Tag Archives: small business

25 Jun

“Make My Logo Bigger!” Syndrome

A common misconception about logos is that they need to be bigger to be noticed.

In fact, making your logo bigger can sometimes distract an audience from the company’s message. Less is more, and white space is your ally!

To all our lovely customers, we want to take the opportunity to poke fun – Enjoy this following video!

Angela Pack on Google+
11 Jun

Messages from the Past, Hucul Printing’s Rich History

Back in the Day . . .

Before Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type back in the 1400s, the handwritten manuscript was the method of recording and communicating information of the day.

Gutenberg came up with a process for mass-producing movable type which included a type metal alloy and a hand mould for casting type.

He also was the first to use oil-based ink and he invented a wooden screw-type printing press.

Photo: Metal movable type by Willi Heidelbach

Metal movable type by Willi Heidelbach

Gutenberg’s inventions were regarded as the introduction to the era of mass communication. This altered the course of history, which markedly improved literacy in the middle class.

From manually operated presses, to steam-driven and beyond, the printing industry flew ahead in leaps and bounds.

The Salmon Arm Observer saw its first Newspaper Issue roll off the Press in 1907.

At this time, newspaper articles and job printing layouts were handset into lines, paragraphs and pages, by painstakingly handpicking individual letters of foundry type from the type cases.

In the late 1920’s or early 1930’s, type was set by means of the Linotype, the invention which revolutionized the printing industry, making it possible to increase productivity many times over.

Cp1015 by Trimalchio

This machine, a Rube Goldberg wonder, transferred letters of type from special brass matrices to molds (lines of type) created from molten lead.

From that time until 1973, the Observer newspaper and commercial printing department were printed by the letterpress method. The newspaper was printed on a Goss Coxotype and the commercial printing was done on Heidelberg Platen, Holmes Vertical, Chandler and Price Platen presses.

Hucul Printing Ltd.’s founders, myself, Bernie Hucul, and brother, Gary Hucul, toiled as printers devils in an era of printing where lead melting pots, inky press forms and volatile press chemicals ruled the day.

At this time, the production method was switched over to Offset Printing.

Printers Devil sign by Richard Croft

Typeset was via a phototypesetting method, where keyboard operators typed on simple computerized machines which transferred type onto photosensitive paper.

The prints, now on strips of paper, were then pasted up onto master grid sheets which duplicated the newspaper page.

Photographs were processed into halftone prints and were added to the paste-up sheets, along with the advertizing setups.

Graphic art cameras then copied the newspaper pages onto negative film to facilitate a platemaking process, where the negative image was transfered to light sensitive aluminum press plates.

And of course, newspaper and print production, then saw desktop publishing come to the forefront with the introduction of personal computers.

In 1989, Hucul Printing Ltd. was formed when the brothers, Bernie and Gary Hucul purchased the commercial printing department of the Salmon Arm Observer from Cariboo Press.

The business then carried on using a combination of letterpress and offset printing methods.

Some of the old letterpress printing presses are still in use, but they are now taking a backseat to the Heidleberg and Hamada offset presses.

More recently, the company has added digital printing equipment, using toner-based inks, along with a large format inkjet printer, which are capable of printing in glorious full colour.

Bernie Hucul on Google+
28 May

Why Simple Business Cards Are Best

Simplicity

: the quality of being easy to understand, or use

: the state or quality of being plain, or not fancy or complicated

: something that is simple, or ordinary but enjoyable

Throughout my whole life, I have increasingly learned to appreciate simplicity and minimalism; spending time in nature, versus the city, brought out this appreciation for anything less than busy, cluttered, confusing, or unnecessary.

As an avid researcher and university paper writer, I have had to channel this appreciation for simplicity, in order to cope with the sheer amount of information available to me.

Yup, it is very difficult to condense a stack of research literature into one 20 page paper, and yup, it is especially difficult to ensure that my audience really gets what I am trying to say.

I guess I can say, I am working in the right place; my current place of employment definitely appreciates simplicity.

Not only can simplicity benefit you in your everyday personal life, but it can help you with your business successes, as well.

Business Card by Murat Ertürk

Hucul Printing encourages other businesses to promote strongly, by projecting a clean and uncomplicated image to their customers.

Just like in everyday life, a good, strong & simple design layout on a business card can mean the difference between the ordinary and the remarkable.

I really want to take this opportunity to remind businesses who are looking to rebrand, or revamp their look, to remember that simplicity is in.

The new is minimalism and the movement is going strong and for good reason.

A few important pointers about drafting up the details you would like included on your new business card:

  1. Necessary Information: Sort out the information that is necessary to be on the card. For example, your name, business logo, phone number, address, website and email address. Space permitting, a basic, concise description of your business can be included. If it is necessary to include extra information, there is the option of printing on the reverse side of the card. (But remember… Less is more!)
  2. White Space: Do not be afraid of white space. It can make your logo stand out, make your card easier to read. It can add to the balance and contrast on your card.
  3. Design Continuity: If you are thinking of purchasing other printing products in your package i.e. (rack cards, brochures, letterhead, envelopes, etc.), keep in mind that the style you want on your business card ie. (logo, colours, fonts) should be consistent with everything else you want designed and printed; all of the elements having common elements to tie everything together to help make it eye-catching.
  4. Customize: Something as simple as making the layout portrait-style, or getting the corners rounded on the business card, can make your card stand out above the rest.

“Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.” ~Isaac Newton

Angela Pack on Google+
14 May

So you Started a Business … Now what?

