For Graphic Design in Chicago, Controlled Color, Inc. is the Way to Go

We want you to look good to your market. This is our most important goal at Controlled Color, Inc. (CCI), and we invest every ounce of our talents, resources, and skills to make it happen. While it’s true that you can get Chicago graphic design services from other firms, CCI’s distinct fusion of outstanding quality, service, and value has made our existing clients remain loyal to us for many years. What we offer is something that’s challenging to find today.
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Use Printing Services in Chicago to Overhaul your Business Card Stock

The potential of losing a new client at that stage can be a serious matter for Chicagoan business operators. The city is known for its active financial district and highly-diversified business climate– and to miss out on both will carry grave consequences. To prevent that and make a good impression at the same time, you will need the help of printing services in Chicago like Controlled Color Inc. (CCI) to give your business cards a modern look.
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Details to Remember When Replacing Business Cards

Business cards are still the best tools you can use to introduce yourself and your business; after all, they’re easy to remember and are easily portable. You’ll need to make sure, however, that your card is a cut above the rest, so here are what you should remember when designing a new one for your firm:

Loco for Logos: Shell

Logos and logo designs are crucial elements in branding a product or a business; and the best ones can speak volumes about the company they represent in a matter of seconds. Shell’s logo, for example, is steeped in the petroleum giant’s history.

The century-old company best exemplifies the value of not forgetting its humble beginnings. Before getting into the petroleum business, Shell actually sold antiques and embellishments—specifically, seashells. In an effort to expose the brand to the Far East, a growing market for Western merchants during the company’s early years, its founder Marcus Samuel named all of his tankers after a certain seashell. Among these was his first tanker, the "Murex," named after a genus of sea snails with intricate shells.

Key Points to Designing Business Cards

Even in these days of social networks and online marketing, some forms of print advertising never go out of style. For one, there still isn’t a more effective way to market your business to people you meet on the road than by handing them a business card. Before you go to your trusted printing shop though, here are a few things you should keep in mind when designing your business cards:

How to Make Your Poster Truly Magical

You’ve probably seen a magic show as a child and was amazed by the performance. You’re already aware that the magic mostly happens behind the curtains, but what you may not know is that magic also happens long before the show starts. Do you remember how many people watched? All of you wouldn’t be there without a certain kind of magic: The magic of marketing.

Postcards with Graphic Design in Chicago: Affordable, Captivating Ads

Until November 30, 2014, we’re offering new customers an irresistible package. For a mere $49, you can get 250 4×6 postcards with a customized graphic design from our Chicago firm, shipped to you at no additional cost. The postcards will have full color on both sides and printed on 14pt Coated Cover stock with UV coating. We can just imagine how thrilled you’ll be with your affordable, captivating ads!
http://controlledcolor.com/postcards-with-graphic-design-in-chicago-affordable-captivating-ads/

Chicago Printing Services Provider Now Offers Laminating to Clients

The firm is headed by Douglas Gaster, who has three decades’ worth of expertise in the printing industry. Its goal is to help clients create a positive image through the superior printing, graphic design, and photography services that it offers. Aside from being a top printing company in Chicago, Controlled Color, Inc. is also an established Internet marketing expert, helping customers garner the greatest possible visibility online.
http://controlledcolor.com/chicago-printing-services-provider-now-offers-laminating-to-clients/

Marketing “Windy” Postcards with Some Printing Services in Chicago

People visiting different places tend to buy and mail postcards back home to their loved ones and the postcard shows picturesque details of the place. It is also an effective marketing weapon, as business coach Rich Levin states in a July, 2009 issue of REALTOR® Mag. There’s moderate wiggle room for competition, given the size of the Windy City’s property market, particularly within a 20-mile radius of the Sears Tower. Showcasing your services as a property agent and what clients can expect from you is a matter for quality marketing materials – such as postcards to help them decide. Start by tapping printing services in Chicago like Controlled Color Inc. for your hard-copy options.
http://controlledcolor.com/marketing-windy-postcards-with-some-printing-services-in-chicago/

Using Graphic Design in Chicago to Ramp up Your Business Signage

Consultations with your preferred Chicago graphic designer can focus on some key elements no matter how straightforward or snazzy your proposed design might be. Color is one such element and the right color helps people identify with the business branding right away – especially if it’s the company’s official colors. Monza red, for example, is instantly recognizable among motorsports fans as the prime color of Ferrari vehicles. A good signage recognizes the demarcation between dark and bright colors to further highlight the content. Fell quoted International Signs Association strategic initiatives director Sasha Budev as saying that you cannot use different hues of the same color in the content. The reader might find the content hard to decipher, and the difficulty is double in a poor choice of font.
http://controlledcolor.com/using-graphic-design-in-chicago-to-ramp-up-your-business-signage/

Facts about Making Business Cards

Even in today’s digital age, few things surpass the efficiency of business cards in driving your networking efforts and scoring some leads for your business. Sure, you can exchange emails, give people your LinkedIn profile, and tell them to follow you on Twitter, but what faster way to do all these things than by handing people your card?

