What Exactly is a Newsletter?

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Posted by printer | Posted in Article on board | Posted on 05-01-2010

A newsletter is a regular publication, which provides interesting information to a defined group of people. Its main purpose is to communicate an idea or concept using compelling and visual writing.

This definition is the core of what a newsletter actually is. From this core emerges two subgroups:

1. Paper and ink newsletters.

2. On-line newsletters.

Isn’t this exciting stuff? Anyway, I am going to cover on-line publications later in the course, but to keep things simple I am going to concentrate on paper and ink newsletters.

The ideas and strategies are exactly the same for both. The only difference is that paper and ink newsletters are slightly more expensive to make. (The cost of the paper, the envelope and the stamp. ) Right then, in a moment I am going to launch into the essential rules for creating a successful newsletter. After all, that’s what you’ve been patiently waiting for isn’t it? Before I do, I want to make something clear to you. It is this. . .

You Can Write And Design Your Newsletter However You Damn Well Please!

I am not going to order you about here. There are no hard and fast rules of newsletter writing. What I’m going to teach you are strategies that are common for all successful newsletters. I am going to show you guide-lines, which I advise you to stick to when writing and designing your newsletter.

When you’ve got your head round these guide-lines, then you can be a little wild and a little ‘we-hey’ if you want. My advice is to take it all in, let it stew for a while and then see what your imagination comes up with. Always follow your gut feelings. This is important to remember as these feelings will make your newsletter unique, which is a characteristic of a successful newsletter.

More Benefits Of Writing A Newsletter

Here are some more great things that writing a newsletter for a living will do for your life:

- You’ll become more worldly and sophisticated.

- Your brain will become more receptive.

- Your horizons will broaden.

- You will amaze your friends with your new knowledge.

- If you already have a business, you can increase your income.

- You’ll be important, be liked, make loads of money and have loads of free time.

It’s a great, great business!

What You’ll Need To Start Doing Right Now, TODAY!”

Because you have taken this course, I am assuming you want to write a newsletter and successfully market it. Sorry to state the obvious but I have to make sure this is what you really want before I go any further.

To achieve anything in life, you must take some time to set goals. Obviously you’re still going to have to put in some effort to get what you want, but by setting goals you make this process become almost automatic.

When you set a goal, it’s like you’ve set up a ‘you’ magnet. This ‘magnet’ will pull you towards it like magic. I cannot stress enough the importance of setting goals. Do not underestimate the power of this technique.

Basically, what you do is write down the goals you want to achieve by a certain date. Then you read these out to yourself regularly. Here are two goals to start you off, assuming you are serious about writing a newsletter. . .

By the (X months from today’s date), I will have completely finished writing 3 issues of my newsletter for (Your idea).

By the 30th December (2 Years from today’s date), my net assets will be in excess of (Any amount of money which you believe you are worth)

Goal number 1 will propel you to write the best newsletter you can imagine. By using this goal and this course together I can definitely guarantee (beyond doubt) that you will have completed this task by the date you put. It is because I want you to succeed that I strongly advise you set this goal.

Goal number 2 will propel you to think of ways to get the amount of money you have put. Don’t be shy on the amount of money, but you must believe that you’re worth it.

Think of this exercise as one of your assignments. Don’t worry about the why’s and the where fore’s, just do what Daniel son did in Karate Kid, get on and do it without question. You’ll be extremely glad you did.

If you would like to know more about goal setting, I would highly recommend you get the book ‘The Midas Method’ by Stuart Goldsmith. (ISBN 1 871379 008) Read this book, put all the techniques into practice and watch your life take a turn for the better! It’s only about

Refill Cartridges With Cost-effective Inkjet Refills Kits

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Posted by printer | Posted in Article on board | Posted on 03-01-2010

For printers, cartridges are considered as one of the most important accessories without which they are unable to show the productive results. Cartridges contain ink which takes the desired form of images, letters or numerical on the printing paper when used with printers. Previously, users have no option other than buying new cartridges when their cartridges fall short of ink. But, now with the availability of inkjet refill kits, users can successfully refill their cartridges with ease. Let’s explore some important information about these kits.

Brief Yet Important Information about Inkjet refills kits

* These refill kits are custom made and for different brands, different kinds of kits are available in the market. These kits are compatible enough to use with any brand of printers, yet for attaining best results, it is advised to buy those kits which belong to cartridge’s brand.

* Refill kits contain all the equipments and tools that are required for filling the cartridge. Gloves, one toner powder bottle, plug, nozzle, an instruction guide, etc are some of the equipments present in the kit. Users can easily refill the cartridges numerous times with the valuable assistance of instruction guide.

* Purchasing Inkjet refills kits is considered as cost-effective option, as these kits are available at reasonable rates. Moreover, buying a new cartridge is an expensive alternative. Because of the fact, now users prefer buying these kits and saving their hard earned money.