Entrepreneurs often seek us out at Hucul Printing when they want to order an assortment of printed supplies for their new business operations.

Many new business owners are confused about which products would serve their needs the best. We can help them sort out what would be necessary in their starting out phases.

The Essentials

There are a few essential items that every business needs. After that, the needs vary widely depending on the nature of the business.

Business Cards

First business cards 🙂 by Sarah Choukah

The humble business card is the first printing service we would recommend for you. Business cards are the customer, partner and supplier gateways into your business.

Even the lawn boy needs business cards for those looking to buy his service.

The business card should have only the essential information. Name, contact information, email and website. A business card is not a pamphlet.

If people want to learn more about you, your product, or your services, they should have the ease of going to your website, (provided on your business card).

With the more detailed nature of your pamphlet, rack card, or brochure…your customer can reach for them and take a little more time to read about your business.

Pamphlets, Rack Cards, Brochures

Brochures! by Antonio Bonanno

These three: Pamphlets, Rack Cards, Brochures, are really tiny billboards, also used as sales advertisements . They are a quick and effective way to get your valued presentation of your company descriptions & products, across to your prospective business

Even business to business service companies should have this kind of printed product (if not, a comprehensive Presentation Folder, for sure).

Every business has something to sell; you should have an effective way of selling it in a physical printed form.

Even Google, … the ubiquitous online Giant, has printed pamphlets for it’s customers.

Letterhead, Invoices, Receipts

Next you need to sell our business attributes through your correspondence with your customers and clients. This is where each business begins to vary between their individual needs and the exact nature of your printed product depends on the business needs.

For bills, invoices and receipts, your accounting software might be able to imprint your logo and information on the paper for you. However, sometimes you need pre-printed letterhead to feed into your printer for a consistent and professional appearance.

Woodheads Stationery by Nigel Lamb

If you are a business on the road, you may need to hand write your quotes, invoices and receipts, in which case you would need books of carbonless, printed invoices that include your businesses logo and information already printed and available. This would provide your customer with a copy, and would leave you a copy for your records. In some cases, you might need 3 copies, depending on how your company is structured. Numbering on these quotes, invoices, receipts … etc, might be necessary to be done on the Pressman’s Numbering machines in the pressroom.

Regardless of how you correspond with your customers, you need to have your logo and contact information attached to those touch points ….the items you need to have printed

Beyond the Basics

Depending on your business system, you may need to develop specialized and additional printed products to help organize and streamline your unique business’s day-to-day work flow. You may need internal NCR (carbonless) forms for work orders, order forms, receipts and messages. You might also need job dockets and file folders printed, if this is how your office procedure dictates. All of these need special attention to detail and design to make sure that all of the details of your work can be useful to you and your company.

When you start to get serious about your business, this is where custom printing becomes a major component of your operations. This is where you are at an advantage by making a commercial printer, as a working partner, in business.

Are you starting a business?

Come down to Hucul Printing and get us in the loop. You will see that we only wish to help you succeed and become long term partners with you. Our low pressure office environment will help you confidently make sound decisions that are right for you and the good of your business.

Contact us here or stop on by!

 

 

 

Jordan Pack on Google+
16 Apr

Do you like the History of Salmon Arm? So do we!

If you are interested in the history of Salmon Arm and the Shuswap, then you are just like us.

If you have been to Hucul Printing then you have either met Bernie or Gary Hucul, the owners of Hucul Printing.

Both of these brothers, having been born and raised in Salmon Arm, have a strong interest in the local history. They have collected hundreds of photographs from the early 1900s to present, which showcase how Salmon Arm used to be.

They have scanned in so many images that its hard to navigate your way through their collection.

Luckily, we have started a Flickr Page that showcases some of the best and most interesting of their collection. They are continually building it for the public’s perusal and I recommend you check it out!

Every one of the photos on the site are available in printed format and we highly recommend you go with a canvas option if you choose to get one for your house.

If you are a history buff like them, then stop by Hucul Printing and start up a conversation with one of the brothers and find out more. Also, if you have some old photos, bring them so we can see!

Jordan Pack on Google+
02 Apr

Committed to your business? Why you should hire a Professional Printer

Let’s face the truth.

There are plenty of printing options available to you.

You can order online or from a big -box store. You can even purchase a desktop printer to print your product at home, however, your well meaning efforts will probably result in a ‘homemade looking product’, not really reflecting your professional brand.

So, what are the reasons for hiring a local ’boutique printing’ company like Hucul Printing in a small town like Salmon Arm?

It all comes down to service.

gary1We have been working with our clients for a long time and have established a rapport with them. We have also built a reputation locally and this keeps our customers coming back.

Why is that?

Our clients feel that we make the “design to printing process” easier for them.

Having developed relationships with our customers, they regard us as friends and trusted advisers.

This is what we do.

We provide peace of mind about your printing goals, which is something only professional printers can do.

Sure, you can save a few dollars on business cards from an online printer, or an impersonal, ‘one-stop shop’ box store, but they do not have a full understanding of your company’s business needs, including its challenges, like we do.

Are you serious about your company’s success?

If you plan on growing and building your business, planning for the long term, you can approach us just like you would your Accountant, or your Doctor.

Ask us for our opinion & ideas, talk to us about your options. Let us know what you envision and we will tell you what we know.

That’s the difference.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level?

Come and see us.

Speak with Bernie and start your plan.

You will see the benefits of adding a commercial printer to your businesses team.

Jordan Pack on Google+