Fast Completion
Jobs completed on time and on budget.
Amazing Quality
Hi-resolution printing for crisp images in beautiful colour.
Digital & Offset Printing
The same high quality whether you print 100 or 1,000.
Labels – Angelic Rose Creations
Posted on | April 13, 2020 | Comments Off on Labels – Angelic Rose Creations
Qwik Print recently designed and printed labels for Angelic Rose Creations, a line of facial beauty products developed locally by Renee Wilkinson. The labels for these containers were printed on a waterproof vinyl material and die-cut to custom sizes.
This is how she describes her products.
Angelic Rose Creations was created by researching for facial products that made my skin look visibly younger, rejuvenated, and radient. My products are made with organic and natural ingredients . I have used the best possible ingedients formulating these products , such as, Sacha Inchi organic and Rosehip organic to name a few. I have a deep passion for the rejuvenation power of carrier oils and essential oils.
Angelic Rose Creations products can be purchased by reaching Renee by email renee3333@hotmail.com.
Labels are necessary for any product you sell and in addition to providing required product ingredient information, can have an impact on sales. Type needs to be clear, especially when the label is small and cannot be less than 6 PT. Fitting all that information onto a small container label can be a challenge. It is advisable to create multiple versions before you commit to a single design. Be sure to write out all of the text material that needs to be included on the label, including your contact information.
Qwik Print produces laser-printed labels on flat sheets and press-printed labels in quantities from 50 – 50,000. Check out our label options.
Billy Bishop Playing Cards
Posted on | November 29, 2019 | Comments Off on Billy Bishop Playing Cards
Qwik Print designed and produced 4 playing cards featuring photos of Billy Bishop as a part of a joint promotion of the Roxy Theatre and Billy Bishop Museum. The cards were handed out at the performance of Bill Bishop Goes to War held on November 28th. Remaining sets of the cards are available at the museum gift shop.
The cards feature photos from the museum collection. One of the most notable is a group shot with Billy and two other soldiers talking with King George V.
We can produce playing cards, puzzles and a variety of print promotional items to help you celebrate an event or fundraise.
-
- Billy in the cockpit
-
- Billy Next to plane
-
- Billy in flying uniform (left).
-
- Talking with King George V
-
- Back of playing card
Art Calendar from Tom Thomsom Art Gallery
Posted on | October 24, 2019 | Comments Off on Art Calendar from Tom Thomsom Art Gallery
The Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound launched a new show called “Footprints in Time: Painting around Georgian Bay” and features many of the works on display in a 15-month calendar – a fundraiser for the art gallery and on sale in the gift shop. The pieces in the show come from the art gallery collection and includes such important artists as Fred Varley, A.Y. Jackson, John Hartman and Norval Morrisseau. The show runs from September 25, 2019 to January 4, 2020. Qwik Print provided both the design and production of the calendar.
Calendars offer an opportunity to put your business or organization name in front of people for a year at a time. It can be used for fundraising, promotion and even a money-making way to sell collections of your best photos. Most are for 12-month periods but can be any term. We have several designs for the display of dates and images. Quantities range from 25 – 2,000.
Hockey Programs Can Pay for Themselves
Posted on | October 22, 2019 | Comments Off on Hockey Programs Can Pay for Themselves
The Meaford Knights Junior A Hockey Team home opener this week at 7:30 PM and have a regular schedule of Thursday night games. The young players come from across Canada and several foreign countries including Finland, USA and Netherlands. It’s exciting local hockey and brings out capacity crowds. The team program is a way for fans to identify players both on and off the ice. It’s also a means to know who is behind the team: managers, coaches and team owners.
Programs are a way to fundraise, communicate with fans/members and offer advertisers a means to reach target audiences. They can be as simple as 4-page fold-over to magazine-style publications in full colour. Sizes vary between 8.5 x 11” and 5.5 x 8.5” but can be any size in between. Page counts are commonly in the range of 16 – 32 which is affected by the amount of advertising. You can print small quantities but should be at least 100 if you are planning to include advertisers.
