As a business owner you potentially wear many hats, but perhaps Graphic Designer perhaps isn’t one of them. So we’ve put together a quick guide to printing, files and what you need to know to ensure you get quality, consistent branding across all of your printed and designed items.
COLOUR CONSISTENCY
It’s a possibility that you have had or continue to have different people working on packing, uniforms, social designs, websites and more. You will have your final products and designs shown across different devices, tvs, mobiles, tablets, computers, printing surfaces etc. To maintain consistency for both print and digital colours we use different names to describe the “colour” we are using, depending on the medium it will end up on. There are four main types of colour descriptions we use PMS, CMYK, RGB and Hex.
PMS
CMYK and PMS are the two colour types we use for printing and embroidery. PMS (Pantone) is used for offset printing and ideally for stationery, one or two colour jobs and a few other instances.
PMS (or Pantone) are patented, standardised colour inks made by the Pantone company. They have a formula guide of over 1750 colours that are sold to printers either premixed or as a formula that printers mix on premises. Designers and printers use the same colour guides to select and print the PMS colours. So when you work with a designer be sure to find out what colour system they have provided you the information for.
CMYK
Also used in offset printing as well as digital printing is CMYK. more commonly used for flyers, posters, cards etc. CMYK or four colour process is where the four coloured inks, cyan, magenta, yellow and black are printed as transparent dots that overlap each other to create a wider spectrum of colours. This is different to Pantone being that PMS is one single solid colour. So again be sure to find out from your designer if you have the CMYK colour combination.
RGB
The RGB colour term is used for on screen or digital designs for computer screens, phones and TV. RGB is the process by which colors are rendered onscreen by using combinations of red, green and blue. RGB is specifically used for digital applications only, not print. You won’t be able to achieve the same colour in print as you can with RGB as the RGB colours are vibrant because they are illuminated. So if you have digital designs in RGB be sure to talk to your designer about similar colours in CMYK and Pantone for printing purposes.
HEX
The Hex colour term is used for websites, designers and developers use HEX colours in web design. Meaning you don’t need to worry about the HEX colours.
SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
We work with our designers to convert colours for example is something is produced onscreen in RGB but we need to know the CMYK or Pantone colour match we can change the profiles over in our software. However, you do need to know some of your branding colour combination codes, for example if you have a red brand that looks like this you would need to know your CMYK or Pantone number:
If you don’t have your brand colours and the type we will always speak with you about how we can help. It is great if you have access to this information from your designer but if not that’s completely fine. As a business owner you have a lot to juggle and we want to make the process of ordering uniforms and promotional products as easy as possible for you.
If you have any questions at all about printing types, colour types or anything in between you can always give us a call on 07 3255 8755 or send us an email to sales@redrooaustralia.com.au
Industrial workwear has come a long way. Choosing protective garments accepted by workplace safety standards is always a huge consideration for business owners, especially those in the trade and construction industries. However, blue collar workers are becoming more and more fashion conscious when it comes to what they wear on site. Selecting quality, functional and stylish pieces of clothing that meet industry regulations is becoming the norm.
Uniforms are no longer just for safety and functionality. Dressing for work is something that is part of our day, five days a week. Employees who take pride in their presentation and appearance take pride in their work, which positively impacts your business. This also encourages your employees’ relationship with your company and generally leads to an increased responsibility they feel towards their actions and how they effect your business.
Uniform policies
Implementing a uniform policy can also promote teamwork and equality between employees. Uniforms can also add to an employee’s sense of purpose and belonging, help them connect with key brand messages and lead to a great first impression. So when you select your uniform, or the personalisation of uniforms with embroidery, consider the positive psychological and behavioural impacts it will have on your employees. It is important to have uniforms that your employees will be proud to wear.
Another step you can take in improving your employees uniform is to embroider their name on their shirt or polos. This is also useful for customers when speaking with your employees their names are in plain sight for them to use and refer to when providing feedback for your business.
SEVEN REASONS TO IMPLEMENT QUALITY, STYLISH & PRACTICAL UNIFORMS:
Now that it’s July a “new” year has begun! What a strange space we were in during the last quarter of the financial year with COVID-19. But, hopefully the EOFY celebrations were still had (with appropriate distancing). If you have a good relationship with your accountant you will know that you can claim deductions for buying and cleaning new uniforms. Especially those with logos, protective clothing and unique or distinctive uniforms specific to industries.
Uniform Budget Formula
If you haven’t forecasted your uniform budget don’t panic, luckily, for you we have created an easy to understand formula that will help for the 2021 financial year. Firstly you take the number of staff you have and times this by your uniform allowance per person. You can use the numbers from last year if you have them. Then times this number by the uniform turnover rate. Depending on what industry and jobs your employees perform this will be different for each business as the longevity of the uniform will range depending on its use. Voila! You will now have your uniform budget for the 2021 financial year. If the above explanation wasn’t clear enough then check out the graphic below!
Budgeting for your uniform allowance and making allocations for merchandise is an important part of your marketing strategy. It also heavily impacts the way that your brand is viewed. It’s said that customers will form an opinion of your business within 30 seconds of meeting your team member. Therefore wearing a branded, clean and industry related professional uniform will reflect well on your business as a whole. It will also, specifically in the mind your customers, show you operate a professional, expert and quality business.
Employee Uniform Checklist
The below checklist will help you ensure your employees are representing your business well. Ask yourself do our employees:
-Look professional when out in the field
-Have the logo easily visible, recognisable and reflecting your brand image
-Display clean uniforms free of stains, rips or fading
-Wear clean shoes (or as clean as possible) that are appropriate for their work environment
-Have appropriate belts, accessories and look put together in a way that customers will find respectful
If you said no to any of the above then it might be time to look at your uniform or the turnover rate. We offer a personalised service that can help you put together a look for your employees that will represent your brand well. You don’t even need to know the specifics of what you want, that’s what we are here for, to help!
You can view our uniform ranges here or contact one of our friendly staff for a free consultation.
Please note that this article provides general advise only. Refer to your accountant or the ATO for financial advise specific to your business and industry.
For uniform inspiration you can head over to our Instagram page @redrooaustralia