Combining Effective Elements for Signage Design

Graphic signage that’s meant to promote the products or services of a company should use excellent means to convey the message and market what needs selling. To do this, you should know the elements of effective graphic design and how to manipulate them to communicate effectively.

The combination of images, text, and ideas in a signage is called graphic design. A skilled graphic designer arranges each of these elements based on the potential psychological interpretation an audience might have. In other words, professional graphic designers do not rely solely on their own preferences and aesthetic sense, but also consider the information they’ve collected from statistics, observations, and trends.

Trust Quality Chicago Printing Services for Your Business Card Needs

Despite, or perhaps because of the low investment involved in business cards, the returns can be quite substantial. It remains an important part of networking, and ensures potential clients and customers know how to get in touch with you. Business cards also make a great first impression, so make sure you get the services of reliable printing services in Chicago to print them out. Huebsch highlights the importance of a good business card design, not only in introducing your business but also in marketing it. There’s a huge difference between letting people know about your business and getting them hooked into buying your products and services. How your business card looks also has a lasting impact on a person, which could either make him a loyal customer or turn him off permanently. A seasoned printing company in Chicago like Controlled Color, Inc. may also offer graphic design services for your business card.
http://controlledcolor.com/trust-quality-chicago-printing-services-for-your-business-card-needs/

Achieving Professionalism in Print Ads

As a start-up company, your marketing materials can influence how people will view your business. The business cards, flyers, postcards, and other materials that you’ll be putting out should not only contain all necessary information, but should also present your brand professionally. Otherwise, your materials could be just wasted investment.

Graphic Design in Chicago: Combining Elements to Convey Your Message

The principle observed when choosing color, however, doesn’t change. Complementary colors remain the most effective in any graphic design. They allow for high contrast, which aids in the focus of viewers. The right combination of all these elements will give you signage that can effectively convey what you are offering your market. Professional Chicago graphic design artists from companies like Controlled Color, Inc. have the right skills and talent to provide you with the kind of signage and other promotional materials that will make people take a closer look at your business.
http://controlledcolor.com/graphic-design-in-chicago-combining-elements-to-convey-your-message/

Loco for Logos: I (Heart) NY

Chicago is very different from New York. However, as far as graphic design goes, the Windy City can learn a thing or two from the Big Apple.

To illustrate, take a close look at one of the Big Apple's most iconic logos: the "I (heart) NY" logo. This graphic design was born in an era of political scandal and economic recession known as the 70s. New York bore the brunt of bad imagery--unchecked spending, says historians, drained the city's budget, forcing municipal programs to be put on hold.

Enlisting Printing Services in Chicago for Trade Show Tabletop Signs

Business owners in Chicago may relate to the importance of creating a good impression on potential clients/customers at trade shows. Many roads lead to Chi-town for several big-name trade conventions every year, with McCormick Place as one of the venues to be when trade show season comes around. When your business is participating in any trade show and you want good marketing materials to back it up such as tabletops, companies such as Controlled Color, Inc. (CCI) will fulfill your need for printing services in Chicago.
http://controlledcolor.com/enlisting-printing-services-in-chicago-for-trade-show-tabletop-signs/

Using Good Graphic Design in Chicago to Create Eye-popping Brochures

Chicago’s tourism marketing efforts are no less challenging in creating the kind of brochure that will stand out. Some of the more awesome brochures you’ve leafed through over the years may include the Chicago Bulls’ season schedule, the Downtown Transit Authority’s sightseeing guide, and even catalogs by real-estate agents advertising their services. If you are looking to promote your business with a brochure that mesmerizes and educates potential customers, Chicago graphic design experts like Controlled Color, Inc. are ready to lend a hand.
http://controlledcolor.com/using-good-graphic-design-in-chicago-to-create-eye-popping-brochures/

Creating Your Business Cards

In the world of business, handing out business cards to potential clients is still a habit hard to break. You may have been on the receiving end when a professional offers you their business card and holding it with both thumb and index fingers. If you’re in need of proper identification to help create client leads for your business, have printing services in Chicago make you a good batch of business cards. There are pointers to remember in creating a business card:

Fixing Up Your Restaurant’s Menu

Food as art has become even more exigent in the restaurant business , as it has become a way to sate customers’ and food critics’ appetites.

