What Sets Sexton Apart
In this issue, you'll discover some of the ways that Sexton can help you and help enhance your projects.
Sexton has been in business for more than 60 years (since July 1, 1949). We are three generations strong and have evolved into a company that delivers much more than ink on paper.
Did you know? Besides design, prepress, printing, mailing, fulfillment, and a new Sexton Strategic division, we have even more services under our roof:
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Our customers benefit with streamlined production, reduced costs, and complete control gained from a single point of contact. In addition, estimates and billing practices are fast, accurate, and surprise-free!
We partner with our clients and help them improve their overall marketing effectiveness using multichannel and measurement technologies. The results of this partnership include relevant conversations with your audiences through an effective and efficient workflow—generating more interest, increasing response rates, and ultimately maximizing ROI for every marketing dollar invested.
Check out the capabilities below that make Sexton stand out.
SOC2 Documentation: Your data’s in super good hands
We’re not exactly newbies to secure data handling, but our official SOC2 documentation proves it. Sexton’s facilities, personnel, systems, and procedures have been rigorously audited against the latest Service Organization Controls for security, confidentiality, processing integrity, availability, and HIPAA/HITECH.
Sexton is one of a very select group of printing and marketing service providers in the nation to offer this level of data-security assurance. In fact, when you visit our facilities, you’ll need to be accompanied just about everywhere on the premises—and have a chaperone with keycard access to view especially sensitive areas. While we pride ourselves on being a friendly bunch, not even our moms get “backdoor” access.
Audited SOC2 data-security program
Video surveillance and keycard-protected environments
Secure uploading and server storage
Stringent chain-of-custody procedures
More information about Service Organization Control Reports from the American Institute of CPAs can be found here.
Whether PHI materials, financial information, or promotional lists, it’s critical to keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands. That’s why organizations like healthcare companies, universities, and financial institutions entrust Sexton with their vital information.
Microsites
You may be asking yourself, "What is a microsite?" Well, it's not part of your old high school chemistry sludge test where you need to find out exactly what is in the jar. Yet, it is something filled with many possibilities for your marketing efforts. A technical definition can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsite.
A microsite, also known as a landing page, minisite, or weblet, is an Internet web design term referring to an individual web page or cluster of pages which are meant to function as an auxiliary supplement to a primary website. The microsite's main landing page most likely has its own domain name or subdomain.
Microsites are typically used to add a specialized group of information that is either editorial or commercial. Such sites may be linked into a main site or taken completely off a site's server when the site is used for a temporary purpose. The main distinction of a microsite versus its parent site is its purpose and specific cohesiveness, as compared to the microsite's broader overall parent website.
Microsites are a great way for you to:
- Data mine
- Clean your database
- Gain a voice of customer
- Discover which products or services your customer is interested in
- Find out how the customer would like to be marketed to
- Learn which promotional vehicles the customer prefers, so your marketing dollars may be spent wisely
- Much more (more at http://tkskorner.com/april11.html)
Often, microsites will be used for editorial purposes by a commercial business to add value. For example, a retailer of party goods may create a microsite with editorial content about the history of Halloween or some other holiday or event. The commercial purpose of such editorial microsites, (beyond driving product sales), may include adding value for the site's visitors for branding purposes as well as providing content and keywords to facilitate greater chances of search engine inclusion.
Microsites also may be used to convey in-depth information about a particular product or service, or as editorial support toward a specific product, such as a new technology. A car manufacturer, for example, may present a new hybrid vehicle and support the sales presentation with a microsite specific to explaining hybrid technology.
Microsite content may:
- Be static
- Have a personal greeting
- Contain pre-populated contact information for customers to confirm, change, add, etc.
You can have:
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7 considerations for a good microsite:
- Keep the total number of pages in the microsite small (one to five)
- Make sure that content is meaty, telling stories with rich details
- Include strong, consistent visual themes binding pages together
- Make other pages accessible via simple tab navigation
- Dedicate each tab to a specific deep-dive subtopic
- Make sure there is a clear call-to-action form (best if replicated on all pages)
- Ensure that the graphic design is compelling, but not overwhelming
Consider using multi-step landing pages (also known as conversion paths) to enable visitors to self-select the content that's most relevant to them-one or two quick choices on the landing page, followed up with a highly targeted presentation. Hundreds of experiments have shown that these conversion paths often convert much higher rates than regular landing pages because the choices give visitors a strong "information scent," leading to a more personalized experience. If done correctly, you should obtain very favorable conversion lift metrics. Also, it may cause visitors to pursue additional microsites for more information.
