Articles about printing in Cleveland Ohio. - General
Category: General
Cleveland Political Printing: How Off-Year Elections Delivered Our Best Month Ever
If election night kept you up late, you were not alone. While you watched returns, our presses were humming. This off-year cycle turned into the best month ever at Foote Printing, and it revealed what local campaigns in Cleveland truly need to win: speed, precision, and partners who understand the stakes. The Realities Cleveland Campaigns Face This year, the City of Cleveland reduced wards due to new census data. That shook up council races and put every council seat back on the ballot. The result was a surge in political printing with tight deadlines and last-minute changes. We are not a massive national shop. We are a local union printer rooted in Cleveland. That’s exactly why off-year elections are our sweet spot. When campaigns need quick turn times, accurate targeting by ward, and materials that reflect local values, we deliver. What We Printed That Moved the Needle Campaigns are getting smarter about their marketing mix. While a lot happens online, print still does heavy lifting for persuasion and turnout. Here is what we produced most this season: Political postcards and mailers: The bulk of our campaign work. Designed for speed, clarity, and fast mailing. Yard signs: Still essential for name recognition and visibility in key neighborhoods. T-shirts: Street teams and volunteers need branded gear that pops in photos and on the doorstep. Union and solar bugs: We print the union bug and a solar printed bug so your materials reflect values many Cleveland vot
A Freshly Paved Parking Lot, Faster Service: How a Surprise Asphalt Upgrade Helps Us Help You
If you have ever battled weeds and bamboo pushing through old asphalt, you know the struggle. Our delivery area had turned into a patchwork of cracks and potholes. Then one morning, opportunity literally walked through our front door. A paving crew working down the street had extra asphalt and an open hour. We vetted the plan, said yes, and in about 60 minutes our back lot was transformed. Why We Chose to Repave Now Behind our building is a busy delivery and pickup area that keeps your print jobs moving. Over the years the lot had gotten rough. Weeds and bamboo were breaking through, and the surface was not what we expect from a facility that stands for quality. We had already cleared the area and planned a spring repair. Timing and reliability matter to us, and the chance to get it done sooner at a smart price was too good to pass up. The Story Behind the Upgrade Here is how it happened, straight from our team: We cleared the back lot and planned to bring in a pothole repair team in spring. A representative from ARC Roadway Construction stopped in. They were paving nearby, had extra asphalt, and could mobilize quickly. We asked the right questions. Scope, layers, timeline, and price. Two layers of asphalt were proposed, which was key for durability. We phoned a trusted advisor for a gut check. The answer was simple, take the deal, it will save money and time. The crew arrived, and about an hour later the lot looked phenomenal. Smooth, clean, and ready for work. We
The Number One Art File Mistake That Delays Printing, and How To Fix It
You can design a stunning postcard, but one tiny white sliver along the edge will make it look cheap in an instant. We see it all the time, and it is completely avoidable. At Foote Printing, the most common error that slows jobs down or triggers reprints is simple, no bleed. When files arrive without bleeds, trimming tolerances can reveal thin white edges or force us to under trim, which pushes type uncomfortably close to the cut. I am Michael Duhr, and my team and I want to help you avoid those headaches with a few practical, print-ready habits. Bleeds and Safe Zones, The Foundation of Print-Ready Files If your design prints to the edge, extend background colors, images, and elements past the trim. Add at least 0.125 inch bleed on all sides Keep critical content, logos, and type at least 0.25 inch inside the trim, the safe zone A proper bleed lets us trim cleanly even with slight mechanical variance. A proper safe zone keeps your message from crowding the edge if we must under trim to avoid a white sliver. You can give more bleed if you prefer, even 0.25 inch or more, especially useful for complex layouts. Send the Right File Format and Resolution For commercial printing, PDF is your best friend. Export a print-ready PDF with bleeds turned on Include crop marks if your workflow supports them Avoid sending JPG or PNG as your only file, those often come in at 72 dpi and oversized, which prints poorly If you have to use raster art, ensure it is 300 dpi at final s
Stop Print Delays: The 3 Art File Mistakes We Fix Every Day at Foote Printing
