Custom Printing: Why Smartpress is Superior for Modern Marketing
When it comes to print marketing, one thing is universally true: You want it to stand out. But in an ever-crowded marketing landscape, how do you do that? The answer is simple: custom printing.
These days, standard, pre-designed assets no longer do the trick (did they ever really anyway?). Instead, we’re solidly in the personalization and customization era, including not only marketing materials, but also business services. Read on to learn why you want to go truly custom and why Smartpress is the online printer to help you do it.
Key Takeaways
- Customized print materials make marketing more relevant, emotional and memorable, helping brands build stronger relationships with their audiences.
- Smartpress boasts the widest selection of paper stocks, specialty finishes, unique folds and flexible sizes and quantities, empowering brands to design unique print pieces that stand out.
- From design help and fulfillment to custom quotes and dedicated account support, Smartpress provides the expertise and care businesses need to bring customized print campaigns to life.
“There’s something about holding a beautifully printed piece in your hands that creates a lasting impression.”
3 Reasons Why Custom Printing is Better Than Generic
So, is customization really that big of a deal? If you’re not quite sold on the idea, just think about the mailers you receive and marketing emails that land in your inbox. Do the generic ones do it for you? Do they move you to act? Does their message connect with you? Of course not.
And that’s why customized print pieces work. Tailored, unique content feels relevant and intentional to your target audiences, making your marketing not only personal, but also powerful. Personalization and customization is no longer a trend, it’s an expectation, and one essential to the success of your campaigns.
“Custom print is essential because tangible materials often spark ideas and inspire responses in ways digital messaging simply can’t,” said Smartpress Account Executive Calleigh Ryan. “There’s something about holding a beautifully printed piece in your hands that creates a lasting impression.”
#1 Custom Marketing Materials Make Every Message Matter
When your brochures or catalogs speak to your audience’s interests or their industry, that’s how you earn their attention – and hopefully, their engagement. Even an emotional connection. You want relevant messages and striking imagery that make customers feel like they’re seen and not just another metric.
Print makes a lasting impression by nature – it’s a physical thing, so it simply lasts longer. And instead of getting lost in a pile of generic mailers, custom print assets make recipients pause and actually take notice. When customers see it’s something tailored to them, their relationship with your brand builds and the connection grows.
#2 Custom Printing Boosts Your ROI
Any business owner or marketer knows you need to be smart about spending – what could be smarter than custom printing? By allocating your funds to tailored content for targeted audiences, you’re increasing engagement and the likelihood of the sale.
And bonus, you’re reducing waste! Those standard, pre-designed marketing pieces? They end up in the trash and the customer journey stops. (Now might be a good time to also mention that printing sustainably and protecting the environment is a huge priority for us here at Smartpress!)
#3 Customization Elevates Brand Presence on Every Channel
Customized print assets say a lot about your brand. They tell customers you’re professional, thoughtful and dialed in to their needs. From business cards to pamphlets to pocket folders, custom printed marketing materials set your brand apart from competitors going the mass-produced route.
Note that when we talk about customized marketing materials, we’re not just talking about print – the same strategy applies to digital. (Hint: If you’re not including a mix of print and digital in your campaigns, it’s time to start.) Aligning both channels with personalized content creates a cohesive look and feel – and telling a strong brand story amps up metrics across the board.
7 Ways Smartpress’ Custom Printing Services are Superior
Now that you’ve got the why, let’s get into the how. With Smartpress’ premium online printing prowess, your print marketing goals are met and then some. From the products we offer to the services (and service) we provide, we’ve got customization capabilities you can’t find anywhere else – seriously.
(And as you begin preparing for your next campaign, take a look at how partnering with Smartpress makes all the difference.)
#1 An Unmatched Selection of Paper Stocks & Substrates
You can’t have truly customized print marketing materials without a ton of paper and substrate options. (Hint: Substrate is just a fancy word for material.) From coated and uncoated paper stocks to recycled paper and textured options like linen and felt, even green alternatives or waterproof substrates, your customization extends beyond your message and into the actual stock itself.
How many options are we talking? More than 60 stocks for small format products like booklets, rack cards, mailers, postcards, calendars, etc. For large formal products like signage, banners, fabric displays and window graphics, our selection includes more than 70 substrates. Whatever your message, whatever your content, we’ve got the foundation for it.
“I had a travel agency client print highly custom lookbooks for their business. They were able to choose everything from the book size and paper stocks to designing every detail of the piece,” said Smartpress Account Executive Connor Patty. “The booklet was high quality and matched their brand style.”