Sexton has been on the forefront of landing page technologies. Often we can produce these online sales tools in a fraction of the time (and with less red tape) than corporate IT departments. Contact Tom Kubinski at 612-278-1568 before you begin your next campaign. (more at http://tkskorner.com/april11.html)
PURLs
PURLs provide a level of indirection that allows the underlying Web addresses of resources to change over time without negatively affecting systems that depend on them. This capability provides continuity of references to network resources that may migrate from machine to machine for business, social, or technical reasons. PURLs with surveys fall within response mechanisms.
PURLs may be included in:
Direct mail printed pieces as well as emails. Many have found that a combination of both direct mail and email yields substantial results versus just one or the other. Also, multi-touch campaigns have been shown to yield significant results.
Sexton has been working with and managing PURLs for many years with great success. We can assist you with obtaining, managing, and sorting critical data as well as strategizing campaigns. Please keep us in mind for your next campaign or contact Tom Kubinski at 612-278-1568 to learn more. (more at http://tkskorner.com/march11.html)
QR Codes
A QR code is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR code readers and smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, a URL, or other data. If you want to know more about QR codes, watch this news report from the CBS Early Show to see how it will change marketing and our lives, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYDbFTai0iE.
QR code benefits:
- Using smartphones, scanned images go directly to a website-no need to type long addresses
- Powerful marketing tool-conveniently access videos, contests, promotions, etc.
- Encourage instant purchases and payments
Marketing uses:
Recently, QR codes have become more prevalent in marketing circles and have been integrated into both traditional and interactive campaigns. Media that frequently utilizes QR codes includes: billboard ads, in-store displays, event ticketing and tracking, trade show management, business cards, print ads, contests, direct mail campaigns, websites, email marketing, and couponing just to name a few. QR codes are of particular interest to marketers, giving them the ability to measure response rates with a high degree of precision, allowing for easier ROI calculation, thus helping to justify spending in marketing budgets. (more at http://tkskorner.com/march11.html)
In addition to standard QR codes, Sexton can create individualized QR codes in conjunction with PURL addresses for variable data promotions. Call Tom Kubinski at 612-278-1568 to learn more.
Complete CTP/PDF Workflow (One of the first 5 in North America!)
- Broad range of commercial sheet-fed printing and bindery services
- Digital, variable, one-to-one printing (see our new state-of-the-art press in the Equipment section)
- In-house mailing services, including management of data
- Fulfillment, kitting, pick and pack, shipping, and real-time reporting
- Educational seminars, newsletters, and industry updates
- Dedicated tech support for on- and off-site training and assistance
Prinergy
Prinergy is the world's first truly end-to-end PDF based system. Using PDF as an internal file format gives customers maximum flexibility in data exchange and opens the production process to greater visibility by all parties involved. Our internal and external clients are now able to do more of their proofing remotely and still maintain total control. Sexton also offers many additional benefits like Trendsetter, E-commerce, Virtual Prepress, Online Data Storage, Online Design, Online Proofing, CIP4, Education, and more.
The Heidelberg/Creo Trendsetter Spectrum system allows us to have a one-rip system and no problems after the proof has been approved, like items falling off the plates on press. Prinergy also provides the ability to connect multiple output devices to a single digital workflow and the flexibility to deliver a three-tiered proofing system to our clients. Each kind of proof for a particular project (see below) gives the client different color options and cost savings based on their needs.
- Digital Dylux replaces the standard blueline, silvers, and dyluxes. This is a color or B&W, two-sided, backed up, cut down to size, folded, finished proof. It is ideal for viewing color designation, folds, crossovers, type flow, positioning, and actual trim size. One is provided with every project and many customers find it acceptable as the sole proof for their less-exacting print requirements. Digital dylux proofs are produced on an inkjet printer at 720 dpi, with 70-lb. or 80-lb. uncoated paper that has good ink retention and very little bleed through.
- Match Proof is a contract color proof imaged at a very high resolution, capable of simulating both coated and uncoated press sheets. The proofing system is ICC profiled to our press conditions and provides improved proof-to-press color matching. Varnishes, dielines, 5th colors, 6th colors, etc. are proofed on a proof overlay.
- V Proof is our soft proof and is created for jobs requiring corrections. It utilizes our advanced Prinergy workflow to ensure consistency, speed, and accuracy. Soft proofs are not yet suitable for approving color, but they are fast, inexpensive, and reliable for viewing other changes such as copy or positioning.
If you have any questions about our inkjet-based proofing options, please contact Shawn Meyer or myself. We are happy to provide further information and help you develop a proofing strategy to best meet your print communications and budget needs.
