A New Paradigm in Print Communications

12 Monday Nov 2012

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or, Why Would I Use Smart Set, When I Can Find a Cheaper Price Online?

We provide a full range or print communication services, from business cards to brochures, stickers to stationery, postcards to posters. Competitive pricing, quick turnaround, and legendary quality.

SO WHAT?

Yeah, so what? Every other quick printer in the country can do the same. Why not use the ZippeeDooDah franchise down the street? Or upload my files to MegaPrint, where I can get 10,000 business cards for $1.99?

ALL OUR TECHS HAVE ART DEGREES

Does your quick printer archive all your files, with the ability to pull up them up on demand, make changes or a completely new piece? Can they work with you to make adjustments to specs or dimensions to gang up more on a press sheet to save money? Do they monitor color over time to make sure your brand identity is protected? Our printing techs don’t just push the buttons on our digital color press, they are some of the best software experts anywhere. While we love technology, we use it strictly in service to the creative.

WE DO WHAT YOU NEED, NOT WHAT YOU ASK FOR

Ok, we will always do what you ask for. But many times our clients have communication challenges that they aren’t sure how to resolve. How do we get 50 copies of a 48″ wide brochure? What’s the best way to communicate with our members while saving money and trees? How do I market my art and get wider recognition for my creative work? Our 26 year history and extensive network of trade partners, combined with our expert knowledge of technology and software, can often lead to solutions you might not have even thought of.

WE WEAR MANY HATS, ALL AT ONCE

Funny picture to imagine, but it’s true, in an analogous sort of way. Next time you have a communications challenge, give us a call, and you can talk to a strategic marketing consultant, a print broker, a graphic designer, and an IT technician without ever switching connections or being put on hold. Sure, we can do quick printing jobs like everyone else, but our love is the unique format, the wacky idea, the path less traveled, the fresh, and the elegant. The Smart Set helps you look smart, spend smart and BE smart in ways you might not have imagined yet.

New Business Card Pricing

18 Saturday Aug 2012

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We believe that once you try Smart Set’s brand of craft printing, and experience our personalized customer service and technical creativity, you’ll join our family of satisfied clients. While we aren’t interested in building a reputation for “cheap,” quality digital craft printing doesn’t have to be expensive. Since everyone needs business cards now and then, we’re offering new, reduced pricing on all business cards, whatever style or quantity you need.

Quick Turnaround

In addition to supporting a local business, you have the advantage of getting your cards back FAST! Submit art by 10:00 a.m., and get your cards back the same day for no extra charge. Artwork submitted after 10:00 a.m. will be ready by noon the following day.

500 one sided business cards for $49!

Unlike online printers, we don’t gang run anybody’s job. Your job gets our individualized attention, free proof if desired, and your choice of stocks, whether gloss, matte or uncoated. You can also order 100% post-consumer recycled paper at no extra cost.

PRICING

100 or 110 lb. Cover Stock
FULL COLOR, ONE SIDE:
250 cards: $25
500 cards: $49
1,000 cards: $85
2,000 cards: $120
FULL COLOR ONE SIDE, B/W THE OTHER:
250 cards: $30
500 cards: $59
1,000 cards: $95
2,000 cards: $150
FULL COLOR, TWO SIDES:
250 cards: $33
500 cards: $65
1,000 cards: $115
2,000 cards: $250

We also offer double thick 24 pt. business cards. For pricing on double thick cards, use two sided, full color price +100%.

Options for business cards include corner rounding, laminating, hole drilling and just about anything you can think of!

 

Creative Ads from Creative Craft Printers

18 Saturday Aug 2012

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We were checking out some of the stories on one of our favorite web aggregators, Design Taxi, when we ran across this story on “Apple-fied Ads” for common products. We thought it would be fun to parody the very successful marketing efforts of one of our favorite technology companies, and we hope you enjoy the results:

 

Bindery Services

09 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Case Studies of Our Work, General Announcements, Tips & Tricks

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Or, Now That My Work is Printed, What Next?

While the heart (and soul, or is that going too far?) of our capabilities is our Xerox 770 Digital Press (the first one installed in the state), it’s what we do after the job is printed that raises the bar from simply “making copies” to creating truly great craft printing. The ability to produce printed materials at a level of quality that rivals, we might say even exceeds, that of offset printing but in short enough runs to make any amount cost effective is pretty cool, but it’s the ability to take paper and drill, score, cut, glue, fold, bundle, etc. is what it takes to devise truly creative solutions that make your work shine. We’ve created a quick gallery look at some of our in-house bindery options, but this is by no means an exclusive look. (Besides, we really needed to try out this gallery feature!)

