Big A Designs & Printing

Rockin' with Linda Heck

2012-02-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

Linda Heck is a local recording artist, whose eccentricity has always been a part of my community I enjoy. The color she adds is not only pink (or black) but varied as her music. On this disc, you'll hear a unique texture of instruments and voices. I was honored to design the cover and disc of her newest audio production, Transformed.

15% Water Proof Prints

2012-02-07T09:56:00.000-06:00

Water Proof Prints
15% OFF (my already-low prices) TODAY ONLY
Full-Color, Any Quantity.

EndurACE is a truly unique product consisting of special materials that make it water proof, resilient, and give it a durability that will last for many years. EndurACE gives your customers the ability to get maximum exposure out of each card. They are great for restaurant menus, emergency services, insurance cards, business cards and many other creative ideas.

TOMORROW'S DEAL: 8.5X11 SELL SHEETS (16pt)!

10% OFF Magnets TODAY

2012-02-03T07:36:00.000-06:00

MAGNETS
10% OFF (my already-low prices) TODAY ONLY
Full-Color, Any Quantity, 17pt Magnet.

TOMORROW'S DEAL: BANNERS (Outdoor Vinyl)!

10% OFF Greeting Cards TODAY

2012-02-02T07:55:00.000-06:00

Greeting Cards
10% OFF (my already-low prices) TODAY ONLY
Full-Color, Any Quantity.

TOMORROW'S DEAL: Magnets!

10% OFF Postcards TODAY

2012-02-01T12:54:00.000-06:00

10% OFF Postcards TODAY
4"x6", Full-Color, Double-Sided.
Any Quantity.

TOMORROW'S DEAL: Greeting Cards!

As Good as Cheesecake

2012-01-20T06:04:00.000-06:00

Whether you're talking about cheesecake or branding, I believe in consistency. I have found it reinforces my own brand, when I hand someone my business card, and they say, "Oh! I've seen this before," either on my brochure, banner another business card, website or whatever. My "look" is consistent on everything I do, in order to reinforce identity in people's minds. If a customer didn't happen to remember the name of any given company, they may just figure there's a lot of you out there and just pick any-old-one, when the time calls for those services. I don't want that to happen to me. I want to be the only business they think of, when a person needs (or refers) graphic design and printing. And when I want cheesecake, I know exactly which one I like best… the most consistent and flavorful batch made known to me.

When the Mob Asks for Something...

2012-01-19T05:46:00.000-06:00

When the Mob asks you do do something for them… you do it. No questions asked. All joking aside, this dad and three sons opened up a pizzeria in Welham, MA with a few unique twists; namely, it's a reflection of them. They needed a logo and window graphics featuring their faces, cartoonized. Yeah, it took hours to do (Adobe Illustrator), but I learned a few things I didn't know before, just to get the job done (in the software, not in the Mafia).

NEW: Buttons and Stuff!

2012-01-18T09:21:00.000-06:00

You know, BUTTONS don't have to be the traditional "locking pin" poke-your-chest ornaments. Big A Designs & Printing now can print them as cork-backed COASTERS, MAGNETS, KEYCHAINS or MIRRORS!

These can be used in dynamic ways. You can use them as marketing tools to deliver an effective message while keeping under budget. Buttons are printed at full bleed with full colors on durable material and low minimum quantities. Create a custom message; include a logo and a phone number. Perfect give away at trade shows for all industries from travel and transportation, to schools and universities.

Recycling a Point

2012-01-17T07:24:00.000-06:00

My last post was about an illustration I designed for a local "character," who also is the community choir's director. The choir (The Sewanee Chorale) is recruiting new members, and I was asked to produce a flyer to help with this.

So, I took the cartoon of him that I previously created and implanted it into "Uncle Sam" to make this flyer.

I'm not sure what I love more… my work or singing with The Sewanee Chorale!

Illustrating a Point

2012-01-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

For a local personality--practically a celebrity--I was asked to make some sort of poster with his face on it and a few of his many "-isms" (quotes he's well known for) as a birthday gift.