Now that the promise of great food is in place, all it takes for a popular restaurants is to have a graphic designer from Chicago revamp their menu – and stoke customer interest in what food to order.

Established Printing Services in Chicago Assure High Print Quality

When it comes to printed marketing materials, paper isn’t just paper. The paper’s color, texture, and coating affect how everything appears. Another key attribute is the paper’s absorption rate, or how it allows the ink to stay in tight, symmetrical dots. An experienced printing company in Chicago can help businesses determine the right paper to use.

At times, an image is already in the right format and uses the ideal paper, but the print quality still falls below expectations. The reason? Images that are saved in the wrong color space can spell disaster for a printed piece, as can an image that has been converted to a sub-par, or “canned” color profile. It takes effective color management to know which is which.

http://controlledcolor.com/established-printing-services-in-chicago-assure-high-print-quality/

Graphic Design in Chicago: Tips for Creating Engaging Print Ad Designs

Tried-and-tested methods in print advertising will never go wrong. However, they could become boring and predictable in the long run. Those who want to make an impact need to do something that hasn’t been done before. Making the most out of one’s creative skills could produce truly eye-catching designs.

While businesses may have a talented in-house marketing professional, often it takes a lot more to have effective print ads. In this regard, businesses can consider enlisting the services of a skillful Chicago graphic designer with marketing experience too, like someone from Controlled Color Inc. Professionals from this firm know how to create designs for successful advertising.

http://controlledcolor.com/graphic-design-in-chicago-tips-for-creating-engaging-print-ad-designs/

Quick Tips for Printing Business Cards

Business cards are often the first form of interaction between you and prospective clients. As such, your card should pique their interest the moment you hand it over to them.

However, going overboard with the design on your business card can make it very difficult to print them. In the worst case scenario, you are left with cluttered and illegible cards that make you look unprofessional. Here are a few tips to help you avoid such a scenario:

Change the Color Scheme

Change the color scheme from RGB to CMYK. This change is necessary because the way color is printed on business card material differs from the way it is presented on your monitor. By using CMYK, the colors are just as vibrant on paper as it is on screen.

QR Codes

If you are passionate about your business, you know you can talk about it for hours on end. Unfortunately, you do not have that liberty when it comes to business cards due to the limited real estate. If you really have a lot of important things to say, add a QR code that redirects users to a page on your site that explains what you want to say.

Keep the Back Blank

Generally, business cards are blank on the back; have you ever wondered why? Usually, it’s because it provides recipients room to jot down extra information to help them remember who you are and why they took a business card from you.

Assembling an Effective Catalog

Catalogs are often a good way to showcase the products your business offers. You might have received some yourself, in the mail, from your favorite retail outlet. You can make a splash among your customers with a professionally designed catalog that highlights your most popular products. In having one done, note the following cardinal catalog rules:

Unified Branding

Some marketing experts claim that a store’s catalog should carry the same branding values behind the business. For example, if your store is mostly geared towards female customers, you must synchronize your business’ main colors and theme with the catalog design, requiring closer coordination between your graphic designer and your marketing people.

Enticing Content

A customer browsing a catalog will be interested in the details of a product, aside from its image. A good copywriter would know how to compose the product description in a tone and language that both educate and entice the customer.

Uncluttered Layout

While the goal of the catalog is to help the store sell as many of the items on the list as possible, be careful not to jam too many product images in one page. Limit the pictures to just a few items per page, but the image of the pricier product doesn’t have to take a larger space.

A well-designed catalog can advertise your business better. Effective messaging may help sell everything on the list.

Take Advantage of Printing Services in Chicago for your Business Cards

Computers and the Internet have taken so much of daily life and put them up online; a few things, however, remain adamantly enforced in real time. Reading an actual book in one’s hand, for one. In the world of business, handing out business cards to potential clients is still a habit hard to break.

eople continue to take time to choose their cards; it is after all, a lifeline to financial and work opportunities. If you’re one of those who whip out business cards to get people to keep your name and number handy, you might as well check out these few tips on designing your own cards before you get printing services from Chicago firms, such as Controlled Color, Inc.

http://controlledcolor.com/take-advantage-of-printing-services-in-chicago-for-your-business-cards/

Menus: Tips on Chicago Graphic Design for your Restaurant Business

Food as art has become even more exigent in the restaurant business, lest the slow-to- catch- up get left behind by their competitors. More than ever, the aesthetics of food and the food business has assumed a premium as a way to keep customers and food critics alike surprised and gratified.