Qwik Print can show you how your program can pay for itself with the right balance of advertising, editorial and circulation. We provide design, print and planning so you get a great looking result that you can afford.
Check out the print options available.
Tags: advertising, programs, sports marketing
New Product – “Suede Feel” Business cards
Posted on | October 17, 2019 | Comments Off on New Product – “Suede Feel” Business cards
Looking for a business card with a unique tactile feel? This product available from a new supplier is printed on heavy-weight 16pt stock and has a velvet lamination that makes the card feel like suede. Cards are full-colour, can be printed single or double-sided and can have spot UV (gloss coating). They cost a bit more than standard cards but offer something just a little different. And no, they don’t have to be brown.
Qwik Print Offers Vinyl, Magnetic & Synthetic
Posted on | March 11, 2018 | Comments Off on Qwik Print Offers Vinyl, Magnetic & Synthetic
Qwik Print print adds some new non-paper materials to the list. These materials are available in 12 x 18 sheets and can be printed full-size or multiple images per page and cut down to size – a very cost-effective solution to other printing methods.
Magnetics
Magnetic materials come in two weights and are actually vinyl laminated to a magnetic back so they can adhere to any ferrous surface (not aluminum or other non-iron based materials), fridges, file cabinets and metal doors. They are commonly used for calendars, reminders and advertising pieces.
Transparent and Semi-transparent Vinyls
These materials are commonly used for labels and stickers for placement in windows where transparency is required. Ranging from completely transparent to semi-transparent (called frosty) they offer a variety of adhesive options: permanent, removable, ultra-removable and cling. The latter uses no adhesive, just static to hold it in place and is only suitable for use on windows.
Opaque Vinyl
Opaque vinyl (white) can be printed in full-colour and is available in the same range of adhesive options as transparents. The applications range from small-format signs, service/repair tags, bumper stickers and promotional items.
Synthetic Paper
Synthetic paper is a polyester material that is waterproof, tear-proof and highly resistant to wear and stains, in fact you can wash it off. The surface is matte but printing can enhance the gloss finish. Stock weight is similar to 24-lb bond and has bright-white neutral colour. It takes colour exceptionally well. Synthetic paper can be printed or photocopied.
Best applications for this are maps and diagrams, service manuals and product information sheets – any application requiring repeated use with high wear-resitance or places where paper can’t go.
These non-paper materials are printed on our digital press on 12 x 18″ sheets can be trimmed down to any size or die-cut in any shape. This method is more economical than printing on large-format devices, especially for large quantities. The 4-colour printing process is fast and uses heat-fused colour for permanence and durability. Printed items are colour-fast, can be used indoors and out with or without lamination.
Polyester/Synthetic paper is both waterproof and tear proof.
Angry bees printed on magnetic material and die-cut.
Health Equity Dial – Offers Interactive Print
Posted on | December 12, 2017 | Comments Off on Health Equity Dial – Offers Interactive Print
Printing can be interactive as demonstrated by this project recently completed for Grey Bruce Health Services. The dial is an interactive tool, allowing users to rotate each of three dials to align specific population groups with challenges and solutions. The customer provided the requirements and we designed and produced the dial.
The discs are digitally printed on heavyweight card stock and laser cut into circles. The three layers are attached with a center grommet which allows them rotate independently. The diameter of the outer circle is 10 inches.
The backside of the large dial is also printed and contains messages focusing on the differences between equality and equity.
This type of rotary dial can be used in games, education and marketing pieces.
Contact us if you have a specialty print product to create.
Take Better Photos Using this Handy Card
Posted on | December 5, 2017 | Comments Off on Take Better Photos Using this Handy Card
Digital cameras are becoming increasingly complex, especially if you are not taking photos regularly or want to use it in other than automatic mode. These cameras offer amazing capabilities but to get the most from them, it’s good to understand a few photography fundamentals.
There are endless on-line sources for this type of information but when you are out in the field ready to take a photo, you can’t look it up on your computer.
We’ve created a “Photography Cheat Sheet” that helps you remember camera settings and contains a gray card to help you get the right exposure. This card is designed and printed by Qwik Print and is based on some of the many samples found on Pinterest. You can get a free card at Qwik Print or at Foto-Art, both in Owen Sound.
