Offset printing, 24 pound, CMYK, oh my!

by Caroline Huth, Art Direction & Graphic Design Specialist, do good Consulting

When it comes to designing and printing materials for your organization, choice abounds. Yet sometimes that very array of choices can leave non-experts scratching their heads in confusion over terms like “offset”, “Pantone”, and 20-pound. What does it all mean?

Number of colors
While printing technology has progressed far enough that multiple colors and gradients (fades from one color to another) on most printed pieces don't add much (if any) extra cost, this doesn't mean you should necessarily start using them. They may look great on letterhead and brochures, but how will they reproduce on t-shirts? Shopping bags? Other marketing materials?

Take a logo as an example. The best logos can be printed in a single color and look good on any material or merchandise. A great example is Target’s logo. On TV, the simple logo is complimented by colorful merchandise and fun designs. At the store, the same logo – with no modification – is printed on cheap plastic bags and still looks great.

It’s a cost saver to keep it simple. T-shirt printers charge by color and can’t reproduce gradients very well. If your logo is multiple colors, with drop shadows or gradients, it may not reproduce well and will be expensive. For organizations with limited budgets, keeping things simple is recommended for maximum flexibility.

Color matching
How do you ensure the colors you’ve chosen will be consistent in final products? Because of the myriad of ways color is represented (ink on paper, light beams on a computer screen, or on a wall at a presentation), you can’t. Your best bet is to come up with a color palette for these three main types of uses:

• CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) is how most printed items are printed. Each of the four press plates print tiny dots of these four colors (called "process colors") and when seen as a whole, they make full color images (this is called printing in "four-color process" or 4CP). The amount and size of the dot is determined by the color (red is mostly magenta dots with some yellow, and no cyan or black). CMYK, though, is limited in the colors it can achieve, with bright oranges or purples impossible. These colors are best in...
• Pantone are specific ink colors based on the Pantone Matching System (PMS). Colors are applied as a single color to paper; not as a mix of individual dots. Each color has a number assigned to it and printed colors should match the PMS color chip book. While more variety can be achieved with PMS, it’s more expensive and not always available (see digital vs. offset printing, below).
• RGB (red, green, blue) is used for web applications and anything to be viewed on a screen. Logos should be created in CMYK, however, then converted to RGB.

Now, how do you make these colors consistent? This is where a professional comes in. A good designer can make sure the colors you chose for your logo will be the most consistent, easiest, and cleanest to reproduce on all applications.

Printing methods
Conventional offset lithography is how all printing was done until about a decade ago. Traditional offset presses have up to eight rollers, which can be inked up with either CMYK (plus additional colors or coatings if there are more rollers) or PMS colors. This is the only way to get things like spot colors (a specific Pantone ink, combined with CMYK), varnishes, or coatings. Print quality is usually better than digital, but is also more expensive.

Digital printing uses CMYK. If you have a two-color job, it will print in four. If you need a specific color, you can't use digital. Pantone colors will be converted to the closest mix, and there are a lot of PMS colors that don’t convert well. But, with no rollers to clean and change between runs, digital printing is more affordable.

Paper weights
Two of the most common areas of confusion are a paper's weight (basis weight) and brightness.

Basis weight (i.e., 24lb) is a confusing unit of measure not easy to calculate. It represents "the designated fixed weight of 500 sheets, measured in pounds, in that paper's basic sheet size." "Basic sheet size" is not the same for all types of paper, though. Text weight is standard weight for sheets of paper; cover weight is heavier paper (think cardstock). Online printers will have done your homework for you and will offer only one or two weights from which to pick (with brightness and quality also already chosen).

There are two standards by which brightness can be determined: either by the amount of light that goes through a sheet of paper or the amount of light reflected by the sheet. Brightness is entirely aesthetic (brighter paper does not guarantee printer compatibility) so it won't affect the use of the paper. Brighter paper looks whiter.

Premium papers are more opaque and are made of higher quality pulp, so they have higher brightness numbers and are usually heavier. The higher the quality, the more expensive the paper will be.

While online printers have customer service, they are not trained to do the actual printing and won’t know what’s best for your needs. Your best bet is to ask a professional designer or a local printer to help you determine the best choices for your projects. Keep your logo and materials simple but well-designed and choose as few colors as possible. You’ll end up with eye-catching simplicity and probably some cost savings to boot.

Good Causes = Good for Business

by Laura Huth, President & CEO, do good Consulting

Yo, business owners, listen up!

We’ve seen recent news that donating to charity is now actually proven to make a person feel better. Now, new research shows that supporting non-profits is good for your business brand and your bottom line.

It’s true: people are more likely to buy products or services from your company when you associate with a good cause.

Cause-related marketing has been around for decades and is growing exponentially. Cause-related marketing involves a company aligning itself with a socially-responsible organization or movement, optimally linking business goals with a charity’s real needs. Think a pet food company promoting and publicizing the Humane Society, for example, to increase donations, volunteerism, and visibility.

A recent study conducted by Cone (a cause marketing agency) and Duke University shows cause-related marketing really works. In the study, a group of participants was asked to read a magazine containing cause-related corporate ads. Another group was asked to read the same magazine but with standard product ads. Groups were not told the purpose of the study.