Now that the promise of great food are in place, how do acclaimed restaurants get customers to water at the mouth right before their meal? They hire an effective graphic designer from Chicago firms like Controlled Color, Inc. to design—or improve—on their menus.

http://controlledcolor.com/menus-tips-on-chicago-graphic-design-for-your-restaurant-business/

The Art of Making Graphic Restaurant Menus

What is the secret to a great menu? If your restaurant caters to families or groups, having a menu with pictures is a must. A graphic restaurant menu needs to be designed with the customers and your brand in mind. Here are some features that such menus must have:

• Logically-ordered and presented products

Choose a chronological series (from appetizers to desserts), or use order of importance (house specialties and best-sellers first), depending on your sales strategies.

• Clearly readable labels and prices

Attach the distinguishable names and prices of the dish right beside, below, or above its photograph. For unpopular dishes or creative names, you can add a brief description of the main ingredients, cooking style, or other information (e.g. contains seafood or other allergens, vegan dish, gluten-free).

• Professionally taken photographs

Make sure that the dishes look appetizing on the photos. You don’t have to include pictures of every product; you can highlight only your best-sellers and specialties since products with images tend to get picked more often.

• A section for specialties, meal sets, or group packages

Recommend your best offerings and any meal sets. This will not only allow customers to decide and have their orders prepared quickly, but will also give your staff more time to attend to other customers.

• Reflect your restaurant’s theme or location

Use your restaurant’s interiors or its location to create a cohesive menu template. Consult professional designing and printing services so that your menus can be produced with style and functionality.

Graphic Design Elements Pros Use Effectively

If you’re promoting your business, either by print or online, a good graphic design can take your marketing efforts to new heights. After all, people tend to remember visual aesthetics the most rather than sounds or other media. Agencies that provide effective graphic design in Chicago for ads and websites know this fact well, which is why they strive to expertly utilize the following graphic design elements.

First is color, which is something that most graphic designs have in common. It is quite usual for amateurs to use a mishmash of colors in their designs in the effort to make them flashy and eye-catching. Experienced graphic designers, however, know that the wrong use of colors can turn a design into an incoherent mess, so they very carefully employ color strategies to create mood and evoke emotions. The second element that pros know how to use well is space. This refers not only to how much space each word or image takes up in the overall design, but also how much “breathing space” there is to help viewers rest their eyes.

The last element is size, which is more straightforward. Large letters or images should be used sparingly and only to attract attention to certain areas of the design; whereas smaller words or pictures provide supplementary information, create balance, and perform other complementing roles.

Controlled Color Offers Banner Printing Services for Chicago Customers

Compared to traditional printing options, banner printing that uses either glossy or matte vinyl brings more durability as they are weatherproof and tear-resistant. The company uses eco-solvent inks to print the designs that could last up to one year for outdoor use, and two years for indoor purposes. Moreover, to ensure the stability of the banners, CCI tapes or hems them, and uses brass grommets to hang them nicely. They accept orders of different sizes, ranging from 2′ x 4 to 4′ x 10 measurements.

The banners also offer versatility, as they can be used by companies for outdoor marketing and advertising during trade shows. Communities, on the other hand, can also use them to promote their upcoming events like fairs and parades, which can be easily be seen by many. Meanwhile, families can also use them in their private affairs like birthday celebrations and anniversaries. Furthermore, shops and restaurants can also utilize them to showcase their products.

http://controlledcolor.com/controlled-color-offers-banner-printing-services-for-chicago-customers/

We Offer Free Product Photos for New Chicago Graphic Design Clients

In our unending quest to provide topnotch commercial printing services, we are offering two product photos for all of our new customers for graphic design in Chicago, for free! This offer, which runs the whole month of May and is originally valued at over $200, is our way of showing our new clients the difference of our photography over other graphic design companies when it comes to overall quality.

Graphic design involves a lot of intricacies as it includes various kinds of marketing tools, solutions and collateral that all aim to improve a company’s profitability. Through the product photos we are giving out, new clients will be able to get a firsthand, up-close look at the quality they can expect from Controlled Color, Inc (CCI). Regardless of the type of marketing tool your company needs, we will get it done the right way.

http://controlledcolor.com/we-offer-free-product-photos-for-new-chicago-graphic-design-clients/

How to Capture Visually Stunning Photographs

Nothing boosts and compliments a photographer's confidence like getting nominated in a highly prestigious photo competition. Submitting your images is just the first step in achieving your dream grand prize. How would you catch the attention of the ever meticulous and sharp scrutiny of the judges? Here are some ways to captivate their eyes:

Using Graphic Design to Kick-off Your Business

Establishing a small business takes a lot of hard work, but making an impact and building a solid foundation on your first few years is a different thing altogether. Building a brand and making it known to your target market is one of the main priorities you should carefully work on, and one of the best ways of doing so is through effective graphic design, particularly when it comes to your website.