This is the poster I came up with… a cartoon or caricature (although not technically a caricature, as it doesn't really exaggerate his features). There are a couple tricks I use to do this, but it is by and, not automatically generated by some of these online tools (which never really work as good as you hope). The tools of trickery include Adobe Illustrator and a little bit of Photoshop (although Illustrator is entirely sufficient).

This is now hung on his wall (vanity means nothing to him, as you can tell by the quote on the poster). It makes for a unique business identity, too, as seen in my portfolio for Wize Guyz Pizzeria.

Designs in Wonderland

2012-01-14T05:53:00.000-06:00

I have these friends… a couple (not simply a couple of friends, but two friends who are a pair). They're the expressive type, especially when it comes to, well, everything, including their recent wedding. They were planning a themed wedding: Alice in Wonderland. And they wanted wedding invitations and other printed items to work with this theme. I bet your wedding was nothing like this one; I know mine wasn't.

"Can you turn me into the White Queen?" asked the bride, Jessica. "And Jim can be the Mad Hatter."

Honestly, I wasn't sure how to pull it off, but we started by finding an image of each character on the Internet from the recent Tim Burton film rendition of the story, featuring Anne Hathaway (as the White Queen) and Johnny Depp (as the Mad Hatter).

Next we snapped photos of Jessica and Jim to be Photoshopped into the bodies of Hathaway and Depp. I Photoshopped the "makeup" and brought the separate images together (locking the pair's arms, etc.). It took hours to get it just right (that is, to make it convincing enough) and to design the invitation itself.

The invitation is postcard stock (extra thick stock, high gloss, 5"x7"). They were pleased with the final product: design and print, and it helped set the tone of an outdoor wedding unlike any attendee had ever witnessed: acting, singing, dancing, ceremony, etc.--all dreamed up by this amazing couple.

But it didn't end there. Alongside the "set" that they created (everything from props to table centerpieces), they needed other printed things: among them, parking signs and a seating chart for all the guests. How do you make a seating chart creative? I thought. I followed Jessica's inspiration. Each of her tables had a unique centerpiece based on ideas from Alice in Wonderland: the Key Table, the Cheshire Cat Table, the Cards Table--16 in all. So I designed an icon for each one. Can you see them in the boxes of the image to the left?

I felt honored to take part in some of the visuals for such an occasion. I look forward to doing it again… er--not for another Jim-and-Jessica wedding (may theirs last happily ever after), but for another couple. Whether themed or not, let me help with the design and printing of your wedding needs: invitations, napkins, glasses, whatever your creativity will allow.

2012 Business Resolutions

2012-01-13T12:42:00.000-06:00

What's your business doing to amp up its VISUALS (PRINTED MEDIA) this year? Surely, you've been considering your need to scatter a bunch of attractive and effective brochures and postcards and business cards and flyers and stuff to promote your goods and services. Wouldn't it help to get a year supply of stationery (and all this other stuff) at one amazingly low price AND STILL KEEP THE QUALITY? That's what I'm about: high quality and low cost, both for print and design.

GIANT Greeting Cards

2012-01-13T11:54:00.000-06:00

Sure the big holidays are over, but that just means a start to another year full of birthdays, Hallmark holidays, etc. But how original and unique is Hallmark? (I mean, it's not uncommon to get the same Christmas card more than once). You could also send it to announce promotions, show the new "big" menu, etc.

Whatever the case, there's nothing as original (and shocking) as sending or receiving a GIANT greeting card. They're printed on corrugated plastic, so they're even water-resistant. They're cut and folded in half.

Leave a HUGE impression with a "Korokard."

Big A's New Website

2012-01-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

Hey, y'all! Check out the new website at Big A Designs & Printing (www.bigadesigns.com). The only thing missing… New services, such as Social Media Management, provided by Michael Carusi. Check him out: www.michaelcarusi.com. Stay tuned!

