Sorry...Sorry...I know, I know...

Ok, ok. I know, I'm terrible. I promised last year that 2 months would not go by with an update from me.

And well, here we are 3 months later.

I have slacked off (at least on the blog side), to say the least. Printed Specialties has been RIDICULOUSLY busy this summer. Seriously, you guys should see our plant. We are packed to the gills. Machines are running essentially non-stop, which is really great. Proofs and PDFs are flying out the door; plates are constantly running out to the presses; and it seems like the forklift is always moving something around the plant. These are great times for us at PSI, we're seeing new work flow in everyday and we couldn't be happier.

So please, please forgive me for being absent-minded when it comes to this blog. I don't mean to neglect! Things tend to fall by the wayside from time to time during spells of heavy engagement. However, I'm not trying to make excuses. I will try my absolute best to be more involved with timely updates on this blog to make it more interesting for you guys to read.

In the mean time, you can check us out on our Twitter & Pinterest pages. Those definitely see a little more consistent activity... 

Be well,

We Need to Talk, Google+.

It was in development for several years. It was being heralded as the great Facebook killer. It was supposed to change everything. Sadly, at least in my opinion, Google+ has most definitely NOT been those things. To some, Google+ has fulfilled everything that they ever wanted in a social media sharing site. Now I will give them that the stark white and clean design aesthetic is a major thumbs up, but it lacks a general sense of character and pizazz. In short, Google+ has failed me.

But oh boy, did it certainly create a buzz leading up to it's official launch. Classical marketing tactics were used by Google to draw in the people looking for the newest, hottest and trendiest social network. I'll admit, I was wooed into it. I was chomping at the bits to get an "invite" from someone who'd already been accepted into Google's new club. And that's when I felt nostalgic, and my memory frolicked back to the heyday of Facebook - the exclusivity factor. Quite frankly, I felt "cool" to get that premier invite, and like I was a part of an elite group.

For about a month, I used it fairly regularly. It became part of my routine "social network check" on my iPhone. I check Facebook first and foremost, then peruse Instagram, followed by a quick few swipes of Twitter, a check-in if applicable via FourSquare, and THEN I'd pay a visit to Google+. Granted, it wasn't in my top 3, but I did use it often. I liked the interface, both web and mobile. It was enjoyable to navigate and easy on the eyes.

The predominately white layout was different, but nice. The familiar profiles were unique enough, and the chat features were great. Friends and I would chat often and share links left and right. This trend kept up for a little while. Then, without notice, interest drastically dropped.  People weren't popping in as frequently as they used to. Links weren't being passed around. Chats and hangouts weren't taking place. Naturally, other companies and business were still updating and sharing like it wasn't affected by my small group's diminished enthusiasm in G+. As of now, the most recent post from one of my friends was January 14th, 2012.

It's clear to me that the Google train has lost a bit of it's steam. I believe that they're just fighting for a spot in a 1-man race unfortunately. Facebook has essentially become the Google of social networks; all powerful and synonymous with defining social media as we know it. Google+ on the other hand has become the Bing; effective in what it wants to accomplish, and still has rabid users and fans, just know enough to conquer the juggernaut. How's that for irony?

Early Spring Sprucing

It's that time again!*

Even though the spring season is nearly here (a couple days away in fact), here at Printed Specialties we have jumped the gun a wee bit. Clearing and cleaning out storage spaces of job bags and samples from many years past high above the workroom floor, opened up a new plane of opportunity for us to utilize. What used to occupy these areas became a sort of eyesore for us. It was slowly becoming a mere dust collector; a wasteland of haphazardly strewn boxes and folders. But no more.

After a thorough cleansing and vacuuming, these areas shed new light and got our minds racing with ideas on how to better harness the space. Here is an example of the cleared space...

Clean and empty. What to do, what to do.

If you could imagine a bevy of boxes along with a flock of folders displaced in an unorganized fashion up top, you'd greatly appreciate the work do to make this space look so wonderful now.