Double thick business cards

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

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As email, Facebook and Google Plus make business cards more and more a disposable throwaway, using creative and unique cards can really make you stand out in the clutter. We’ve discovered a unique digital stock, 12 pt thick, that comes in tabloid size, with a perf down the middle, and pressure sensitive coating covering the entire back surface. We print the front and back of business cards on one side of the sheet, then when they are cut with a hydraulic guillotine cutter, the pressure bonds the front and back surfaces permanently, allowing for a double thick 24 pt. card. These cards really make an impression of quality, elegance and professionalism that say a lot about who you are, and get read and saved. Does your business card do all that?

250 cards on 100 lb. cover VS. 250 double thick 24 pt. cards.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW FOR AN ANIMATION:

AIGA Fellows Program

19 Tuesday Jun 2012

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The Smart Set was invited as guests to the MN AIGA Fellows program last Friday, June 15th. In a collaborative project with our good friends at Studio On Fire, we received beautiful, letterpress printed covers which we scored, combined with text pages printed on our Xerox 770 Digital Press, and stitched to create programs for the event. The program was printed on the new Neenah Environment Natural 80 lb. text and 130 lb. cover in the new “eggshell” finish, donated by the mill. It was great to see three new AIGA Fellows, John DuFresne, Monica Little, and Heather Olson, inducted into this elite group. As usual, the food and facilities at Solara were excellent. We’re seeing quite a bit more letterpress/digital hybrid jobs, whether it’s printing full color backs mounted onto letterpress business cards, full color floods on sheets which are then letterpress printed, or, as in this case, a letterpress cover with digital guts. Hope this gives some food for thought for our many letterpress clients; we speak your language and can help you add value to your work in sometimes unexpected ways!

Join Us For Art-A-Whirl

11 Friday May 2012

Posted by in Fun Stuff, General Announcements

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Smart Set is proud to be a local business partner for NEMAA’s 17th Annual Art-A-Whirl, and we’re celebrating with a special art exhibition and open house! Stop by to check out a special show featuring Brian Aldrich, MFA, Smart Set’s Production Manager, Senior Designer, and two time Jerome Residency recipient. Brian’s show, RAZE, “larger scale paintings based on a layering of material and the partial removal and degradation of that material as a way to mimic the urban environment and the surfaces one encounters in that environment.”

Stop by for tours, digital printing and letterpress demos, and viewing of our corporate collection of local “outsider” art. Guest artist Scott Seekins will be stopping by, and we’ll have limited edition prints (printed by Smart Set) available for sale. Refreshments provided.

We’re also joining Maren Kloppman Ceramics in featuring the Frost Building during this year’s Art-A-Whirl. Located at 1209 Tyler Street NE, or J8 on your Art-A-Whirl map. Lots of free parking!

HOURS:

  • Friday, May 18th, 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
  • Saturday, May 19th, Noon to 8:00 pm
  • Sunday, May 20th, Noon to 5:00 pm

Welcome to our new web site!

28 Saturday Apr 2012

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We’ve updated our website to give you easier tools, more current and topical information and a more interactive experience. At the top, you can get information on our hours and location and a map to find us, a list of our services and other useful information. On the sidebar to the left you’ll find links to our Facebook page and a handy link for uploading files to us. For our longtime users, we apologize for any inconvenience, but we hope you’ll quickly find our new site easier and more complete. For our new visitors, we’ll be adding more case studies as well as more in-depth profiles of some of the many services we offer. Another way to help you find creative solutions to your design and print challenges.

 

Letterpress Printers: We now make photopolymer plates!

05 Monday Mar 2012

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We’ve been making film negatives from computer files for longer than just about anyone else still in business. We were the first shop in Minneapolis to utilize a Postscript RIP connected to a Linotronic imagesetter way back in 1986. Some of our most dedicated clients are our letterpress customers, and we’re now pleased to announce the addition of photopolymer plate making to our range of services.

We can make plates up to 8.5×11 in size, and we offer two different heights of plate material, the KF95 for standard bases, and the KF152 for platen presses and deep relief bases. Plates come with adhesive back and a hard proof on our proofing press. Pricing is $15 for a 4″X5″ plate, $28 for an 8.5″X5.5″ plate, or $55 for an 8.5″X11″ plate. Turnaround is 1-2 days. (We do have a shop minimum of $25 per order.)

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UPDATE 8.20.12

We now have an A2 16″x24″ platemaker, so we can do plates up to 12″x24″! (Film output is 12″ wide by any length.) Pricing has changed to make it easier to figure your final price.

KF95 Standard plates . . . . . . .  .62 cents / sq. inch
KF152 Deep Relief plates . . . . . .67 cents / sq. inch

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As we build our volume and offerings, we’ll be putting out more information, but for you early adopters, we’re set and ready to go. If you have any questions, contact Smart Set Production Manager and Master Printmaker Brian Aldrich at 612.339.7725.

Remember, we don’t do any letterpress printing ourselves, so you don’t have to worry about your client files at Smart Set, though with our 25 years experience as pre-press experts, we can help you identify problems before they cost you time and expense.

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