Print For Impact

Do you remember the last book that was so good you just couldn’t stop turning the pages? How about the feeling of proudly holding your college diploma after countless all-nighters, or the excitement you felt as a child when opening a birthday card from your grandparents?

Print is all around us—and it weaves an impactful thread in all our lives whether we’re truly aware of it or not. Terry Pratchett said it best: “The pen might not be mightier than the sword, but maybe the printing press is heavier than the siege weapon. Just a few words can change everything.”

At AbelsonTaylor, we know just a few words can have a powerful impact because we live it in our work and creative process every day. Whether it’s a printed brochure showcasing a potentially life-saving product to a physician or giving hope to a patient with a chronic illness—words and printed pieces still count for a whole lot and mean something to the people who interact with them. That’s why last month AbelsonTaylor’s Print Department hosted its inaugural AT Print Expo; a weeklong celebration designed to promote the power of print and showcase new and cutting-edge techniques that increase the impact of printed materials.

Partnering with many of the agency’s print industry suppliers, Print Expo was created as an educational platform to highlight the important role print plays within our agency and in the marketing mix for our clients’ brands.

On-site supplier showcases featured paper and plastic stocks, printing techniques and finishes, premium and educational items, and innovative print technologies. Choices in paper, inks, and finishing can elevate the quality of a printed piece to better catch and hold the attention of the consumer. Everyone was encouraged to find creative inspiration, learn about new advances in print, and ask questions about ideas that may work for their specific brands.

Two print partners each hosted a group of employees on a tour of their printing facilities.  Attendees learned what happens from the moment a file is sent to a printer through a finished print piece going out the door. They left with an understanding of the multiple steps and the myriad of people involved in making a print project come to life.

Finally, the pinnacle of Print Expo was a poster design contest. Meant to spark everyone’s sense of creativity, the design element requirements included the use of colored paper stock, white and metallic inks, and a theme focused on one of AbelsonTaylor’s most important tenants, “Fearlessly Independent.”

The week concluded with the reveal of the winning poster design. Many incredible submissions were received, but the design from Associate Creative Director Michael Gedraitis and Copywriter Kevin Price was judged to have successfully met the specification criteria and best captured our culture’s sense of independence. The Print Production team—Kelly Brunick, Joe Bolokowicz, and Corey Lewis—is working with Mike and Kevin to develop the artwork and have the posters printed. Later this summer, the posters will be available for purchase with all proceeds donated to HeartsATWork charitable organizations.

Just like the theme of our poster design contest, we hope Print Expo inspired our great creative minds to design print pieces that are fearlessly independent and bold, like our amazing agency.