Over the years, color printing has developed a reputation as expensive, wasteful, and unnecessary. Thanks to today’s technology, however, color printing is more economical than ever, especially for businesses that bring color printing in-house. And with in-house color printing, you‘re able to realize the benefits of on-demand color with cost savings for short print runs—no longer is color limited for huge outsourced print jobs. To help you get the most out of color printing, we’ve put together some tips on why and when to utilize it for maximum effectiveness.

For Comprehension and Attention
Detail, attention, professionalism…while the impact of color images is fairly obvious, color brings a new dimension to any print job—even those that are primarily text. Selective use of color draws the eye, catching attention and improving scanability. Color has also been shown to improve information recall, while information printed in color can be located 70 percent faster than that in black-and-white.

For Emotional Communication
For better or worse, humans are emotional beings. The cultural and emotional connotations of color lend additional meaning to your communications. Blues convey trust, peace, and tradition. Reds and oranges are action colors, full of energy and perfect for call-outs. Black is the color of luxury, while green brings an air of nature and friendliness to a publication.

To Support the Brand
Every print job is an opportunity to reinforce your brand in the mind of your audience, and color is an especially powerful tool for doing so. Areas for potent application include brochures, letterhead, coupons, signage, stickers, mailers, and other marketing collateral.

To Convey Urgency
When it comes to getting paid, color gives you great bang for your buck. Color grabs and focuses attention, increasing response rates by up to 30 percent. Customers who receive invoices are more likely to pay the entire amount due when the “pay in full” amount is printed in color.

In-house color printing is now more affordable than ever. The output quality is excellent—often matching that available in professional print shops—but without the security risks, time burdens, and volume requirements of outsourcing. Multifunction printers make color even more practical by combining multiple machines to save you both space and money.

If you want to convey urgency, reinforce your brand, communicate meaning, and direct attention, color is an excellent tool to accomplish this. Contact Affordable Business Systems today to put color to work for you.