Grafix Unlimited » Featured Projects

It’s Trade Show Time!

Cathy Graham — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:55:18 +0000

Do you hesitate to participate in tradeshows and expos because you just don’t have the eye-catching displays and handouts that you feel are necessary because their cost is so scary? Grafix Unlimited to the rescue! We’ll keep those scary costs at bay by providing you lots of cost effective options for your displays and handouts. Because we are affiliated with numerous sources for your tradeshow products we can shop for the best prices on displays, banner printing and printed collateral.

You can have a retractable banner, professionally designed and printed in vivid, eye-catching full color for your next tradeshow for as low as $225. That’s hardware, design AND printing!

O’Daley’s Grill & Ale

Cathy Graham — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:06:56 +0000

When I first met with Randy Gross, owner of O’Daley’s Grill and Bar in Batesville, MS, I knew I had a live wire. This guy was bursting with so much personality! We discussed the new menu for his restaurant and immediately I saw an opportunity to make the menu as full of personality as it’s creator.

We decided to take some of the fun and make it the focal point of the menu with stamps, badges and a handbill type attitude.

Randy liked the design so much he decided to use it on his business cards and Lunch Loyalty cards.

If you are looking for something out-of-the-ordinary, with a personality that fits you and your business, give me a call!

Directories for your Organization

Cathy Graham — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:22:48 +0000

Do you promote your organization with a printed directory? If not, then you are missing out on an excellent way to get your membership information out to the public! Not only can your members promote themselves with a basic directory listing, you can sell ad space in the directory to your members to further promote their businesses AND give the organization some extra added income.

A professionally designed directory can showcase your organization and members to the public. This increases exposure for the organization, thus making it easier to recruit new members, while at the same time it lets your members advertising in a collective cost effective way.

I designed the latest update of the Germantown BNI Directory, with one major change this time. The organization allowed members to purchase ad space to promote their businesses. The directory is used by all the members and given to clients, friends and family as the definitive directory for reputable businesses that each member can personally recommend. Members with storefront or waiting rooms place the directory in their public are for the general public.

If you are looking for ways to promote your organization or give your members greater exposure, contact Grafix Unlimited today about making your directory a reality!

Click to launch the full edition in a new window.

Promote your Business or Non-Profit with a Magazine

Cathy Graham — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:31:14 +0000

Ed Horrell is a man with a misson.

Tired of the indifference that he was experiencing from businesses and communities, Ed founded The Kindness Revolution™ (http://www.thekindnessrevolution.net) whose mission is to revolutionize the culture in which we live, work, learn and play by eliminating indifference, selfishness, apathy & disregard and replacing them with core values such as dignity, respect, courtesy and kindness. Based on the best-selling book by Ed Horrell of the same name, The Kindness Revolution™ is a non-profit, member-based initiative.

The Kindness Revolution™ in an effort to reach a broader audience and spread the word of good works and deeds within the community, decided to publish The Spirit of Kindness Magazine. With stories of kindness and compelling deeds by business and individuals, the Spirit of Kindness Magazine is a “feel-good” publication that everyone can identify with. The magazine is both printed and available online.

Even though the magazine is ad supported, the focus is clearly the content.

Have a mission of your own? Then get the word out with a Magazine or booklet. Contact Grafix Unlimited to find out how we can help.

Grafix Unlimited is proud to be a member of the Kindness Revolution and to have helped in the launch of the new magazine providing art direction and layout. We invite you to become a part of The Kindness Revolution™ – you can join at www.thekindnessrevolution.net – and to enjoy the Spirit of Kindness Magazine online version.

Click to launch the 2nd edition in a new window.

Click to launch the 1st edition in a new window.

Before and After

Cathy Graham — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:45:58 +0000

I received a request for prices on printing a 4 X 6 two sided card from from Dance Smiths, Inc. They provided me with the layout for the piece, well, and I just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

All the information was there but the flyer could be better.

Before

The “before” layout that had been provided was a typical word processor version of what a flyer/certificate should look like. It was bland, boring and was in need of a make over.

There were several items that needed to be addressed:

Too many large sized and bolded items made nothing really important .
Too many fonts used on the piece and the fonts used were not appropriate for the content
The black and white just didn’t work – at least not in the context presented.

I went to work on correcting the problems.

After

First, I determined the order of importance of the various elements. This is common mistake made when laying out a flyer. Many DIY designers think that the first thing on the page MUST be the company name or logo when really that’s NOT the important thing. Getting the viewers attention, letting them know what they have in their hands and making them want to read further is the goal.

We wanted them to know that they had a Gift Certificate and what that certificate entitled them too. Then we told them who was going to provide these things to them and lastly where and how they could take advantage of the offer.

Next, I selected some period appropriate fonts that also complimented the logo font. Then using different font weights, sizes, spacing and color, rather than different fonts, I set-up a hierarchy for the elements as determined in the first step. I chose some classic 40’s typefaces that “never go out of style”. Using a third color for the phone number and the location marker made these items stand out even more, prompting the certificate holder to call or stop by.

Lastly, I introduced some blocks of color, with inspiration provided by the color version of the logo and used various color areas to group elements of the text in a meaningful way.

The result, a classy piece that provides an easy to understand and follow layout, highlights the important elements of the flyer and provides all the needed information. Just a few tweaks here and there were all that were needed to make an average flyer outstanding.

If you have a marketing piece that just isn’t doing what you want it to do, contact me and we can discuss ways I can help to make it better!