My studio partner & I went out to lunch last week. We like to have our brainstorming session over lunch. And we thought that we would revisit, 

The Taproom in North Portland, OR

The Taproom in the industrial side of Portland, OR and is a part of MacTarnahan's (Pyramid Breweries). We had finished a nice lunch outside and went into the hostess area. There were business cards of the managers for the restaurant on the table. And me, the curious marketing guy, picked up one of them and flipped it over. Below is what I saw on the back of their corporate card.

I had to take a second look. All their beer product line was blurry (out-of-focus) and the image of all the bottles weren't even centered on the card. I just couldn't believe that such a large company probably had these business cards printed on line or with a digital printing company that really didn't give a damn!

I spent some time trying to find the corporate office to send them an email telling them that I could really help them with this part of their marketing. What I would of suggested:

1. Use a high resolution image of their beer product line.

2. Print the backs of the business cards (100,000 at a time). These shells then could be reprinted on the fronts with each new employee.

3. Go to a reputable printer that has a color management system in place.

4. Go to the press check to inspect printing quality and colors.

Needless to say, I never heard back from them! Didn't shock me, why would you admit that you made a mistake to your audience?

This is the warning that I give to my regular clients about printing on-line. Yes, there are some great deals but you get what you get! They gang tons of business cards up on a printing run and adjust the color for all the cards so that you get pleasing color. Everything is automated and no one is taking responsibility for quality control. It really can destroy your brand.

© 2011 Michael Johnson - Inkspot Graphics. All rights reserved