* These kits are made with advanced technology and are thoroughly tested in the laboratories before reaching to the end users. They are competitive enough in showing paramount printing results as their quick dry ink leave behind no blotch on the printing paper.

It is pertinent to disclose that after completion of refilling process, these cartridges are able to deliver same level of output as delivered by original cartridges. Moreover, these inkjet refills kits can be availed in varied grades of ink. It is advised to follow watchful attitude while purchasing the refill kits as different cartridges employ different size of kits.

So, give new life to your cartridges by refilling them with inkjet refill kits. Buy these kits at affordable rates through online market as well as offline market. Through internet, one can easily come across varied websites that are ready to provide various brands of authentic kits at reasonable rates.

Get More Out of Your Large Format Printer – How to Choose the Right Paper for the Job

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Posted by printer | Posted in Article on board | Posted on 02-01-2010

Wide format printers, also known as plotters, are a special type of printer that have the capability of delivering prints larger then the standard 8-1/2″ x 11″. Their initial high cost makes them an economical investment only to select firms performing specific functionality. Companies that make a lot of custom signs or posters, or that often need to print copies of blue prints will find wide format printers to be cost effective and of great use.

There is some variation among all wide format printers performance and capabilities, like all standard printers. For example, if you are an architect it might serve you to invest in a multifunction wide format printer. Like any other multifunction printer, these printers can not only print but make copies and scans at a larger scale. If image and color quality are of high importance to your firm, investing in a printer that performs highly in delivering color consistency, accuracy, and balance as well as clarity in the entire image may be of value.

Because wide format printers produce prints larger then your standard 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper, for the most part special paper will need to be purchased. It is important to note that most wide format printer paper is produced in rolls (and not sheets like most regular printer paper) in order to create a higher degree of size compatibility. And again, like all other printer paper, wide format printer paper (also widely known as plotter paper) comes in a large variety of options. Depending on your usage, your paper preference will vary. HP is one of the leading producers in wide format printers and their supplementary papers, so the following is a brief run down of the available options in photo paper. These option names and their functions should be easily translatable to other brands of papers compatible with different brands of printers.

HP Universal Bond Paper and Bright White Paper are two of the most commonly used papers for low cost every day prints. Both papers are designed for black and color line drawings and deliver crisp line resolution and high color contrast.

HP Coated Paper has a bright white base that produces vivid accurate colors and dense blacks that work to create fine detailed images. Heavyweight Coated Paper is great for use for long term signs or posters. This matte inkjet paper is affordable yet creates bright, colorful, medium ink density images. If you plan on replacing your signs or posters frequently, Universal Coated Paper is a great alternative to its heavyweight brother. Still delivering quality colors and images, this paper is lower in cost and has faster drying times.

HP High Gloss Photo Paper is a low cost high gloss photo paper that is great for appealing to audiences in visual presentations using graphic or colored displays. Universal Instant-Dry Photo Gloss Paper is another economical photo paper that also looks great in presentations using images; however this paper’s porous medium makes the prints quick to dry, yet still glossy in appearance.

How to Select The Correct Receipt Printer For Your Business

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Posted by printer | Posted in Article on board | Posted on 31-12-2009

It is essential that you opt for the most suitable type of receipt printer for your business as the incorrect choice could cost you money in the long run or even make you non compliant according to certain regulations. This article covers the types of printers available detailing the benefits of each type and how this relates to your business.

There are 3 main types of receipt printer

Thermal receipt printer

Thermal printers have become the most popular choice in recent years as they are often the most reliable, easy to use and do not require any ink cartridges or ribbons. The technology relies upon chemically treated paper that is sensitive to heat. The printer heats the paper via holes in the print head to create text and graphics. Thermal printers are also regarded as the fastest type of receipt printer with some models reaching speeds of up to 250mm second. This speed and ease of use makes thermal printers ideal for fast turnover environments such as supermarkets and high street retail outlets.

Thermal receipts do have a weakness due to their design as they fade very quickly in sunlight and can actually turn black if exposed to direct heat. This makes thermal printers unsuitable for institutions that require the receipt to last a certain time due to regulations such as banking and finance.

Dual colour can be obtained by some models at the higher end of the market with specialised thermal paper but the results can be disappointing and the technology is rarely used at present.

Thermal receipt printers are generally recommended for high turnover/ general retail and hospitality front of house.

Impact printers

Impact printers or dot matrix printers are the oldest type of printer in the market and generally require a ribbon containing the ink to operate. The impact mechanism stamps the characters through the ribbon onto the paper similar to a typewriter. There are some models that can use paper that contain microcapsules of ink which burst upon impact and that do not require ribbons but these are in small numbers and generally restricted to payment devices.

Impact printers are easy identifiable as they are considerably noisier than other types of printer and are generally noticeably slower than thermal printers. Impact printers are commonly have models that can utilise two and three ply paper or house a second roll for audit purposes. In recent years and in most environments this type of printer has been superseded by thermal printers due to speed and the need for consumables other than paper.

