They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and a recent creative solution provided by a print brokering client of mine exemplifies this approach--totally.
My fiancee and I were driving to an appointment yesterday, when we saw a delivery truck parked diagonally in a lot. Normally that would not have raised an eyebrow for either of us, but the large format print sign on the side of the truck was facing the oncoming traffic at the perfect angle to position its message towards anyone driving up the pike.
What could be more boring than the cartoning of printed products? After all, the job is complete before this step, once it has been stitched, folded, and trimmed. But is this really true?
I think nothing is more unsettling to me than an email or phone call from a customer with a printing problem. I always want to please my print brokering clients, but sometimes this just doesn't happen--at least on the first attempt.
It helps to learn to think like a printer or, more specifically, to think like a printing press.
I had been working with a print brokering client to conceptualize a custom pocket folder with a brochure saddle stitched into its center fold. I had been thinking of sheet sizes appropriate for the digital printing I had suggested for the interior pages, but I really had not given much thought to the pocket folder paper stock, other than to tell my client I thought she should consider 110#, 120# or 130# cover stock weight.