Using the Cheat Sheet
Camera Modes
This is a simple reference to the settings you will see on the control dial of many cameras. Under Manual, you can control both the shutter speed and aperture independently.
White Balance
Digital cameras can correct for differences in the quality of light by adjusting this setting, usually found in the menu system or on-screen controls. Indoors, lights are generally tungsten (warm) or fluorescent (cool). Simply choose an option that best matches the dominant light source or leave the camera in Auto for an automatic adjustment.
Aperture
The aperture settings section illustrates how it affects the amount of light reaching the camera sensor/film and the impact it has on the depth of the field (the range that is in focus). As you decrease the aperture you must slow the shutter speed to obtain an equivalent amount of light entering the camera. The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field (area in focus).
Shutter Speed
As shutter speed slows, light enters the camera for a longer period of time. If an object is moving, it can appear blurred if the shutter speed is too slow. To stop action, choose a higher speed and compensate by using a larger aperture. To choose the right shutter speed, consider how fast the subject is moving and the direction. If it is moving toward you, a slower speed can be used than when it is travelling across your field of view.
ISO
Photographic film has a light sensitivity rating called the ISO rating. The higher the ISO, the better the film’s capability to capture images in low light. The ISO settings on your digital camera have the same impact, increasing the sensor’s sensitivity to light. As the ISO increases, the film grain increases as does the “noise” or pixellation on a digital camera.
Getting a Proper Exposure
The back of the card contains a gray patch that is equivalent to an 18% reflectance value. This is the “magic” value that light meters use as a baseline when determining the correct exposure setting.
Ever shoot a photo of a winter scene and end up with gray instead of white snow? That’s because your camera or light meter equated that bright white to grey. A similar thing happens when taking night photos and dark skies are no longer black.
These are extreme examples but if you simply follow the camera or hand-held light meter readings it can result in over-exposed or under-exposed photos. It is important to take your readings from the right source, which is why photographers use gray cards.
To get an accurate exposure, point the light meter at the gray patch on the card and note the reading. If the camera has auto-exposure lock, set it. Otherwise, put the camera in Manual Mode, take a reading and change the aperture and shutter speed accordingly until they are balanced.
If the subject you are shooting has high contrast, (common on a sunny day) take two readings of the gray patch, one with light falling on it and another in shadow. Average the two readings, and use this as a basis of setting your camera.
Note: It helps to set the camera in Spot Metering mode so you are only reading the gray patch on the card.
Setting Custom White Balance
The gray patch can also be used to set the white balance (warmth of light). Indoors, under incandescent light, the light temperature is lower and appears warmer. Under fluorescent light, photos frequently have a colour-cast, which most digital cameras can adjust for by changing the white balance settings.
The actual steps can vary with the camera but here is the process for setting the white balance on a Canon camera.
- Take a photo of the card making sure only the gray patch is in the shot.
- Navigate through the camera menu to where it says “Custom White Balance”. It will then ask you for an image.
- Select the image of the gray card you just took.
- The camera may ask “Use the WB Data from this image for Custom WB”. Select OK.
- Set the camera’s White Balance setting to Custom. It looks like a square above two triangles.
If this process doesn’t match your camera, check on-line for the steps but in all cases, use the gray patch for taking your readings.
Qwik Print designs and prints a variety of unique marketing materials to make your business memorable. Contact us for a free Cheat Sheet.
Terry Burns Publishes Twelve Days: A Bestiary
Posted on | October 17, 2017 | Comments Off on Terry Burns Publishes Twelve Days: A Bestiary
Printing books is one of our specialties and Terry Burns’ recent project “Twelve Days: A Bestiary was one of the most interesting projects we have done. In addition to printing the book, we worked on both the design and layout.
The book includes twelve poems and matching illustrations that were scanned from the original 14” x 20” watercolour paintings. The challenge is maintaining colour accuracy with the originals and keeping the fine detail in the drawings. The finished book has 32-pages, an illustrated cover and a 8.5” x 11” page size.
