Print Industry: The Video

Posted on February 3, 2012 by travis Leave a comment

Well, “the video” from The Odee Company’s viewpoint.  This video contains the following:

-Prepress prepping PrintReady Files
-#2 Pressmen loading paper and plates
-1st pressmen registering colors and keeping the inks at density
-Dallas Print Salesmen bringing in quality work
-In house sales bringing in print work from all across the nation
-Promotional orders being place in our Dallas office
-Print Fulfillment being fulfilled
-In-house Bindery putting the final touches on these projects

Now, to the “Print Industry’s” Video:
YouTube Preview Image

Travis Stein
Principal Partner
The Odee Company; est. 1923
travis@odeecompany.com

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Laser Etching vs Embroidery

Posted on January 12, 2012 by travis Leave a comment

In the decorating of wearables arena, embroidery has some competition.  Before, company’s wanted flashy stitching that would stand out against the chosen shirt color.  The past few years subtlety has increased.  Tone on tone embroidery has been the choice of many well known brands.  The shirt maintains a clean look while still keeping the logo’s visibility at a high level; if anything, it increases due to the viewer focusing in more to see what the logo is.

Now, there’s an even cleaner option; laser etching.  This new method would be my personal choice.  1, laser etching is cleaner.  2, laser etching is lighter.  3, laser etching keeps the itchy and irritating of the skin to a minimum compared to embroidery.

laser etched logos

Want even better news?  Contact me to discuss the pricing…

Travis Stein
Principal Partner
The Odee Company; est. 1923
travis@odeecompany.com

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6 Helpful Print Design Sites or Blogs

Posted on October 27, 2011 by steve Leave a comment

 

Sometimes your stuck. Maybe you have a creative mind block or you can’t figure out something you want to do on a design. Maybe you are beginning in design and looking for training. Tips, Inspirations, Ideas and other factors lead you to search for good sites about print design on the internet. I thought I would give you some of my favorites from The Odee Company. We are a commercial printing company located in Dallas, Tx but with a fairly large web presence we do run across other sites we like to bookmark on our printing industry. Here are 6 great sites with brief descriptions of each.

  • www.printdesignplanet.com This site gives you the ability to have designers quote on your project. Gives you brief descriptions of designers and some track record of them. If you are not a designer but need something designed and don’t know anyone this might be a good place to go.
  • www.smashingmagazine.com Love this site! Has all kinds of articles on the industry and will give you tips, how to and examples such as typeface use and other things.
  • 1st Web Designer This site gives you tutorials on how to get print ready. Also, has freebies and inspiration works for you to view.
  • Wikipedia This goes directly to the definition of graphic design, the history and what all it entails. Great for background on several parts of graphic design.
  • Lynda.com This site has hours and hours of tutorials and how to videos. You pay $25/month with no commitment and you can get as educated as you want. Don’t have much money? Spend $25 and you can go through 20-30 classes in one month.
  • Youthedesigner This site has a nice blog, gives you tips, has tutorials, and inspirations from posted work for ideas.

These sites whether you are a beginner or a true professional need to be checked out and bookmarked and while you are at it bookmark our website as well. The Odee Company is a commercial printer that does both offset and digital printing and is both FSC & SFI cerified green printer. Our blog has articles and videos to educate you on many of the processes we do. Articles like these:

8 Easy Ways To Save Money on Print!

How to Find the Right Printing Company!

Top Ten Green Printing Practices

Written by Steve Holland

Photo Credit: ir0cko on flickr

 

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Holiday Gift Ideas for Employees

Posted on October 10, 2011 by travis Leave a comment
Westie hanging his head out a car window

My name is Benny, and I stare wind in the face

Corporate Marketers who like providing their employees with gifts during the Holiday Season…The Odee Company is here for you.  Holidays are fast approaching like a Westie in the wind.

We touched on this subject a few years back and provided some links with Corporate Gifts here.  Obviously, there are much cooler/ hip items produced these days than my post back in ’09.  Contact us and we can help you brainstorm on what might be the best fit for your company’s employees.  Every industry is different and every budget is different.  Let us do the researching for you.

You could go with an everyday wearable such as the coolest hat on the block for your hip ad agency style employees.

I'm a cool hat...

Or, order an iPad sleeve for your employees who just received iPads from corporate.  I’m sure corporate wants their purchase to last…why not make their investment last with some protective advertising?

Finally, let me leave you with a special gift…for free.  If you need something to do this Holiday season in Dallas, head on over to The Dallas Arboretum.  If you’re lucky, you might get to meet Frosty…click here for details.

Travis Stein
Principal Partner
The Odee Company; est. 1923
travis@odeecompany.com

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What should I look for in a Printer?

Posted on September 23, 2011 by travis Leave a comment

Happy Autumnal Equinox print researchers.  A few months back I wrote in depth on what you should look for in a commercial printer; or finding the right printer.  Let’s revisit.

