Craving an extra pop of something that will make your artwork stand out?! Perhaps you are stuck with wanting more, but not knowing how to achieve it.  Let me introduce you to the special print finishes, or post-print effects, that you didn’t know you needed!

1. Die Cutting

Think of die cutting as a cookie cutter in any shape that you choose for your art.  This is the process that is used for rounded corners, and can be used to cut out just about any shape! The process begins with a custom die that is created based on your requested shape and is then attached to a die-cutting machine.  The printed item is then placed in the machine, and the die is pressed onto the item to cut out the shape!  This finish is most commonly used for business cards, invitations, greeting cards, and even notecards.

2. Emboss/Deboss

Embossing and debossing are similar in the sense that they both include the process of stamping a printed piece between a metal plate and a counter.  Embossing created a raised impression on the paper, giving it a 3D effect, while debossing does the opposite, creating a pushed in depression in the paper. These finished are often used with book covers, pocket folders, business cards, and greeting cards, and debossing can also be used to imprint promotional products like journals or padfolios!

3. Spot Gloss

Spot gloss can be seen as a way to enhance the existing colors in your design.  Add spot gloss over certain areas of your artwork, like your logo, to give it a glossy finish that will pop from the page and stand separate from the other elements, which remain uncoated.  Consider spot glossing your next round of business cards or notecards!

4. Foil Stamping

Make your art SPARLE and SHINE with a foil finish! This process applies a metallic foil to your printed item by using a heated die placed into a foil stamping machine.  This finish works great when used with invitations, cards, or even business cards too!

Try out one of these special finishes in your next printed project to WOW whoever it comes across and to surely leave your audience with something they’ll never forget!

Price Point: $41.39- $41.99

Production Time: 10 Business Days from Artwork Approval

Available Colors: Silver

Perfect For: Employee Giveaways / Client Gifts / Corporate Swag Store Items / Swag Store Real Estate / Mailer Item / Kit Ideas / Travel Bags / Raffle Prizes / WFH Items

*SLAMS DOOR*… now that I have your attention - did you know that on average in our lifetime we spend about 900,000 hours working? And with the majority of us working from home these days, we have a wildly large abundance of “office” seating options to choose from…or maybe just one (*cough cough futon*) if you live in a 4x4 cardboard box studio apartment! Whatever the choice of furniture (highly recommend the 2-in-1 bed turned couch!), we have found the ideal companion for when you want to be both comfortable AND productive. We introduce to you…drumroll please…the LapGear Smart-E Pro Lap Desk with Memory Foam! It allows you to prop up an 11-inch tablet in the media slot for hands-free use at a phenomenal viewing angle and/or use the large work surface to place up to a 17-inch laptop. This mobile laptop desk has a foam lap pad with an anti-tipping shape design and a padded wrist rest for when you are typing or using your mouse. We are all about working in comfort here at NorthPoint, so we are excited to introduce a product that will allow you to never have to choose your standard work desk again!

Let’s think about Apple, for example. Apple is one of the biggest and most well-known brands in the world, and how is their logo usually shown? Small, and often as black, white, or tone-on-tone.  They keep their branding subtle because they know that the value of their brand is much more important than the size of their logo on a product. This strategy and way of thinking can not only be applied to any brand’s marketing, but also has additional benefits as well.

In most cases, when we are buying products or services, we don’t buy them because of a logo.  We buy them because we know that their company and product/service offered is one that we value and trust.  When it comes to branding and marketing, emotions play an absolutely essential role, which is why it is more important to focus on the emotions that your brand evokes rather than the size of your logo.  Yes, having a well-designed logo is equally as important, but it is about using your logo in the best way possible. Once your have emotions that can be associated with your brand, your logo can then be used as the visual recognition of these emotions.

When we think of Nike, we think of a brand that represents not only quality athletic products, but also one that encompasses authenticity, inclusivity, innovation, teamwork, determination, and courage.  Why? Because they have built their brand up to be focused around these things. They have spent years advertising what they support and what they encourage so that their brand is naturally associated with these values.  Their logomark: a simple swoosh mark.  And it is more often than not that they use this symbol over their full “Nike” logo, whether it is on their website or the products themselves, which goes to show that their efforts are placed more so onto the value of their message and products versus making their logo visible. 

