I started my career as a designer working at a print shop part-time while in school.
Well, maybe it was earlier - when my dad put Print Shop Deluxe on our home PC and I proceeded to create cards, sticker, CD insert on our home printer for an entire summer.
Back to that print shop job - while my paycheck and a steep print discount on my school projects came in handy, the best thing I ever did was spend countless hours formatting, re-formatting and print prepping digital files. I saw everything - photo printing, DIY business cards, wedding, legal files, blueprints. You name it, I've cursed at it while elbow deep in a Canon unjamming paper.
There are many, many printers.
And there are many amazing papers, finishes and things you can do to take paper from blank sheet to art form. But beautiful print can be very, very expensive and unattainable for small business.
That's where speciality printers come in. And Moo has become one of my favourites - small run, flexible, using quality stocks and cost-effective for small projects. Their cotton and coated stocks have a lovely touch. (You can read more about why that's important here.) The pop of colour in their Luxe cards and even gold foil make then hard to beat.
They were nice enough to feature some of my work with their raised spot gloss cards on their blog. Moo: These Business Cards are just our type
I recommend Moo to non-designer as well - the interface and design tools can be used to make drag and drop designs, no need to use Adobe at all. I've had a number of friends create full wedding suites - invitations, RSVP cards and thank you cards - in less time then it took them to decide on a cake flavour.
Custom stationery is making a comeback, as handwritten thank you notes are now the height of chic personal communication (I may have just ordered myself some awesome 'From the Desk Of' notecards).
If you happen to be looking to print with Moo, you can use my link to get 20% off your first order. Full disclosure, I get some Moo credit for each referral - which helps me fund my print obsession!
From the Moo Blog: These Business Cards Are Just Our Type (Nov 1, 2017)
After graduating with a degree in graphic design, Toronto-based Jo Drayton went on to work for a number of studios and agencies with digital and print clients – from website development to magazine publishers – Jo turned her hand to a little bit of everything. Over time, she naturally fell into a project and accounts manager role but craved more design time. Jo now runs her own consulting and design studio – Magenta&Green – allowing her to focus on her love of typography and print. Jo works with calligraphy, offset printing, murals, letterpress, enamel sign painting and packaging.
Piles of inspiration can be found on Jo’s office walls, in her bag and on her iPhone: “I tend to grab print things that speak to me, everything from bar coasters and packaging to art prints and restaurant menus. Thankfully, I’ve also started snapping quick photos of great things I see, so there is a little less clutter now.” When finding inspiration for a particular project, Jo starts by “sifting through the piles to find key pieces” – it can be anything, from anywhere – “a paper stock or a foil on something, signage I saw on a trip or pen I picked up at the art store.”
Piles of inspiration can be found on Jo’s office walls, in her bag and on her iPhone: “I tend to grab print things that speak to me, everything from bar coasters and packaging to art prints and restaurant menus. Thankfully, I’ve also started snapping quick photos of great things I see, so there is a little less clutter now.” When finding inspiration for a particular project, Jo starts by “sifting through the piles to find key pieces” – it can be anything, from anywhere – “a paper stock or a foil on something, signage I saw on a trip or pen I picked up at the art store.”
When Jo works in print, her first thought is always “how will it feel?” – “we’ve become so digitally focused – but it can mean that sometimes we forget that our work is there to be experienced.” Business Cards are a crucial part of Jo’s branding: “people still ask me for a card and there’s nothing better than being able to hand something over that represents you and what you do – then getting that little head bob of acknowledgement in return. As a designer, I want people to trust me with their brand, so my cards have to represent me. The Soft Touch finish gave me the right surface feel and the Raised Spot Gloss draws attention to my wordmark, making people rub their thumb over the stock, rotating it to hit the light. I’ve had clients who probably don’t need a card, but take one just to have it anyway (or hopefully pass it on).