Ever wonder how CMYK ink is made?

Wonder no more! I received a newsletter from Kallima Paper and they had a video on how ink is made. “Ink making is an art form in itself”, I couldn’t say it any better. For those of you who are still wondering – sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Tags: CMYK, Creative, ink, paper, video

It’s not a doll, it’s an action figure!

Herobuilder just launched three new action figures…based off of characters in TV commercials. The 12-inch-tall macho man dolls represent the “Old Spice Guy,” Dos Equis beer’s “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” and Allstate Insurance’s “Mayhem.” Perfect $50 gag gifts for someone who has everything. Read more.

Tags: advertising, Allstate Insurance, Brand Strategy, commercials, Creative, Dos Equis, Old SPice

Color News and Views from Pantone

 I just recently received the premiere newsletter from Pantone, called TONES and it’s all about color news and views. Do you ever think about color, and how many different applications it is applied to…from paper through textiles? It’s very interesting to find out what views people have across different industries. Good example: in print, you want the whitest paper to help make your design pop but in fashion, “You never wear white after Labor Day.” Check out the newsletter;  it gave me some great insights into areas that I never thought about. Wonderful world of colors, which ones do you see?

Tags: color, Creative, fashion, furnishings, Insights, pantone

How do they do that?

When you’re waiting for a light to change and a bus drives by that is entirely covered with graphics, have you ever wondered “how do they do that?” But, before it even gets to that point, can you image all of the pre-production work that goes into it first? Just to give you an idea: first, you are working with images at the size of your monitor while knowing that they will be completely different once blown up beyond life size, so how are they really going to look? Is one of the letter T’s in your headline going to fall within a window seam, causing the word to look like it’s spelled wrong? Is your image high-res enough to look nice and crisp? Is your client’s logo falling in an area that is going to get trimmed off? And after all that is said and done, are you still wondering how the graphic gets applied to the bus? Well, who would know better then Titan Worldwide, the company that does it for a living? Take a look at this video, and you’ll be amazed.

Tags: bus, Creative, graphics, mobile

Look what happens when you fold it that way

We are exposed to variations of folds every day, but  I make it a point to see a  super cool one every week. Trish Witkowski, creator of the website foldfactory.com, is the “fold collector”. Each week, she sends out a newsletter called “60-second Super Cool Fold of the Week.”

Each newsletter contains a link to a video where she shares really cool printed pieces.  She shows how the piece has been folded and explains how it was created, including interesting details like how many were produced, the type of paper, and whether it was hand-made or machine processed.  She also provides templates as yet another tool to help keep the creative juices flowing.

Different folds fall in different budget categories depending on complexity. You should always bring your idea to your printer first. With this partnership up front, you can save money by using the right paper and determining the most efficient folding techniques so that you can get more up on a sheet, and so forth– making you and your client happy.  Who says that origami is just for kids?

Tags: Creative, Direct Mail, folds

Leafy Green Viral Marketing

Nissan has been pushing its latest technological breakthroughs in lithium ion powered cars with a video posted on YouTube. The name of the car is Leaf. It’s an interesting move that will hit car lovers, environmentalists and the general populace with equal emphasis. I like the simple, creative way the message is portrayed and the heightened sustainability prowess it gives Nissan. Viral works, to prove it, watch the video.

Tags: car, Creative, Energy, environment, Lithium Ion, Nissan, Technology, viral, YouTube