As more and more consumers go online to look for products and services, you would want to have a company website that effectively communicates to your prospective customers. Through professional graphic design, you can have your website sport a credible image that stands out and makes a mark in the industry. Moreover, you will be able to open a virtual store where your clients can not only shop but appreciate.

How Printing Services Will Boost Your Business

Although print media seems old-fashioned and outdated in today's tech-savvy world, you can never underestimate how effective this form of marketing is. Whether you're in a small or big organization, invest in print to help boost your business. Here are a few reasons why printing services can be one of your best partners as you promote your business:

A great source of information

It is very easy to get your message across through printed promotional materials. On flyers and brochures, you can publish brief, clear, relevant, and logically arranged content so your target audience can find what they're looking for. Always make it easier for them to discover what they want to know. Keep text legible and include a persuasive call to action so you can convert their curiosity into sales.

Anytime, anywhere

You can distribute flyers and brochures in a diverse set of locations, especially in places with high foot traffic: malls, train stations, outdoor parks, and the like. People who find your materials useful can also keep them pinned on their boards for future reference and greater visibility. They can also help promote your business by word-of-mouth, as they mention your product or service that they've seen on your materials.

Branding identity

Besides providing important information about promos and other services, the most important function of printed materials is raising the public's awareness of your brand. People will most likely notice and recognize a company that employs high-quality printing than one that uses cheap paper.

No Better Time than Now for Affordable Postcard Printing in Chicago

In today’s highly competitive market, you need to ensure maximum visibility for your business. Aside from engaging prospective customers online, you also need to reach out to them through effective print marketing. To make that happen, you’ll need top-of-the-line Chicago printing services for quality flyers, business cards, and postcards that will get you noticed in three seconds or less.

“Improving Your Visibility in a Modern Market” is our slogan at Controlled Color, Inc., and we have all the tools and expertise necessary to deliver on our commitment. From clear and sharp product photography all the way to accurate color management and affordable printing, our graphic design team will work closely with you to create stunning marketing materials that are sure to capture the attention of your target audience.

http://controlledcolor.com/no-better-time-than-now-for-affordable-postcard-printing-in-chicago/

Chicago Graphic Design Company Surpasses 2,000th Project Milestone

By 2012, the company made a vital decision to work with a team of search engine experts and make the move into Internet marketing, in order to supplement their existing services. Today, the company is implementing a new Internet marketing plan, which they expect will double their volume growth rate to 20%. They also plan on expanding this year to keep up with their growth targets.

Established by Doug Gaster, an experienced graphic designer in Chicago who has 25 years of experience in commercial printing, CCI specializes in effective graphic design for businesses that wish to improve the visibility of their respective brands, products, and services. They offer product and food photography and premedia, as well as the printing of flyers, postcards, and business cards.

http://controlledcolor.com/chicago-graphic-design-company-surpasses-2000th-project-milestone/

Cashing in on Effective Graphic Design

In today's fast-paced world, businesses from various sectors are constantly looking for ways to effectively pitch their products to their respective target markets. Among the many tools business owners depend on, graphic design has been one of the most potent, as it offers a good number of benefits. If you are running a start-up and trying your best to build a solid foundation and create a lasting impact in the market, you might want to look into effective graphic design to get you over that hump.

Exceptional graphic design will make you grab the attention of prospective clients. Considering that people nowadays have a short attention span, eye-catching promotional materials will get them looking at your product and absorbing the message you are trying to convey. This will also create a ripple effect, as it will generate recall of your product—an essential element as far as spreading your message is concerned.

Even if your target customers don't buy your product at once when they see your poster or ad, you will still leave a mark on their minds, and there is a big chance they will remember and patronize you later on. Furthermore, outstanding graphic design will help you build your company's own image and identity, separating you from your competitors.

Centralizing Your Business’ Marketing Campaign

As technology continues to improve, the means for people to access and receive information also continue to improve. Previously, businesses relied on traditional marketing methods to make potential customers aware of their products or services.

Graphic Design Trends for 2014

As a marketing concept, graphic design gives consumers a fresh and fun way of looking at a product or a service. This is why it is hardly a surprise that businesses exert a lot of effort in adopting it into their promotional models. Graphic design, however, differs from great graphic design; among the many components of the latter is its ability to deliver what the public expects. To that end, consider these projected trends from Shutterstock’s analyses of over 350 million downloaded images: