastic business cards can be ordered in different thicknesses and finishes and hold bright, beautiful colours exceptionally well. Logos and other important details come out crisp and clear. There are also many different effects that can be used on the cards, giving them an ultra sophisticated, richly elegant, and professional look.

Innovative Designs
Plastic business cards are the perfect canvases for very innovative designs. Attracting attention is easy on plastic.

Durability
Plastic cards are also extremely durable. Unlike paper business cards that get washed, or worn, torn and dirty and then thrown away– plastic cards are waterproof, scratch resistant and won’t get tossed due to illegibility.

Perceived Value
Handing over a plastic business card gives your client the idea that they have been given something of value and will hold onto the card longer than an ordinary paper card.

Our clients are quickly seeing the benefits of switching to plastic. It seems to be an effective, attractive and inexpensive way to create great hype about your company with a mere flick of the business card.

Ready to join the CardsPlus revolution?

Posted in Design, FAQ, Plastic Cards, Pre-Printed Cards, Success Stories | Leave a Comment »

September 16, 2010

Client FAQ: I want a card that my clients will feel special having. How can I make my membership card special?

Client FAQ:
I want a card that my clients will feel special having. How can I make my membership card special?

We love the new designs that are coming out this summer!

What’s IN?

 

· Embossed lettering with silver tipping— An attractive solution for adding some serious dimension to a card



· Colour! Vibrant colours make your card stand out from all the others in your client’s wallet.


· Foil stamped designs offer a touch of class and sophistication!

 

What’s OUT?

· Platinum, silver and gold cards—Trends sway towards fabulous designs over the clichéd gold/silver card

· Large blocks of a single colour– with the photographic quality of digital offset– companies are choosing ‘big message’ images for backgrounds instead!

· Boring typeface—As seen in FIFA’s 2010 logo, fun and funky fonts are making a come back

Thanks for asking & Print on!

image via looneybeancoffee & hardware wholesalers

Posted in Design, FAQ, Industry News, Plastic Cards, Pre-Printed Cards, Pre-Printing 101 | Leave a Comment »

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