Having a logo that is placed too largely can have additional psychological effects on a customer as well.  When we see a giant logo before anything else, it can create the feeling that brand is more important than the customer, which is the opposite of what every client wants to feel.  Too large of a logo can also often times be more distracting than beneficial.  Customers and clients are interested in what your company, product, or service offers and the information that provides them with the benefits, so if your logo is too large and overwhelming, they may be drawn away from what you actually want them to see.

Next time you are placing your logo online or on a product, think about what it is that you are truly trying to convey and how your logo should be scaled to a size that complements your brand and it’s message! Bigger is NOT always better!

Price Point: $42.90-$54.33

Production Time: About 10 Working Days

Available Colors: Wood

Perfect For: Employee Giveaways/Client Gifts/Corporate Swag Store Items/ Swag Store Real Estate /Campaign Ideas/Kit Ideas/ Self Promo Items/Food and Beverage Items

Clink Clink! Its St. Patty’s Day, so “top of the the mornin’ to ya!!!” Let’s crack open a cold one, (or 10 because this day calls for beers, cheers, and fabulous years!) and enjoy a little luck of the Irish and maybe some smooches! There is no doubt that one way we celebrate this day is by bathing in beer, so let NorthPoint be your leprechaun (OOPS you caught us!) and give you an adult version of the pot of gold! This is the Brew Fest 6 pack Holder, and it is a crafty carrying set that includes 2 beer flight paddles, 6 5 oz. tasting glasses, AND an old-fashioned bottle opener. So, wait no longer! Reach out to NorthPoint to add this option to your next marketing campaign Cheers friends… let us drink up, and may we NEVER lose the Irish luck! 

Adobe InDesign is most often the program of choice for creating layouts, templates, and multi-page designs for good reason.  The program includes tools and functions like a Master Page, automatic page numbering, guides and easily set margins, and the good ‘ol Character Styles and Paragraph Styles.  Each of these tools help in some way to make universal changes rather than just change the page you are working on, allowing for the design and editing process to be much more efficient for large, multi-page documents.  

When working on text-heavy projects especially, Character Styles and Paragraph Styles will be your saving grace.  Both work as tools to create shortcuts for editing similar text with just one click, which end up being a major time saver for designers.  While they are both some of InDesign’s most notable features, it is important to know the difference between the two to be able to make the most of their capabilities.

Paragraph Styles

A Paragraph Style is a way to set a “template” to your paragraphs, including things like indentations, justification of the text, and spacing.  They are applied to every separate body of text that starts with the Paragraph symbol. While Paragraph styles have the option to format text characteristics, you are still able to add separate paragraph styles to each paragraph afterwards.  It is recommended to create Paragraph Styles before you create Character Styles so as to not confuse your edits.

To create a Paragraph Style:

1. Go to Window > Styles > Paragraph Styles
2. Click the plus symbol in the bottom right of the window to create a new style
3. Name your style (Body Paragraphs, for example), and double-click your new style to set the parameters
4. Set the general Character Formats for your paragraphs
5. Adjust the Indents and Spacing, Justification, and any other specifications that you’d like to add
6. Go through your document and select each paragraph that you’d like to apply your new style to, or if you’re starting from scratch, select the Paragraph Style so that your following paragraphs will all be formatted based on your Paragraph Style

Character Styles

A Character Style, similarly, is also a way to set a “template”, but in this case it will be to the individual characters.  This would include things like font, font size, style, text color, and underline and strikethrough of a text.  They are applied to every word or phrase that is selected throughout your document. Character Styles are great for editing different hierarchies of text, like a header versus body text characteristics, for example.  

To create a Character Style:

1. Go to Window > Styles > Character Styles
2. Click the plus symbol in the bottom right of the window to create a new style
3. Name your style (Headings, for example), and double-click your new style to set the parameters
4. Adjust your basic character formats, like fonts, size, kerning, leading, etc.
5. Select your desired text color, and make any additional character changes.
6. To apply to specific areas of text in your document, highlight or select the text or text box, and click on your new Character Style.

The great part about these Styles is that if you need to make an edit to them, simply reopen the Style window and change what you need to.  This change will automatically be applied to every paragraph or character that already has the style attached to it! We designers know the impact that time saving tools can make on our lives (and deadlines), so when we spot a tool that can do just that, we will most definitely share it with you! Now let’s get to creating beautiful and efficient designs, shall we?!