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    Understanding Resolution

    Ok, let's talk about your Resolutions - and no, we don't mean your New Years Resolutions! If you've ever had a graphic or image designed for print or web use, then you may have heard the term "300 DPI' when you submitted your files. DPI, along with PPI and CMYK are fairly common terms when working with files in the design industry. However most people don't know the meaning behind them or the differences between them, which at times can cause confusion. So let's take a minute to dive into what these terms mean, and how to optimize the resolution of your images for print or web.

    Print Resolution
    When printing, printers use a combination of Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and Black (K) ink (also known as CMYK) to create the colors in your image. If you look at the ink under a magnifying glass, you can see that it's printed in a dotted pattern to create the illusion of different colors when viewed from afar. To measure the density or resolution of a print, we calculate the Dots Per Square Inch (or DPI). Naturally, the higher the number of dots used to create an image, the better the clarity of a photo. At 300 DPI, these dots are indistinguishable to the human eye. Thus the magic number for printing is normally 300!

    The only exception is when the designated viewing distance will be greater than normal (such as with booth backgrounds or pull up banners) and in those circumstances the DPI required for those prints can be lower, or around 150 DPI.


    Resolution


    Web Resolution
    Over time, the term DPI has also been associated with monitor resolution. However the proper term to use here is PPI, which stands for the measurement of Pixels Per Square Inch. As it turns out, web graphics are more dependent on the document dimensions than the number of pixels. Meaning that if a graphic is created at 100 pixels, the PPI assigned won't matter because no matter what, the graphic will always display online at the 100px by 100px size it was intended to be. Back in the days when internet was young and connection speeds were mere kilobytes, file size played a big part on how long a webpage would take to load. Optimizing file size was key, so the standard resolution for web images was 72 PPI. Nowadays, internet connections work at blazing speeds, so as long as the graphic is a moderate size it won't matter what the PPI is.

    If you ever have a question regarding file size or resolution, feel free to ask the NorthPoint Design Team! We pride ourselves on making sure that the image resolution of our work is optimized for web and/or print!


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    Prim Detachable Wireless Phone Mount

    Price Point: $15.98 - $20.13

    Available Colors: Black

    Perfect For: Customer Appreciation Gifts / Employee Gifts / Corporate Swag Stores / Destination Events / Employees That Travel

    The Prim Detachable Wireless Phone Mount is the perfect combination of hands-free use for your car. Simply clip the mount into a car vent and connect the micro charging cable via a USB port to provide power. Once the phone is clipped into the mount, it will begin charging automatically. What's even more impressive is that you can also remove the wireless charging pad from the mount to use at home or in the office!
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    Raster vs. Vector

    Have you ever been told by a designer or by your marketing team that your logo/design is in a raster format? Have they then asked you for a vector version of your artwork instead? Are you reading this right now and thinking to yourself "I have no idea what any of this means?" Never fear, the NorthPoint Design Team is here to help! Understandably, most people don't know the difference between file types since they don't work with these files very often. However in the design world, artwork pretty much falls under two categories, Raster or Vector, and here's how each differ:

    Raster vs. Vector


    Raster
    Raster files are composed of pixels. Each tiny pixel is basically a small square of color, and each square is arranged in a grid to form an image. For printing, 300 pixels/dots per inch (also known as DPI) is recommended to give you a crisp, clean image. However if you try to scale a raster file larger than it's set dimensions, then the image could print out pixelated because essentially you are just making the square pixel larger, and thus the issue.
    File types: .JPG .PNG .GIF .TIF


    Vector
    At the most basic level, a vector file is composed of paths to create shapes. They use points, lines, and curves so that the image can be scaled to any size as needed without losing quality. Vector files are always best when working in Illustrator or another editing software as designers can easily manipulate them to achieve the desired look that the client wants.
    File types: .AI .EPS .SVG .PDF


    Whenever we're working with clients on new design projects, we always prefer to have a vector version of your logo so that we can easily scale it to various sizes. Having your artwork in a vector version will not only cut down on design time, but it also eliminates the chance that your artwork will pixelate when scaled. As a best practice, whenever you're communicating with your art department, be sure to request the vector version of your logo!

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    Duo Vacuum Bottle & Tumbler

    Price Point: $15.98 - $20.13

    Available Colors: Black / Blue / Mint Green / Silver / White

    Perfect For: Customer Appreciation Gifts / Employee Gifts / Office Drinkware / Corporate Swag Stores / Destination Events / Exercise Programs

    The Duo Copper Vac Bottle & Tumbler is them most innovative piece of drinkware of the new year. Enjoy your beverage of choice by drinking through the tumbler with a screw on lid and slide opening, or a more traditional bottle with a screw on top and stainless-steel cap. You decide. Either way, your beverage will stay cold for 24 hours and hot for at least 8 hours. It truly is the best of both worlds!
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    Pick Your Pantones!

