Color

The use of color documents is continuing to rise in almost every industry. Therefore, you are probably looking for ways to reduce their color output costs. Fortunately, there are several smart ways that you can enjoy the benefits of color printing.

Tip 1: Avoid Ink Jet Printers

Color ink jet printers are often bundled with the purchase of a PC. Therefore, it is easy to accumulate them without actually purchasing them. Unfortunately, they are actually the most expensive color output devices to operate when running full-color documents longer than 1-2 pages.

Tip 2:  Eliminate Unnecessary Background Color

Documents with solid color backgrounds use a considerable amount of toner and take more time to process, slowing down the printing time. This can cause costs to skyrocket.

You can increase productivity and reduce costs by using bright colors on a white background. While a colorful background may look good on your computer screen, that same image will actually look more professional when printed with a white background. continue reading...

A study conducted by the University of Minnesota found that the use of graphics increased the persuasiveness of a message by 47%. This is due to the fact that color graphics help people learn faster and then retain what they learned. Therefore, it is a very logical step to send out proposals and marketing materials in color.

When using color, it is crucial to use it effectively. If the graphics are related to your message then it will actually become more of a distraction than a teaching aid.

Here are some ideas to consider when creating a color proposal:

Include the Client’s Logo. By adding the customer’s logo, the proposal will automatically feel more personalized and custom. However, make sure your logo is not sized larger than the client's logo.

Incorporate the Client's Colors. By replicating the client’s colors throughout the proposal, you can easily create a sense of familiarity. As the client looks at the proposal it will feel very comfortable.

Use High Quality Graphics. When adding photos or clipart be careful not to stretch or skew the image. You don’t want the graphics to come out pixelated or blurry. continue reading...

In a tight economy, it is hard to justify spending a bunch of money on high-end advertising that may or may not bring profitable results. However, you need to continue to increase your business, so what are you options?

Your most valuable resource is your list of current clients. Clients who have already purchased a service or product from you are much more likely to  purchase again. It is important to ensure your current clients are aware of all the products and services you offer.

A cost-effective way to keep your clients informed of upcoming promotions is through color statement stuffers. If you are already mailing a statement to a client, you might as well include additional information about new products or promotions.

With easy color output in many multifunction devices, you can create color inserts that double as marketing materials for mere pennies. continue reading...

Color helps you communicate more effectively with your customers, and it also helps you communicate more effectively internally.

Color Improves Customer Communication

Did you know that color invoices get paid faster, reducing collection time? Color marketing materials and proposals command attention. Color newsletters and publications keep your clients informed of your new offerings.

Color Improves Internal Communication

Did you know that training materials are more effective in color? Spreadsheets and financial reports are more understandable in color – and color even helps to reduce errors when working with reports. Key memos and internal flyers capture attention in color. continue reading...

Studies have shown that as much as 60% of consumers decide to purchase a new product based on its color rather than quality, workmanship or price guarantee.

It makes sense then that color should be included within proposals and marketing statements.

Here are some practical ideas to include color in your proposals and improve your sales effectiveness.

Put the client’s logo on your proposal. Make sure the client’s logo is larger than your own.
Incorporate the client’s colors throughout the proposal. This keeps the document familiar. continue reading...

Did you hear the one a few years back about the intern who faxed some charts to a team of reviewers in advance of a meeting—with a cover note directing their attention to the figures in green? Quite a faux pas in the days before color faxes. But it’s no joke: Color can be one of the most powerful tools at an organization’s disposal when it comes to organizing information, increasing understanding, and making people and operations more productive and efficient. And today, the technology for color printing to help achieve these ends is more advanced, accessible and affordable than ever.

“If you want to understand how color impacts us, next time you get in the car, take note of how you stop at red and go on green. Color plays a big role in persuasion. We should understand its value.”

–Bryan Eisenberg, ”The Color of Money,” ClickZ Network continue reading...

What’s the difference between color and black-and-white printing? It may seem like a simple question on the surface. But when it comes to everyday office printing, there are more differences between the two than you may realize—in cost, technology, functionality and other factors—and more similarities, too. If you’re thinking about incorporating more color into your office printing environment, you need to understand all these differences and similarities in order to make effective (not to mention cost-effective) choices.

“To put color print pricing in context, in 1994 a typical departmental-sized black-and-white laser printer would cost you around $5000 with a per-page price of about 8 or 9 cents. For less than that cost today, you can have a high-quality color printer. The idea that color is too expensive for in-house, everyday use is as antiquated as that 1994 black-and-white laser printer.”

–Don Jones, The Definitive Guide to Office Color Printing continue reading...

One way to control your costs for color printing is to charge them back to those who are doing the printing. Charging back these costs can help reduce operational costs in two ways.

1. Internal users who are billed for all or some of their color printing are likely to be more aware of, and more mindful about, how much they print—and, as a result, more judicious in their use of printing resources. This can result in less usage.

2. By billing external users, organizations can eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, the color printing and copying costs that they normally absorb on behalf of their clients or patrons.

Opportunities to charge back color printing In addition to charging back color printing costs to internal and external users, organizations can charge back by group or individual. Opportunities
for charging back might include: continue reading...

• departments within a larger organization
• offices in remote locations
• clients of professional firms
• individual users of institutional resources