Participants were then tested both on in-store and on-line shopping. Substantial sales increases were evident in those products linked to good causes through the ads. In other words, participants who read ads linked to causes were much more likely to purchase those products than the control group who read only standard, non-cause related ads. In 1993, Cone found only 66% of Americans approved of and responded to cause-related marketing. By 2008’s study, this percentage had grown to 85%.

What you need to know as a business owner is that almost 80% of people today say they would likely switch from one brand or service to another (assuming price and quantity are comparable) if it was associated with a good cause. This, too, is up from 66% in 1993.

So pay heed, business owners: by affiliating with a charitable cause, you can greatly increase your company’s brand awareness and substantially improve your sales. Sound too good to be true? Believe me, it works.

For more information, see the DO BETTER: Tip of the Month column to the right, as well as www.afpnet.org/ka/ka-3.cfm?content_item_id=24701&folder_id=2345 and www.inc.com/articles/2000/03/17876.html

Looking to link your business with a great cause to increase sales and to make a real difference in your community? Contact do good Consulting at dogood@dogoodconsulting.org or 217-778-1687.

Q&A: Board Giving

Dear do good,
Our organization is working to set a required dollar amount for annual board giving. Some board members think giving their time is enough; others want to donate in-kind items from their businesses instead of cash. We also have some that want a 'commitment to fundraise' option (raise money from others, but not necessarily have to donate themselves). What are your thoughts?
      - Sky's the Limit

Dear Limitless,
Congratulations on encouraging board giving! Having broad financial commitment to your organization across the board is a cornerstone of fundraising, outreach, and a strong, sustainable group.

Fundraising is one of the key responsibilities of board members. As such, it is imperative that each member make a personal, financial donation that is significant to them. If your board members have not made a financial contribution to your cause themselves, they are in no position to expect anyone else in the community to do so. This contribution must be made in cash, and not be an in-kind equivalent or a donation of time (these can come on top of the cash donation).

do good strongly discourages setting a recommended amount. Instead, we suggest that your group lets each member decide on an amount meaningful to them. In this way, a person who may have amazing leadership skills but minimal income will not be kept from offering their valuable skills to your board, while a high-income member will not be discouraged from donating over that set amount.

We define a meaningful, or significant, gift as one that makes your palms sweat or your heart race a bit – an amount markedly more than what you would give to another group you are less involved with. It should stand out in your annual budget.

Board giving should always be part of a contract signed each year by all new and returning board members. Donating board members get the same follow up and thank you as any other donor. Have an accountability mechanism in place to ensure board gifts are either made or pledged before large appeals go out or campaigns begin so that if a potential donor asks if you have 100% board giving you can answer with a resounding "yes!"

- Elizabeth Simpson, Group Dynamics Specialist, do good Consulting

Looking for more information on board giving, board contracts, or board fundraising expectations? Contact do good Consulting at 217-778-1687 or dogood@dogoodconsulting.org.

Group Profile: STUDIO STL

by Tim Newcomb, IT & Constituent Management Systems Specialist, do good Consulting

A common joke among engineering majors is, when asked your major, to respond “I are an engineer”. Funny as a college prank, the unfortunate truth today is that many middle school and high school students write below grade level. Writing can be the key for students in expressing thoughts and feelings about themselves and the world. Writing helps students discover, develop, and celebrate their individual voice.

StudioSTL (Studio St. Louis) was founded in St. Louis in 2005 by seven people who sought to create a literary arts center for children and youth in the St. Louis area. Beth Ketcher, an attorney working for the Missouri State Supreme Court, left her post in 2004 to begin the planning for a local writing arts organization based on the 826 National organization founded by author Dave Eggars.

Emma O’Brien, a StudioSTL staffer, said it’s amazing how much students open up about themselves, their lives, and their feelings once they begin the writing program. O’Brien, who came from the world of advertising, felt the pull to community activism and sought an organization that used creativity as a spark in creating change. She was excited to find an organization in the vein of 826. StudioSTL has three main programs to help students sharpen their writing skills. First, StudioSTL staff and volunteers visit classrooms weekly to support local teachers’ efforts to improve student writing. Next, StudioSTL hosts “Saturdays at the Studio” for area students to come and develop writing skills in a creative atmosphere with volunteer mentors. Finally, the organization hosts a monthly “write in your neighborhood” event for ages 6 through 18. The most recent, “Spooktacular”, drew about 100 children in October.

StudioSTL has also published two volumes of student works - StudioSTL Anthology 1 and How My Life has been Since I Got Older - books of poetry and reflection written by seventh grade English students from a local middle school. Both books are available for sale on StudioSTL’s website. Proceeds support the organization's programs.

What does the future hold for StudioSTL? O’Brien says their next endeavor is a regional magazine to showcase poetry, prose, original stories, and other writings submitted by students in the area. Students will be involved in the mechanics of publishing the magazine to give them even more insight into the literary process. StudioSTL is truly a creative tool, inspiring young minds to express themselves through the writing experience.

For more information, see www.studiostl.org or contact Beth Ketcher or Emma O’Brien at 314-289-4080.