We have a special treat for you! One of our in-house graphic designers, Brittany, is sharing her story about how this business suite of custom print products was created! And we took some fabulous shots of each printed piece to share with all of you.
It all starts with Custom Magnets!
At the end of T&T’s 2021 tiling season, my husband wanted to show appreciation for each client they worked with and gain new clients for the next season. So I designed and ordered the photo magnet above with a matching postcard. The custom print magnets were hand-delivered to T&T clients. They were also handed out in lieu of business cards (we didn’t have those yet!) at in-person consults. Postcards were hand addressed and sent out to prospects. Print Nerd Fact: the current logo’s vector art of the tile machine was created from this photo!
Business Cards, Postcards and Custom-Cut Magnets
Fast forward 7-8 months and my husband, Troy, pops in over lunch with a “Hey Brit, what’s it take to get business cards done?” At which point I grin and reply, “all you need to do is ask!” I’ve been waiting for this day! A brief lunch conversation ensues and I find out T&T Tiling LLC has been asked to set up a table at a local agricultural business’s Fall Family Appreciation Night. Troy could already see the gears turning in my head and told me to “just keep it simple.” “Oh, come ON! Where’s the fun in that?!”
The Graphic Designer in me has been itching to put the T&T logo on anything and everything as an opportunity to experiment with different mediums, but I needed to rein it in, and I did. There’s always next year! 😉
I mocked up several different business card front and back options for Troy and his business partner, Trevor, to choose from. Once they honed in on that design, I kept a similar layout for everything tweaking the design as needed since each piece was not quite proportionate to each other. I printed business cards, magnets, and updated the postcard design with the new vector design.
Designing the magnets got a little tricky. I was having a difficult time fitting the design nicely on business card-size magnets. Business cards are two-sided, allowing information to be divided between the two sides. Magnets, however, are only one-sided. What I found was if I designed an A1 magnet as 2-up, it was about the same size as a business card magnet, but it gave me a little extra height to work with.
The added bonus was that it actually priced out a little less per (finished) piece. I added tick marks to my InDesign file to indicate where I would need to cut the A1 magnet in half. Print Nerd Fact: Cutting the A1 Magnet down was relatively effortless with my handy rotary cutter. (but I could only cut one at a time to ensure each magnet was cut straight.)
The guys put on their T&T shirts, hung a vinyl banner (printed thru Navitor.com) on a small table, set out a stack of white custom-cut magnets and business cards with the black flood coat side up. They were pretty eye-catching! Troy and Trevor socialized, answered questions, and took note of those genuinely interested in their services. Postcards were sent out to interested parties as a follow-up.
And the grand finale, Custom Art Prints.
Surprise! Truth be told… T&T Tiling LLC did not know I ordered an Art Print until I was trying to choose between matte and frames. I am excited to hang the large framed art prints in their offices. I chose the larger art print size of 14 x 11 as an impactful reminder of their hard work and the lasting relationships they are building. I hope to add framed art prints of equipment operating and project sites to the walls in the coming year. They truly have a passion for their work.
And Brittany has a passion for hers! I’m telling you, the photograph does not do that framed art print justice. What about all of you? Do you have a Print Design Story you’d like to share with us? Email us at customercare@tog.ink because we would LOVE to hear it!
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