In some markets however the impact printer still dominates such as in the banking and gaming industries. They also the standard in kitchens in the hospitality industry as thermal receipts are easily erased by heat. Some industries such as banking and gaming have regulations regarding certain types of receipts and about the length of time receipts are required to remain readable. Ink based receipts last considerably longer than thermal receipts and is therefore used by these industries as standard.

It is worth noting that ribbons can come in different colours such as purple, black, red and dual red/black with the latter ribbon being used to highlight certain transactions types such as refunds in red.

Impact receipt printers are recommended for kitchens, banking, gaming, and low turnover retail and hospitality environments.

Inkjet receipt printers.

Inkjet printers are regarded as the successor to impact printers as they also use ink but they offer a superior printing quality. Most inkjet printers allow printing via ink cartridges in two colours with normally a mix of black, green, red and blue. Businesses spend a great deal of time and resources on brand recognition and using colour is a popular way of doing this. The technology can also be put to great use by printing colourful advertising or promotions on the receipt thus generating return visits by the customers.

In reality the take up of inkjet receipt printers has been minimal. This is thought to be due to a couple of reasons, firstly it is perceived that the changing of the ink at the till point is tricky and time consuming and secondly the speed at which these printers operate is considered too slow for major retailers to adopt.

Inkjet receipt printers do however offer the same longer lasting receipts as impact printers making them suitable for most business types that do not require the speed.

Inkjet receipt printers are recommended for low turnover retail, banks and the gaming industry.

Manufacturers.

So what brand should I go for? This market is well serviced by numerous manufacturers with a wealth of choice and price range. As with many markets there is a huge influx of far eastern models at rock bottom prices. As with most things that you purchase, you get what you pay for and it is worth noting that with the major manufacturers you tend to receive superior products that last longer and obtain better support if something goes wrong. Remember if your receipt printer stops working you will find it very difficult to trade. The general rule is the higher turnover your business achieves the better the receipt printer you should invest in.

Anything else?

The receipt printer you choose has to work with the software and hardware that you are going be using. Firstly check with the software supplier which brands and models the software supports. Also check that the printer you intend to buy has drivers for the operating system that you are going to be using. Lastly, ensure the printer has the right interface for the hardware that you are going to be using. These are usually serial (RS232), USB, parallel or Ethernet but rising up the ranks are wireless and Bluetooth.

Are You Using Recycled Content on Your Real Estate Website?

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Posted by printer | Posted in Article on board | Posted on 31-12-2009

Recycling is a very good thing to do to bottles, cans, cardboard, printer paper and pretty much everything except text on a website.

Art Prints And How They’re Made

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Posted by printer | Posted in Article on board | Posted on 25-12-2009

When you see all those art prints at fairs or in stores, you probably only think about how good they look. You might not consider, though, the amount of work that goes into creating them. There are several different ways to make a print, but all of them involve a considerable amount of effort. Learning about this will make you see anything you decide to buy with new respect, and you’ll see the reason for prices that might seem a bit high for just ink on paper.

Giclee is a French word and the first of the various process used that we will be discussing in this article. The word basically translates to a spraying action, and as you will see, it is used with good reason. When you see a print that is made this way, you’ll be impressed by every detail, and especially how rich the overall color is on the paper.

These images are as good as the digital scans that are first used to make them. The scans are of original images, and they are sent over to a very high tech printer which does actually spray ink onto a piece of paper in one of several colors. This doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that could create such good images, but it definitely does just that.

Whether you’re talking to your fellow customers or to the artist himself, you’re going to find a lot of people strongly supporting this method. Your reasons for liking it are obvious – it produces some of the best final images you’ll find. However, for the artist, it’s probably the easiest way to produce copies of their work in bulk that still look good.

Of course, there are still other options besides giclee. One of these is lithograph. Long ago, you were probably taught that oil and water don’t mix. This principle is used here when pencils and crayons are used to draw on stone and metal plates. Because they are oil based, they work together with the water based paints then placed on for a final effect.

You might have heard the term serigraph by its more common name of screenprinting, but no matter what it’s called it basically refers to the same thing. Several screens are used as stencils here. One color of paint is used on each screen and different layers are set until they all build up to the final image you want.

The monoprint is something that’s a bit rarer, because it doesn’t actually allow for making multiple prints at once. It fact, it can only do one at a time, and that comes from the picture the artist himself paints onto a surface using slow drying paints and then quickly stamps onto a paper surface before that paint is able to dry onto the plates themselves.

Paper is typically used for all of these different methods, but sometimes people want their images to appear on canvas instead. Since canvas is the material artists typically paint on, this makes sense – the new version will look much like the original work of art. With canvas transfer, you can take a print that’s on paper and actually put it on the canvas.