Raised UV Business Cards
#2 Superior Specialty Finishes & Print Processes
At Smartpress, custom printing also includes a whole lot of finishes and specialty processes – if you’re going custom, we say go all the way. After all, what’s a tailored message without a tailored finish?
Finishes:
- Raised UV and five color options for foil Sleeking™
- Gloss and matte coatings
- Soft Touch and dry erase laminates
Processes:
- Rounded corners, scoring, perforation and drilling
- Die cutting and motion cutting for custom shapes
- Shrink wrapping, stapling and wafer seals
And those bigger signage and banner products? We make it easy to install, transport and store with tons of adhesive, stand and accessory options, too.
“Your marketing materials will be more memorable if they are custom and creative.”
#3 Brochures with No Limits
No comprehensive online printing services would be complete without ample options on a staple product for marketers: the brochure. Even though it’s a staple, there’s no reason for it to be boring, which is why we offer 12 different brochure folds and 30 exclusive formats in our Designer Folds collection.
From tri-folds and accordion folds to roll folds and double folds, plus coupon mailers and T-cross mailers, as well as traveling snakes and catalog wraps, these formats are anything but standard.
#4 Unique Products
We offer uncommon products to take your tailored messaging up another personalized notch. As previously mentioned, the exclusive Designer Folds collection includes specialty brochures and mailers full of excitement and intrigue, but that’s not all.
You’ll find sticker and magnet postcards that add a distinct buzz to any campaign and direct mail formats that make targeting various audiences with individual messaging a breeze. “Your marketing materials will be more memorable if they are custom and creative,” said Patty.
Silicone Edge Graphics
Hardcover Books
#5 Custom Sizes & Quantities
Most of our products are available in custom sizes. Choose from pre-set dimensions or simply add your own when you print online.
“What sets us apart is how we care for our customers from the moment they reach out about a print project until it’s completed, shipped and even beyond that,” said Ryan. “We listen to your needs – and you’re never locked into a specific size at Smartpress.”
While you’re at it, feel free to print whatever quantity you need – from short runs to bulk orders and anything between. Yep, truly custom sizes and quantities are Smartpress capabilities the other guys simply don’t have.
#6 Custom Services that Keep Your Business Running
Customization isn’t only about the products we’re printing – it’s also about our services that go way beyond that. We offer business printing services that take the stress out of shipping, like kitting, split shipping and blind shipping, plus warehousing and complete mail fulfillment, like list processing, list procurement and variable addressing.
With our custom services, you can even get design help, find answers to print questions with extensive Support resources and create an entire catalog of marketing assets specific to your brand with the Business Hub.
Whether you’re a local brick-and-mortar or an enterprise that needs commercial printing, we’ve got the tools and solutions to help your brand be a success, including Patty and “various teams of humans throughout the process. Your account rep, estimating, project coordinator, prepress, production and shipping teams all work together to allow for quick, quality, custom print.”
You can take advantage of our print nerds and their invaluable expertise with free video consultations, email and online chats – they’re literally at your service: “Every client has a direct point of contact they can reach out to with any questions – and we respond quickly,” said Ryan.
“I recently worked with a client to create an invitation for a non-profit event. Their budget was small, but they still wanted the invite to feel high-end and impactful. We had a collaborative video chat to discuss the event’s vibe and project scope. I guided them on the best paper stock, fold type and finishing options to stay within budget. The customer was thrilled with the final product and received countless compliments on the quality and feel.”
Branded Folder
#7 Print Exactly What You Need with a Custom Quote
As an online print shop, we offer a lot of products and services, but if you don’t find what you need, we have Custom Quote to back us (and you) up. If you can’t find a certain item or finish or need something out of the ordinary, Custom Quote is the way to go – you even get your very own print concierge!
Custom Quote offers white-glove service that’s built for businesses with high-volume orders, projects with specialty finishes, branded merchandise, complex kitting, split shipping, nationwide distribution and more. It is a unique service in the print industry – something we’re very proud of and you should definitely check out.
Make the Most of Custom Printing with Smartpress
Custom printing ensures your brand connects with clients in ways generic marketing never could. It’s how you elevate your message, engage your audience and see the kind of results that only come from meaningful design.
At Smartpress, we’re here to make that happen with premium materials, expert support and a customer-first approach from start to finish. “We help create unique, out-of-the-box pieces you won’t find elsewhere,” said Ryan.
Because when you print with Smartpress, you’re not just customizing materials – you’re customizing success.