The illustrations are a perfect complement to the poems that are full of description – fanciful figures dance across pages, animals and birds play principal roles in moralistic tales.
This is how the author describes her book.
“Inspired by The Twelve Days of Christmas, Terry Burns’ Twelve Days: A Bestiary, is a fanciful exploration of the creatures who populate the beloved Christmas classic. Composed of poems and illustrations, Terry has invented characteristics and histories for the French hens, swimming swans, milking maids, drumming drummers and remaining Twelve Days beasts, and presents them in the medieval literary form called a bestiary. Twelve Days: A Bestiary is a little peek into a world where literary tradition, mythology, folktales, natural history, art, and modern poetic practice intersect.”
Terry is a writer, artist and arts administrator living near Chatsworth, ON. In addition to Twelve Days, she is the author of one book of poetry and has edited another. She was Owen Sound Poet Laureate from 2013-2015 and is currently the artistic director of The Words Aloud Spoken Word & Storytelling Festival in Durham, ON (Nov 2-5, 2017, www.wordsaloud.ca)
Qwik Print offers a variety of services for authors choosing to self-publish their books. In addition to printing and binding, we offer a layout and design service that can turn a rough manuscript into a finished work. We accept source files in almost any format. Binding options include, stitched, coil & wire bound and traditional Perfect binding (glued cover). We print in quantities as few as 25 books.
Postcards – Big Messages in Small Spaces
Posted on | September 8, 2017 | Comments Off on Postcards – Big Messages in Small Spaces
The amazingly inexpensive postcard continues to be popular with Guerilla Marketers that realize the many ways in which this small-format marketing weapon can be used to generate new business.
Most mail has to be opened to be read so people often look at just the envelope, decide they’re not interested, and out it goes. In contrast, a postcard is already “opened,” ready to read so the message will be seen – no matter how speedily – by the recipient.
Postcards offer small size, visual impact and portability.
Postcards range in size from 4” x 6” and 5” x 7” to oversize mailers up to 11” x 17”. The right size depends on how you are using it and the amount of information it has to carry. The beauty of the traditional 4” x 6” postcard is portability. It can fit in a shirt pocket or purse and is still large enough to mail and place in a traffic location.
Designing the Postcard for Results
The limited size makes it hard to sell a product or service directly from the card so use it as a way to get attention and lead them to take a specific action – call for more information, visit your web site, etc.
Match the marketing message to the audience you are talking to. Postcards are inexpensive so you can afford to create multiple versions and offers specific to customer groups. Rather than include a “laundry list” or products and services, simplify the message to one or two items and a single offer or call to action.
Make it memorable. A great-looking postcard will get more attention and will be remembered longer than one that is poorly designed.
Write well. There is no space for long messages, boring copy and worst of all, text that contains typographic, spelling and grammar errors.
Use the postcard to generate web site traffic. Be sure to include the web site domain name and make it interactive, include a QR-code that links directly to a page on your site that includes additional information related to the offer on the card. If the URL is too long, consider getting an alternate short name that you point to a specific section of your web site.
Marketing Techniques for Using Postcards
Postcards are a versatile marketing tool and not only just something you throw in the mail.
Insert a postcard into every customer purchase bag when they leave the store. Include a simple thank-you for doing business and a special offer on your next purchase to bring customers back.
Display them where they can be seen and picked up by customers. Better yet, place them in other high-traffic locations such as a tourism kiosk or compatible business.
Hand them out at trade shows and events. They’re not a lot bigger than a business card but can carry a lot more information.
If you are a tradesperson, consider doing a mailbox drop with your postcards into neighborhoods that are the best prospects for product or service. A couple of kids wanting to make some pocket money can blanket several hundred addresses in a few hours.
But if you are mailing them…
You can get them into mailboxes using Canada Post’s unaddressed mail service for about 18¢ card. This service allows you to target specific towns, regions and class (business or residential).
Postcards are a Qwik Print specialty, offered in a variety of sizes in quantities of 100 to 10,000.
« go back — keep looking »
You must be logged in to post a comment.