Lenticular Printing ("Magic-Changing-Picture-Thingy")

2011-09-08T18:46:00.001-05:00

I can now print those magic image thingies… You know, those little things you get in a Cracker Jack box. 4D Prints is a Lenticular product that allows you to have two or three different pictures in one. I take your images and create a swapping effect, each image vanishing and then reappearing from one to another as you move it up and down. Currently available in BUSINESS CARD and POSTCARD sizes.

Coffee Mugs Now Available

2011-08-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

Big A Designs & Printing now provides coffee mugs! Cool thing is… No minimums!
You know you love your coffee. Now you can make it "just right."

Full color, 2 sizes: 11 oz and 15 oz.

Full-Color T-shirts Now Available

2011-07-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

Big A Designs & Printing now provides shirts!

Full-color T-shirts (direct-to-garment print) have only a minimum of 1. I can screen-print T-shirts, button-downs, polos, etc., minimum 12.

BIG BANG! 10% Off All Orders July 1-July 4!

2011-07-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

Whether you need high-quality graphic design or business cards or banners or flyers or brochures or postcards or letterhead or envelopes or posters or notecards or stickers or carbonless forms or hang tags or WHATEVER... it's yours with 10% OFF my ALREADY-LOW PRICES!

Great Mac Bundle for Only $49

2011-06-29T08:09:00.000-05:00

Full Color BANNER for Just $65!

2011-06-29T07:17:00.000-05:00

I hope you're out and about this summer and not boobing around inside with the A/C cranked up! It's a great time to make appearances at festivals, shows, networking groups, Chamber events, etc. Let a banner do some of the talking for you. Give yourself some PRESENCE.

$65
Full Color, Grommets
6'x2.5' (Standard Table Width, Height)
CLICK HERE for a 10% Discount!

Be a Print Broker & Freelance Graphic Designer | Pt V

2011-06-25T06:47:00.000-05:00

It doesn't matter what you're designing, there are rules of thumb that gotta be considered. Break the rules--if you can do it effectively! You have a computer, and you may already have design software (please don't tell me it's Microsoft Publisher). Forget about designing according to press-ready requirements for now... Let's talk about technique.

Many years ago (ca. 2002) I found a book that summed up some design basics (really cheap book, available through the link on the left). The authors, Lori Siebert and Lisa Ballard, gave me some words that have stuck in my head ever since; there are three sets of them. Here's the first (we'll get into the other sets in later blogs):

A good design:
WORKS - ORGANIZES - ATTRACTS

The authors, of course, dig into what this means (and I don't want to plagiarize). But think about it: your designs should perform a specific task; they should effectively lay out all elements, in order to communicate clearly; and they should turn people on, open their eyes, call them to action. Basic. Perhaps obvious. And keeping these words in mind will guide your preparation of material before clicking your mouse.

To those words, I add "CONSISTENT". Although consistency is a part of organization and attraction, in order to perform a certain task, being consistent means to consider the customer's current or planned branding and marketing strategy. It sucks to design a beautiful product that gets canned because it doesn't match their other projects. Believe me, I know.

Whether you're a beginner or have been designing for years, having concrete words (design concepts) to guide your designs will improve them. And if you like this set of words, wait until you see Lori and Lisa's next ones!

Business Expo | April 8, 2011

2011-04-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

You gonna be in Franklin County, TN on Friday, April 8? Come and see me at my booth (#30) at the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo to take place at the Monterey Station in Cowan, TN.

This is a great opportunity for businesses to network, meet new customers, gain exposure, introduce new products and build relationships that will lead to new growth and production. Lots of door prizes (I'm giving away 250 FREE full color business cards)!

So You Wanna Work From Home? | Part IV

2011-04-06T11:24:00.000-05:00

Inexpensively Marketing Yourself

There are two ways to market your services and products: either you hire people to do it for you, or you do it yourself. Because you're a freelancer, that probably means you don't have staff. And as much as I hate to break it to you, freelancers gotta wear the salesman hat, too.

"I never thought I'd see myself in sales."
"I am not a natural salesman."
"I hate sales. I just can't do cold calls."

