The Bucket List: 10 Print Marketing Ideas from 10 Print Experts
You’ve heard of a bucket list for life, but what about a bucket list for print? (As print nerds, this comes with the territory for us.) We’re counting down our top 10 print marketing ideas and getting insider design and user tips from our very own experts. From convenient products to essential features and services, these are the must-haves that will elevate your business printing and personal projects like no other.
#10 Soft Touch Laminate:
“Synonymous with the luxe”
We’re kicking off this list of creative print ideas with Soft Touch laminate. One of our specialty coatings and laminates, it’s available on all kinds of Smartpress products and offers not only protection, but also a sensory experience.
“It provides a really unique experience when holding the piece,” said Smartpress Account Specialist Lindsay Smith. “Soft Touch is like an invisible surprise. Imagine someone hands you a booklet with a really cool design on it and the cover feels like suede! I bet you’ll be inclined to open that book.”
Try it on one side of your online printing project so you can write on the other or go double-sided for double the velvety texture. “It never gets old,” said Smith. “People use it for business cards, booklet covers, invitations and anything synonymous with the luxe.”
#9 Clear Acrylic Signs:
“A very professional, almost glass-like look”
When we’re talking about print marketing materials, we mean all of it, and that includes custom signage like Clear Acrylic Signs. Versatile enough for retail, backdrops for logos or names, even award plaques or gifts, custom acrylic signs are not your typical signs.
“I love what people choose to print with them,” said Smartpress Customer Experience Team Lead Hailey Pellegrene. “They give off a very professional, almost glass-like look that’s durable and long lasting. The colors appear sharp and rich, while the acrylic makes for smooth and polished vibrancy.”
And with a wide range of design options, customers have full control of their print projects. “They can add lighting behind the sign to really make it pop, a spot white or full bleed to allow the full image to be printed or digital laser cutting, where the acrylic is cut into any shape – other printers can’t do that,” said Pellegrene.
#8 Perforated Window Decals:
“An underutilized product with a dual purpose”
A bucket list of print marketing ideas wouldn’t be complete without the window dressing. The product for the job? Perforated Window Decals. Printed on durable 70/30 window film, these custom decals are the perfect way to promote on storefront or restaurant windows, as well as glass doors.
“It’s an underutilized product that many customers aren’t aware of,” said Smartpress Vice President Matt Chapman. “They offer a dual purpose in allowing someone to see through the window from behind, while still offering a marketing message on the outside.”
With an adhesive back that’s easily removable and repositionable with little or no residue, perforated decals keep your messaging on the move. “They can be used to enhance the business’ brand, provide a rotating or seasonal message or something operational like store hours,” said Chapman.
#7 Layout Services:
“One-on-one attention you don’t get anywhere else”
What would an online printing shop be without a way to help you design all your projects in the first place? It wouldn’t be Smartpress, that’s for sure. With our world-class Layout Services, designers at all levels can get personalized attention to create the marketing materials and personal projects they need.
“Customers may have zero idea about what they want to print and our team can offer suggestions or incorporate brand colors and logos to create a piece that looks impressive and sends the right message,” said Smartpress Copywriter Pamela Hoffmann (hey, that’s me!).
Whether you’re a small business owner, nonprofit or first-time printer, our talented artists meet you where you’re at. “We do everything with the customer in mind,” said Hoffmann. “With Layout Services, that means a totally hands-on approach and one-on-one attention you don’t get anywhere else.”
#6 Rose Gold Foil:
“An unexpected wow factor”
We pride ourselves on being a premium online printer. And the proof is in the foil – rose gold foil, that is. Along with yellow gold, silver, holographic and spot gloss, rose gold rounds out our ever-expanding foil printing options.
“Rose gold foil adds sophistication and style to print pieces. I dig how the shiny metallic reflects the light in different ways,” said Smartpress Graphic Designer Nate Johannes. “It elevates the look of tags, business cards, insert cards and more, giving them an unexpected wow factor.”
Printed with our digital Sleeking™ process, the foil adheres to the ink and not the paper for a vibrancy that’s seriously superior to foil stamping. “It really brings a liveliness into the printed piece,” said Johannes. “It’s a unique option that isn’t offered by many other printers.”
Design Tip: Large, bold fields of rose gold help this foil shine. “I’d avoid using it for super fine line work because it lessens its impact. A Willy Wonka Golden Ticket-style project would be fun to design using this finish,” said Johannes.
#5 Perfect Bound Booklets:
“They’re just classy”
With print marketing, you’ve probably seen those flimsy catalogs that go straight into the recycling bin. But our Perfect Bound Booklets are staying on coffee tables and lining up in bookshelves. These custom booklets are all about sophistication with a seamless square spine ideal for lookbooks, portfolios, graphic novels and more.