That thin white hairline around your postcard is not a design choice. It is a missing bleed, and it is one of the fastest ways to make a quality piece look cheap. We want your print to look flawless and to ship on time. In our shop, the same three art file mistakes cause most delays. As Michael Duhr from our team puts it, we could list ten, but these three lead the pack: missing bleeds, font issues, and low resolution images. The good news is each one is easy to prevent when you know what to do. The Big Three File Errors That Delay Printing 1. Missing Bleed What goes wrong: Many designs are built to the exact trim size and exported from tools like Canva without bleed. On press, sheets are cut in stacks with a guillotine cutter. Micro shifts happen, which is normal. Without bleed, those shifts reveal a sliver of white along the edge. It is the print equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. What to do: Add a minimum 0.125 inch bleed on every side of every page Extend backgrounds and images past the trim into the bleed area Do not worry about adding too much bleed, more is fine as long as key content stays inside safe margins Export a press ready PDF with bleed and crop marks We often add bleed for clients when we can, but that still adds time. On complex jobs, like a 50 page booklet, retrofitting bleed can be a real delay. Build it in from the start. 2. Font Problems What goes wrong: There are countless fonts, and if we do not own your font or it is not loaded on our R
Printing on a Budget: How We Maximize Quality and Savings at Foote Printing
Ever pay extra because a postcard was a half inch too big, or because business cards trickled in one at a time? We see it all the time. The good news is that great print does not have to break your budget. At Foote Printing, we help customers get the biggest printing bang for the buck without sacrificing quality. The Real Drivers of Print Cost When you understand what affects price, you can optimize every job. The major levers are: Paper type and availability Color and ink usage Run size and how well jobs are batched Layout efficiency and standard sizes Press choice, digital versus offset Make-ready sheets and finishing waste Here is how our team, including Michael Duhr, helps you navigate each one. Choose Cost-Effective Paper First Specialty papers can be beautiful, but they are harder to source and often pricey. Our house stocks are the sweet spot for most projects. We buy them by the truckload and store them in our building, which means reliable availability and a price that is often about half the cost of specialty sheets. You still get a professional finish, and your budget goes further. Pro move: Tell us the look you want and let us match it with a house stock that hits your goals at a better price. Batch Smart with Gang Runs Do not send business cards one person at a time. If 10 to 15 team members need cards, send them together. We can gang them on a sheet, which reduces setup, speeds production, and lowers your cost. The same applies to postcards. If you
How a Half Inch Can Double Your Print Cost: Our Proven Process to Get It Right
Ever designed a 6.5 by 9.5 postcard only to learn it costs far more than a 6 by 9? That half inch can drop your sheet yield from eight-up to two-up, which means more paper waste and a bigger bill. At Foote Printing, we help you avoid surprises like that before you hit send. The Challenge We Solve Specs drive cost, quality, and timing. Size, paper, bindery, and mailing all affect your quote, your color, and your schedule. We guide you through those choices upfront so your printed piece looks great, mails efficiently, and stays on budget. I am Michael Duhr, one of the printing experts here at Foote Printing in Cleveland. Here is how we make your project smooth from first conversation to final delivery. Our Print Production Process Reach out by email or phone with your specs Size, quantity, paper Bindery or finishing Variable data and mailing needs We consult and refine Not sure on specs? We walk you through options and goals. Get clear pricing We can quote a few scenarios so you can compare cost and impact. Approve and submit art Confirm the quote details are correct, then send your files and quantities. Proofing to protect your design Standard: PDF proof Available: physical proof Digital jobs match the PDF very closely. Offset proofs are very close but can vary slightly because ink absorbs into paper. Color Accuracy You Can Trust Monitors vary and room lighting changes what you see. To keep color consistent, our shop uses LED lighting set to a neutral
Real-World Turnaround Times: How We Plan Your Postcards, Books, Mailings, and More
Need 2,500 postcards in hand by Friday or a 28-page booklet for next week’s event? I’m Michael Duhr, and at Foote Printing we set clear, realistic timelines so your project lands exactly when you need it. Many teams struggle to predict how long different print jobs take. The result is last-minute stress, missed mail dates, and blown budgets. We fix that with transparent schedules, proven workflows, and detailed planning that starts the moment you request a quote. How Long Will My Print Project Take? Below are typical timelines once your artwork is approved. Volume, page count, finishing, and our production schedule can affect timing, but these ranges are what most customers experience. Postcards up to 2,500 Print and finish: 1 to 3 days If mailing is included: add at least 2 production days before drop-off at the post office USPS delivery timing varies by class and destination Small-Run Saddle Stitch Books Up to about 500 books and around 28 pages 2 to 4 days Larger-Quantity Saddle Stitch Books Over 2,500 copies About 1 to 2 weeks Perfect Bound Books 1 to 2 weeks Binding adds steps, which extends the schedule Hardbound Books 2 to 4 weeks, often closer to 3 to 4 weeks The bindery process is more complex and requires more lead time Die Cuts and Specialty Finishing Pocket folders, custom shapes, circular stickers, special covers Usually 1 to 2 weeks, depending on tooling and finishing What Most Often Affects Your Timeline Artwork appro