I know, right? But look, it doesn't have to suck. Let me tell you what I've been doing recently and what I've learned from doing it.

First, I made a flyer to promote my designs and printing. It advertised prices—prices so low that the customer would be stupid not to take advantage of it. I mean, $39 for 1000 business cards (full color, 14 pt.)? That's nuts! Take a look at the flyer to see what I've done. So, I made a few hundred copies of that flyer.

Next, I packed my shoulder bag. Here's what it contained:

Those Flyers
My Portfolio
Stash of My Business Cards
A Pen
A Jump Drive

Then my wife dropped me off three miles away, and I walked home. I hit every business in that three miles with my flyer and business card. At first it was awkward, and you may find it hard, too. But here's what happens: Not only do you find out who is in your business community (including new bakeries with pastries you never knew existed, and eating can be justified because you're walking....), but also you find your style. More importantly you build relationships.

Here's a trick: hit every business. You may find yourself making excuses like "Bah! They're a big chain and get all their print from Corporate," or "This business is closed today," etc. Even restaurant chains like the Outback Steakhouse has local promotions (like Valentine's Day) for which they'd like to hang a banner outside. And if a big chain does, in fact, get everything through Corporate, then go inside and sneak a business card onto the counter or in the waiting area. If a business is closed, but a flyer in the door. Some businesses may have a pin-board or a business card caddy that you can place your card (or a small stack of them). The point is, there are no excuses, and you can get creative.

OK, I've made some excuses. There was a sign on the door once that said "No Soliciting." I walked past it. The next time I saw a "No Soliciting" sign on a door, I played stupid. The receptionist asked how she could help me. I was still in the foyer.

"Oh," I said. "I'm sorry. I just noticed the door says 'No Soliciting.'"
"Well, what is it you're doing?" she asked.
I snapped up a flyer. "Design and printing at the best prices in town!"
"Ah! On my computer screen at this very moment is VistaPrint. Their quality is awful! What about yours?"
Bingo!

A friend of mine goes into a place, and if they say "The door says 'No Soliciting,'" she boldly says, "Oh, honey. We do business together. I'm just dropping off my latest promotions."

Keep this in mind: Don't Waste Their Time. Just think, you probably hate sales, because you dislike salesmen and are uneasy about being disliked, too. Then don't do what disliked salesmen do. Oftentimes they desperately waste your time for something you probably don't need, and they're not interested in you either. Remember... build relationships.

Get in and out quickly, but while you're there, find something you like about their business ("Oh, man! This bakery reminds me of my grandma's house."). If everyone's busy, don't bother them; just drop off your flyer and business card on the front counter with a wave and a "thank you" and leave. Don't waste their time, even though you do have something they likely need. Let your flyer and business card speak for you.

Because you have a lot of businesses to hit, you don't have a lot of time anyway. So, your flyer and business card must be GOOD. Let them speak for you! That's what we'll talk about next... your marketing material (flyer and business card). And we also need to talk about NETWORKING (talk about building relationships) and further ways to market yourself inexpensively!

So, stay tuned....

OH! From here out, this series will be titled: "Be a Print Broker and Freelance Graphic Designer"

GETTING STARTED (PART I)
GETTING ORGANIZED • ESTABLISHING YOUR BUSINESS (PART II)
GETTING ORGANIZED • AT YOUR COMPUTER (PART III)

bigA New Website!

2011-03-29T18:19:00.000-05:00

Check out the new layout of bigA Designs' website with a new portfolio! I'd love to hear your feedback. Thanks!

Now Offering SEO Services

2011-03-26T18:14:00.000-05:00

After a few weeks of study and practice, I am now offering SEO services (Search Engine Optimization). This is especially helpful if I already design and maintain your website.

There are so many tricks to the science of search engine optimization, so if I do not maintain your website, this will be a collaboration through consultation (as I study your site with my new SEO tools).

I've already seen my own website ranked on the FIRST PAGE of many search phrases after implementing the techniques I've learned. And I'm ready to help do this for you!