Reduced Environmental Footprint
Sexton was green before green was trendy. From the energy-efficient lighting turned on in the morning to the recycling bins taken out at night, we do our best to make a difference. Here are just a few examples.
:Azura TS chemistry-free plate system
Not only do these plates perform better on press, they help us eliminate use of more than 150,000 gallons of water per year.
Digital premedia
Services like online proofing, digital printing, and web-to-print fulfillment reduce waste and can make your job a whole lot easier.
Recycling
By recycling everything from packing peanuts to pressroom inks, we make sure nothing reusable gets tossed.
Certifications
Sexton meets several qualifications that foster environmental improvement, like our Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. FSC chain-of-custody requirements help to ensure that all paper raw materials come from organizations that practice responsible forestry management.
Press Equipment
Sexton Printing is proud to offer a complete range of printing capabilities to our customers: Conventional, Digital, and VDP (Variable Data Printing).
Conventional
- Two Ryobi presses, sheet sizes 4x7 to 13x17 (one-color and two-color printing)
- Six Heidelberg presses, sheet sizes 11x17 to 28x40 (two-color, four-color, and five-color with aqueous coating-one is a perfecting press as well)
Announcing our new state-of-the-art digital Xerox 800 press
Built from the ground up to maximize print quality (compared with old-technology printers with added enhancements), our Xerox 800 utilizes new digital ink with chemically grown particles for finer quality and in-line clear dry ink is the key element for special effects. Very few of these digital presses have yet to even be put into production. Sexton offers virtually unmatched quality in the Twin Cities. Digital printing is revolutionizing the way businesses reach out to customers, as well as how they develop their business or marketing strategies.
How does digital printing differ from conventional offset printing and why is it fueling the growth of one-to-one marketing using Variable Data Printing (VDP)? VDP is a form of on-demand, database-driven printing in which elements such as text, graphics, and images may be changed from one printed piece to the next without stopping or slowing down the press. Marketers now have the ability to target messages more precisely than ever before. For more information on VDP, please visit http://tkskorner.com/october12.html.
Quality Control
G7 Certification
As a result of extensive training and the latest equipment, Sexton is qualified as a G7 Master Printer. For us, achieving this status is kind of a big deal. To you, it simply means that your finished print materials will look great-and virtually identical from proof to press and from press to press.
G7 is a revolutionary process developed by IDEAlliance and is based on principles of digital imaging, spectrophotometry, and computer-to-plate technologies. It breaks from tradition by focusing on colorimetric data for gray balance in the mid-tones rather than on densitometric values for each color. G7 is named for this calibration technique and its 7 required ISO ink colors. More information can be found at http://www.idealliance.org/certifications/g7-master-qualification.
Continual education and recertification is required to maintain G7 status. Sexton has committed personnel and resources necessary to maintain our certification.
CIP4 Cooperation for Integration of (Processes in, Prepress, Press, and Postpress). This means that all the settings for color are transmitted directly to the presses once you approve your proofs. This makes for faster and more economical press checks!
Heidelberg's Image Control color measurement system analyzes color differences and sends them to the press online. Quality control outside the press supports the spectrophotometric measurement of the entire printed image and simultaneous online color control. Operation is easy and convenient, thanks to the touch-screen color display. A measuring bar scans the entire printed image and breaks down a print sheet into more than 160,000 measuring points. Each of these individual points is then compared with the corresponding point on the OK sheet. Prinect Image Control then determines the deviations from the predefined reference values and tells the operator automatically what adjustments are needed. These are transferred online to the press, which regulates the ink zones in the printing units. Up to four presses can be connected to Prinect Image Control. Sexton Printing, Inc. can handle any size sheet-fed run for 1 to 5 colors plus aqueous.
In-House Mailing Capabilities
To meet growing postal challenges while providing added control and convenience, Sexton works closely with customers and the USPS to develop effective mail distribution strategies aimed at getting materials delivered quickly and cost effectively.
- Address Coding/Standardization/Delivery Point Validation (via CASS certified software)
- Postal Presorting (via PAVE certified software to maximize postal discounts)
- Merge/Purge Services
- NCOA Processing, ACS, and Ancillary Service Endorsement
- List Hygiene and Enhancement Services (i.e. Database Restructuring)
- List Evaluation and Error Reports
- Mailing Strategy Consultations
- Single Source Control and Convenience
- Dual-Head Inkjetting
- Wafer Sealing
You'll be very pleased with the results for your next annual report, book, brochure, catalog, corporate identity piece, direct mailer, padded work, pocket folder, publication, scratch-off, etc. If you'd like more information about Sexton's mailing capabilities, visit http://tkskorner.com/july10.html.