Learn What to Look for in a Printer

You can also check out our article from another author on How to Find the Right Printing Company

Travis Stein
Principal Partner
The Odee Company, est. 1923
travis@odeecompany.com

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Odee Supports our Troops

Posted on September 13, 2011 by travis Leave a comment

The Odee Company needed a way to share it’s appreciation for our Troops.  No better way than the world wide web and YouTube to get our “Thank you’s” out there.  Along with our “thank you’s”, we are sending monthly care packages to the Middle East.

YouTube Preview Image

Thank you

Travis Stein
Principal Partner
The Odee Company; est. 1923
travis@odeecompany.com

 

 

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The Unbiased View-Offset Printing vs Digital Printing

Posted on August 30, 2011 by buzz Leave a comment

Most discussions you see on offset printing vs digital printing comes from the viewpoint of someone that has an interest in one or the other technology. They are selling their side of the story. We have both offset and digital printing presses in our plant so we provide a neutral perspective on both sides. We like both and both have a place in present day printing. It depends on a number of factors as to which should be used and many times either one can be used.

Offset is usually looked at as the higher quality choice, although, digital printing has vastly improved to where the difference is very small now. Offset printing prints PMS or spot colors easier and reproduces solid screen tints better. Offset prints higher quantities at much less per unit cost than digital printing. The cutoff is usually anywhere from 500 to 2000 sheets. Quantity and timeframe are usually the biggest deciding factors of whether to use offset printing or digital printing. Offset printing gives you  better options of printing larger sheets as long as you are doing a high enough quantity that gets your cost to a reasonable per unit price. Most digital presses only print up to a 14×20 sheet although 12 x18 is the most common sheet size. There also is inkjet digital printers that will do larger sizes but in very limited quantities before it becomes cheaper to go offset.

Digital printing is used primarily when you need something very quickly or in very small quantities. Digital printing also gives you the opportunity to print variable text or images where each sheet off the press is unique in some personalized way. Once a sheet is off a digital press it can be cut, folded or finished very quickly where offset printing must dry or be coated before handling. There are very few digital presses that print true PMS colors or Spot Colors. The HP Indigo family of presses can print true spot colors as long as you have the additional units on the press.

When used right the two processes should be complimentary and not necessarily in competition with each other. If they do compete it is in a very narrow range of small quantities. Here is an example of a digital and offset printing company.

Do you need printing services?

Written by Buzz Tatom

buzz@odeecompany.com
The Odee Company, Dallas, Texas

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College Rush T’s

Posted on August 19, 2011 by travis Leave a comment

Not only is it the time of year print returns, but promos are beginning to ramp up as well.  One promotional item Odee produces year after year are the Greek Rush T’s for SMU, TCU, and North Texas Fraternities and Sororities.  Click on the link below for an article from a few years back which includes a Bluto treat for you:

greek info tcu smu unt
Need Frat and Sorority Shirts

Or don’t read it.  You’re in college.  Why would you read more?  Party’s this weekend and you need shirts.  email us; sales@odeecompany.com

Travis Stein
Principal Partner
The Odee Company; est 1923
travis@odeecompany.com

 

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Top Ten Green Printing Practices

Posted on August 18, 2011 by travis Comments Off

REPOST from several years back…Buzz Tatom explains what makes The Odee Company and other printers “Green“:

Green printing or eco-friendly printing is something that all print producers should consider being a part of their daily job. Here are some of the top green printing practices we practice at The Odee Company.

1.Recycle, Recycle, Recycle-Paper, ink and press solutions that are not used in the final product should be recycled as part of the daily process. It benefits the environment and usually you get some money back from recycling. Win, Win.

2.Vegetable Based Inks-Inks have historically been petroleum based which emit VOC’s(Volatile Organic Compounds) and harm the environment. Inks can be vegetable based thus not emitting VOC’s. This also includes considering using less metallic inks or a substitute metallic without the heavy metals associated. The vegetable based inks also recycle better and metallic inks do not recycle well at all and are harder to get out of the paper fibers.

3.Press Solutions-These should be alcohol free and water soluble. Press solutions have come along way in the last 5-10 years.

4.Paper-Use recycled or PCW(post consumer waste) paper. There are certifications such as FSC(Forest Stewardship Council) or SFI(Sustainable Forestry Initiative)that support sustainable forestry practices.

5.Consider Alternative Substrates-Not all paper is made from pulp from trees. Papers can be made from Cotton, Hemp and other more renewable plant sources or fibers.

6.Conservation-Reduction of energy used to produce the product. For instance, replacing lighting to higher efficiency low wattage or LED lighting. We will see great strides in LED in the next few years.

7.Renewable Energy-Use of wind, solar, thermal sources from the utility supplier.

8.Energy Efficient Equipment-Replacing equipment that consumes more electricity. This can include keeping present equipment well maintained.

9.Inventory Control-Reduction of waste to landfill on paper, ink, etc.

10.Digital Printing-Instituting smaller quantity orders so obsolescence and waste are reduced. Cuts down on inventory too!

These are our top 10 ways we at The Odee Company are improving our footprint on the environment and helping our customers to do the same.

Top Ten Green Practices
Written by Buzz Tatom
buzz@odeecompany.com
www.odeecompany.com

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