“They’re just classy,” said Smartpress Creative Project Manager Amy Breitag. “Booklets have the power to take your mind to faraway places, inform you, intrigue you. I can’t think of another product we offer that’s so versatile.”
Available in small custom runs, bulk quantities and anything in-between, our custom book printing suits any strategy. “Books can be many things: stories, marketing, therapy, promotion, a source of connection to others – the list goes on,” said Breitag. “We offer more custom options than anyone, so you can create yours exactly how you want.”
Hint: Focus on the cover. “With a well-designed book cover, you want to discover what’s inside,” said Breitag. “Be sure to download our template and follow the guides so your artwork doesn’t get cut off!”
#4 Color:
“Specialists who can create true color translation”
All this talk of print marketing ideas and we’ve yet to mention one crucial aspect of it: color! From color spaces to color matching, Pantone colors and spot colors, our online printing services cover the whole spectrum of hues. It’s our specialty!
“We have an awesome team of color superheroes available to fix even your most vexing screen to print color discrepancies,” said Smartpress Account Executive John Schmanski. “It’s so cool and unique that we have specialists who can translate screen-optimized RGB colors to CMYK and create as true of a color translation as possible.”
With the ability to do both large, commercial printing and short-run digital projects, Smartpress stands out uniquely among the printer crowd. “Brand color consistency is critical for any business,” said Schmanski. “And we have the capacity to help clients get the color detail that’s needed for professional quality prints.”
DYK: The Smartpress color team specializes in digital print color optimization for HP Indigo presses. “They provide the best color quality and clarity of any digital print process available, which makes Smartpress the best option available,” said Schmanski.
#3 Designer Folds:
“Stand out in the mail”
Cracking the top three on our list is an exclusive product collection that transforms your mailings into marvels: Designer Folds. With 30 different specialty folds, this collection gives you 30 different ways to print custom invites, brochures and direct mail. And with self-mailing or envelope options, they’re ideal for mixing up your marketing.
“Designer Folds are a great way to stand out in the mail – and they’re just fun to open,” said Smartpress Account Executive Jill Matuska. “Having to open and unfold a complex piece keeps the mailer in the recipients’ hands longer, improving your response rate.”
Unlike traditional letters and postcards, these folded mailers create excitement and curiosity. “They’re a hit especially for fund-appeal mailings, galas and annual reports,” said Matuska. “We can even customize them by adding inserts like remittance and reply envelopes that increase engagement.”
DYK: You can request a sample of any of our Designer Folds. Just reach out to our Customer Service or your Smartpress sales team member to see them in person.
#2 Collated Printing:
“Any kind of set you can think of”
Collated Printing is one of those industry terms that doesn’t immediately tell you what it is – or how cool it is. Think of collated as printing a set that’s stacked in a specific sequential order. From decks of cards to info packets, collated printing is a huge time-saver that’s hugely versatile.
“I’ve seen personalized playing cards, fandom-themed tarot cards, stylized flashcards and recipe cards – really any kind of set you can think of,” said Smartpress Process Engineer Michael Haase.
“One of the reasons it’s our specialty is because we keep improving and expanding it,” he said. “We invested in a round cornering machine because the old one didn’t create a clean edge, plus we developed Tuck Boxes specifically for the most common sizes of cards to be companions to sets.”
And speaking of Tuck Boxes, Smartpress offers kitting services where we can assemble your collated cards into branded packaging for you. For small business owners, it’s a budget-friendly way to take manual execution off your shoulders.
#1 My Products Templates:
“Ideal for ordering and editing the same items over and over”
The top spot goes to a stealthy feature that shouldn’t be overlooked: My Products templates. If you’re someone who needs to print the same collateral again and again, with variations in content and imagery, this one’s for you. With My Products, your design files are saved and turned into templates you can edit as needed the next time you need to print them.
“Storing your print assets helps with the ease of reordering, allowing you to update and edit directly on our site and receive an instant proof for review,” said Smartpress Account Executive Sophia Barghini. “Your company’s template library can also be shared for multiple users to access.”
Think of this elevated service like a mini version of Smartpress’ Marketing on Demand platform, where all your print assets are easily accessible at all times by all users in all locations. “My Products is ideal for a print buyer for a company who regularly orders and edits the same items over and over, like business cards, posters, brochures and sell sheets,” said Barghini.
My Products is #1 for a reason… It’s a little-known hack that will save you tons of time and make your printing experience even easier!