    The Pantone Matching System (or PMS for short) is the universal language of color. With a sea of colors to choose from, Pantone is the standard in the printing and design industries for color replication. Similar to baking a cake, each color has a predetermined recipe to ensure it is created the exact same way each and every time. This way, your logo that's on your brochures matches everything from the logo on your mugs to the logo on your t-shirts.

    Another added benefit of selecting and using Pantone colors is that they have the lowest chance of color variation during the printing process. CMYK printers work with a number of different variables that at times can produce variation in color. We advise our clients to remove this risk all together by preselecting and printing using Pantone colors. Not only will taking care of this beforehand save you time when communicating with designers and printers, but it will also save you from having to review multiple proofs regarding how close the CMYK colors match your original brand colors.

    Pro Tip: When choosing what colors to use for your brand, start off the process by selecting Pantone colors first. You can always convert those colors to CMYK and RGB values later. This way, all of your colors will match perfectly!

    Your brand is your company's identity, so it's important to always keep it consistent. Take a look at Coca-Cola for instance. What do you think would happen if Coca-Cola's red color printed slightly more orange from time to time? It may alter your perception of what their signature red color actually is, and in turn could very easily convey to their customers that they're not worried about brand consistency or quality control. It's one of those instances where taking the extra time to go through this process correctly beforehand may go unnoticed by your customers, but will save you from some major headaches down the road.

    At NorthPoint, we always prefer to know your true Pantone colors. This way, we can be confident in offering you consistent color replication across any medium, every time. It also helps to cut down on design time and eliminates most risks of your colors not printing correctly. Save yourself and your company time and money by being prepared with your Pantone colors!


    Glossary
    PMS: Pantone Matching System
    CMYK: Cyan - Magenta - Yellow - Black
    RGB: Red - Green - Blue

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    OGIO Backpacks

    Price Point: Depends on items purchased

    Available Colors: Black / Tarmac / Cobalt Blue / Ripped Red / Tarmac & Orange

    Perfect For: Traveling / Customer Appreciation Gifts / Conferences / Promotional Gear / Employee Gifts / New Hire Gifts / Tradeshow Raffles / Corporate Swag Stores

    OGIO continues their run of producing some of the best bags in the business with their all-new lineup for 2019! Featuring the Basis Pack, Convert Pack, and the Monolithic Pack, there's plenty of options no matter what your budget is. With each model coming complete with inside pockets dedicated to keeping your laptop/tablet safe, this is the perfect bag for traveling the globe. Whether you're looking for a modern styled everyday bag, or a corporate appropriate bag, OGIO has got your back!
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    Pixels To Prints: 2019 Pantone Color Of The Year

    Welcome to the all-new Pixels To Print Blog! Similar to our Hot Item Of The Week Blog, Pixels To Print is where we'll be sharing design related stories, tips, and news once a week. This week, we're focusing on the 2019 Pantone color of the year!

    For the last 20 years, The Pantone Color Institute selects a color through trend analysis that it deems will be the next influential color of the year. "An influence on what?" you may ask. Everything from interior design to fashion choices to graphic design trends to name a few. Businesses everywhere are always working to stay ahead of the next big trend and use reports like these for any type of help or inspiration for where their business strategy, product selection, or where their visual identity could go in the coming year.

    So it should come as no surprise to you that when The Pantone Color Institute released it's new influential color of the year for 2019, we were extremely excited! For 2019, PANTONE 16-1546 (Living Coral) is that influential color. Pantone describes this color as "an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge."

    Now, even though "Living Coral" may not be an approved accent color currently in your brand guidelines, you should consider the different ways in which you can work it into your marketing and sales campaigns for 2019! We always recommend staying true to your brand identity, but adding in some fun and trendy colors like Living Coral is a surefire way to keep your branding fresh while opening the door to some new and innovative designs in 2019.

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    Carhartt Apparel

    Price Point: Depends on items purchased

    Available Colors: Black / Bluestone / Carbon Heather / Dark Brown / Desert / Dark Cobalt Blue Heather / Heather Grey / Hunter Green / Navy / Port / Stream Blue / Carhartt Brown

    Perfect For: Battling The Elements / Customer Appreciation Gifts / Employee Gifts / Corporate Swag Stores / Corporate Anniversary Programs / Corporate Events

    Ring in the New Year with a bang with our all new, just-released, Carhartt Apparel! From t-shirts to button downs and jackets, you can now outfit yourself in the hardest working gear available to help you beat the harsh winter. Built to last, this new apparel is sure to be a hit around the office and at your next corporate event!
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