Now on to the hard part - what to put in this new-found space? After about a day or two of deliberating, PSI landed on the idea of printing our own custom vinyl banners to display each department in a creative way. We needed to take the plant out of the dingy and dull grey overtone and throw some color in there. We needed to liven the place up a little. We needed to show pride in what we do. Here is an example of what we came up with...

Merely a mockup design to give us a better visual.

Each banner would show off the main departments of Printed Specialties. Within the banners there would contain candid shots of every employee doing what they do best. We wanted to give a more human aspect to what we do day in and day out; by adding a face to the process, it gives us as employees a sense of pride and conviction in our jobs. Also the pop of color would be welcome in the otherwise typical production environment.

The banner material has been ordered and designs are being crafted. Stay tuned in the near future to see the outcome!

Be well,



*Original Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

PSI's Got a Brand New Bag

Sharp and snazzy.

Armed with one of our newer employees, Dana McCrackin - HR Manager extraordinaire, Printed Specialties Inc. has recently outfitted the entire shop with new gear. Fresh polos and dress shirts have been added to the arsenal of the PSI wardrobe.

Formerly, we used to have simplistic t-shirts with our logo embroidered on the left chest. This was roughly several years ago, and those shirts have seen better days. Holes, stains, and general outstretched fabrics were running rampant. Enter Dana. She intervened and decided that this time around, we need to up the ante. These sports-style polos provide the ultimate comfort for our employees, without compromising on overall style or practicality.

Working hard in their new duds.

These new shirts were implemented to promote overall morale for the company, and not to mention just clean up the place a bit. By looking good, we all feel good, and thus feel great about what we're doing here and output high quality products.

Making those PSI Blue's look good.

Be well,

McDonald's: A Cautionary Social Tale

In light of the recent Twitter hashtag backlash that fastfood giant McDonald's has dealt with in the past week, it sheds some light on to just how carefully a brand, business or individual must tread on the eggshells that is social media.

McDonald's backpedaling isn't the first (and certainly won't be the last) time a major brand name had to put their foot in their mouths. Everyone is sure to remember Kenneth Cole's distasteful words about Cairo's revolt. And who could forget Netflix and their many many missteps last year regarding their prices and naming restructuring ideas. The fact is these companies are huge, and they're going to mess up whether of their own accord or otherwise.

It shouldn't come as a surprise, with as many followers as McDonald's has, 290k, misfires are bound to happen. In this modern age of instant gratification, people need to keep a watchful eye on their social campaigns. Granted, the #McDStories hashtag fiasco wasn't directly their fault. They had the best intentions that unfortunately went awry. In fact they handled it in spectacular fashion by pulling the trending tweet within a couple hours. But taking into consideration the majority of Twitter users (read: teenagers and young adults), negative and unnecessary comments were almost certain to rear their ugly heads all over the internet.

 If we can take a lesson from these examples, it's time: watch what you say, how you say it, and when you say it. You never know how's watching and how they'll react.

Be well,

Let's Hear it for 2012!

In the words of underground art-rock band Dredg "Look another year went by; They keep passing by." 2012 is upon us and most people in the industry (digital, printing, marketing, etc.) have greeted it with nothing but sheer optimism, Printed Specialties being no exception. Looking back on the whole, 2011 had a general bleak outlook on it - what with oil spills, job losses, political scandals, war. This time around the main view for the new year is that of hope and (real) change for once.

Let's do this, New Year.

 Printed Specialties has big plans coming up. Implementation of our Digital Press, scoring more record months in sales and production, optimizing workflows, and perhaps a newly revamped and updated website to boot in the near future. 2012 is looking mighty promising for the crew here, and can't wait to make big things happen.

 I hope everyone's year is off to a great start, and wish the best of luck in all you do.

 Be well,



P.S. Call it naivety, but I consider it a great start to the year when Van Halen gets back together and plays a show that rocks everyone's socks off. 








Image: dream designs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net