Award-Winning Experience
I can help, Sexton can help, digital printing can help, one-to-one marketing can help! Implement engaging one-to-one promotions, provide cross-media campaign measurement, and even streamline your entire marketing supply chain. Sexton Printing has been providing digital, variable-data printing for many years now. And most importantly, by tracking the results, you easily can calculate the cost per response, inquiry, or sale.
Response rates of direct mail depend on:
- List Integrity—Are you marketing to your target audience and has the list been run through an address—updating software?
- Profiling—Accurate profiles can dramatically improve response rates.
- Timing—What's going on with world events, business cycles, marketing cycles, sales cycles, etc?
- Offer—Is it something of value or interest to your target audience?
- Incentive—Is it worthwhile to them? Will it make them act?
- Call to Action—Are you telling them what you want them to do, when you want them to do it, and how you want them to do it?
- Creative Execution—Design, copy, layout, vehicle, etc?
- Digital or VDP (Variable-Data Printing)
This PODI Case Study for the Girl Scouts is just one of many Sexton success stories. PODi is recognized as a leading industry organization and proponent of relevant, one-to-one marketing driven by digital print. Case studies published by PODi showcase highly successful applications with an impressive combination of innovation and technical expertise and the delivery of excellent, measurable results. PODi's searchable, online database is the most comprehensive source of digital print solutions with more than 470 case studies. It is with great honor that a program I put together for a client has been recognized as a National Case Study for PODi. Read more at http://tkskorner.com/november12.html. It will detail the following case study components:
- Press Release
- PODi
- Project Overview
- Markets
- Business Applications
- Business Objectives
- Results
- Integrated Marketing-multiple channels & multiple touch points
- Reasons for Success
- Best Practices Learned
Creative Coating Technologies
When adding a coating effect to your printed materials, you can really make a significant visual impact, as well as provide a level of protection. Here is a quick list of coating techniques. More information can be found at http://tkskorner.com/december12.html.
- Varnish
- Aqueous coatings
- Combinations of varnish and aqueous
- Soft-touch aqueous coatings
- UV Coatings
- Raised Spot UV Coatings
Clear Dry Ink is clearly awesome! It can add significant impact in many unique ways:
- Use as a spot treatment over an image or text to create an eye-catching tactile dimension that evokes an emotion and promotes action.
- Use to draw attention to a headline or variable text.
- Enhance textures on a single printed surface, giving the piece a more high-end, polished look.
- Highlight a certain area of a photo to reach out and grab attention or highlight just a few of its features.
- Add a texture over a photo to give the illusion of dimension or over words to draw attention to your messages.
- Incorporate as a tinted varnish effect that can increase the depth and overall sheen of a color, making it appear to be lifted off the page.
- Simulate a pearlescent or metallic appearance from our state-of-the-art digital press. This technique adds richness, sheen, and elegance to your piece.
- Use it as a watermark-it disappears when documents are copied.
Education
Etrends is a free e-message service that offers print production tips and industry trends designed to make your job easier and your production workflow more efficient. Our growing list of subscribers say that Etrends offers "must-read" information. Please subscribe by going to http://www.sextonprinting.com.
Trendtech is a series of seminars sponsored by Sexton Printing covering timely topics related to the graphic arts and communications. Trendtech seminars are ideal opportunities for you and your key team members to gain valuable information. Seminar programs often feature:
- Keynote presentations by recognized industry leaders
- Panels of experts available to answer questions related to the topics
- Opportunities to network with peer business associates and exchange ideas
- Product demonstrations and valuable take-home tools
Loyal and Experienced Employees
Committed to its employees and with an average tenure of 15 years, Sexton recently had the following anniversaries celebrated by 24 employees:
40+ years = 2
35+ years = 4
30+ years = 1
25+ years = 13
20+ years = 4
Wow, that is outstanding in any industry!
Before we go . . .
If you have a production issue not discussed above that you would like me to address, or a project that needs to be looked at, please give me a call or send me an email.
As always, I will do whatever it takes to ensure you receive the best value for every marketing dollar you invest.
Connect with me on LinkedIn
You can also check out my profile, join my network and view more client comments on LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkubinski
Referrals are greatly appreciated. If you know someone I can help, or who might like to receive TK's Korner, please let me know.
Take care and have a great day!
Successfully,
Tom Kubinski
Printing Consultant Who Helps You Make Good Impressions
TKubinski@shapco.com
Direct: 612-278-1568
Cell: 612-760-3700
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