Postcard Mailing That Works: Sizes, Costs, and USPS Rules We Help You Navigate
If your mailbox overflowed during election season, you saw how powerful a postcard can be. What you did not see is the planning, postal rules, and cost strategy behind every piece. That is where we come in. At Foote Printing, we help you turn a simple postcard into a well 11planned direct mail campaign that hits the right people, meets USPS requirements, and keeps postage in check. Printing is rarely the biggest expense. Postage is. Our job is to optimize your design and mailing plan so you pay the lowest practical rate and get reliable delivery. Choose the Right Size to Unlock Lower Postage Picking the correct size is the first cost decision. Common sizes: 4x6, 5x7, 6x9, 6x11 Keep it at or under 6x11 to qualify for letter rates with USPS Marketing Mail Go larger than 6x11 and you are in flat pricing, which is significantly more expensive We will walk you through the tradeoffs so your piece gets noticed without triggering higher postage. Design the “Mailing Side” Correctly Automation is your friend. When your postcard meets USPS machine standards, you get lower rates and smoother delivery. Use this layout guidance before you design. Reserve a 4 inch wide by 2 inch tall white box in the bottom right on the mailing side. We use this space for the address and barcode that lets USPS process your mail on their machines. Leave space in the upper right for a stamp or an indicia. An indicia shows USPS which account to charge for postage. Keep the rest of your
Why Our Local, Family-Owned Print Shop Delivers Better Results
“Your printing is just better.” That honest review came from Leo, the youngest voice in our family, during a recent interview. Simple, direct, and exactly how we feel about the work we do every day. At Foote Printing, we know choosing a print partner can feel overwhelming. You want quality that reflects your brand, speed you can rely on, and a team that cares about your project as much as you do. That is where we come in. We are a locally owned, family-run print shop led by Michael Duhr and his brother Steven, and we take pride in delivering design, print, and mail solutions that make you look great. What We Do: Print, Mail, and Design Under One Roof You should not have to juggle multiple vendors to get your marketing out the door. We bring core services together so your project moves smoothly from idea to delivery. Printing: From small runs to big jobs, our presses handle it with crisp color and consistent results. Direct mail: We help you get your message into mailboxes, saving time and reducing headaches. Design: Need layout help or a full creative assist? Our team builds clean, on-brand pieces that perform. When these services sit together in one shop, you get fewer delays, tighter quality control, and a final piece that delivers. Big Presses, Big Quality During that interview, Leo was asked how big our presses are. His answer: “They’re big, big.” He is right. We invest in serious equipment because capacity and precision matter. La
We Put Your Best Foot Forward: Green Printing With Family-Level Care
Sun on the roof, eyes on every job, and a calm voice that guides instead of yells. That is how your print project is cared for at Foote Printing. The Real Problem: You Need Printing You Can Trust There are plenty of print shops that promise speed or price. What you really need is confidence. Confidence that your brochures, mailers, booklets, and signage will be produced correctly, on time, and with a conscience. We built Foote Printing to deliver that, combining hands-on leadership with sustainable practices that make sense for your brand and our community. Why Our Clients Choose Us Hands-on oversight from day one. Our leaders, Michael Duhr and his brother Stephen, are on the floor, reviewing files and checking output so your job is done right. A coaching culture. When mistakes happen in printing, skill and steady leadership matter. We fix issues and teach through them, which elevates quality on every run. Clear communication. We share proofs, flag potential pitfalls, and recommend materials that fit your goals and budget. Green Printing That Actually Works You should not have to trade quality for sustainability. At Foote Printing, you can have both. Recycled and responsibly sourced papers when appropriate for your project. A portion of our energy is generated by solar panels on our roof, which helps reduce our footprint and keeps your project aligned with eco-conscious values. Practical recommendations so your finished piece looks great and reflects your standard
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