Industry Archives - Enterprise Print Group

The best advice I can offer a customer who has hired an outside graphic designer or agency to design a logo or product label is to request the native files. You should request the native files with editable text and the native files with the text outlined. Make sure they include a folder that has all linked files or has embedded all the linked files.

No matter the technology (digital press, flexographic, offset), any printer you work with can only produce a printed product as good as the provided artwork. Native files such as Adobe Illustrator (.ai, .eps, .pdf) or Adobe Photoshop (.psd) are the highest-quality files for printing.

Here are a few guidelines to give your graphic designer for setting up print files for Enterprise Print Group.

FILE TYPE	.ai, .eps, .pdf, or .psd	Artwork should be a vector file which is an .ai or .eps format in order for the press operator to color match. A PDF file is acceptable if it is created from a native vector app. Some Photoshop files are also acceptable. Apps that create vector files are Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Vectr, and Canva to name a few. Enterprise Print Group uses Adobe Illustrator to set up your artwork for print.
FONTS/TEXT		Please outline all text unless EPG will be editing the text in the artwork then please send the font files along with the artwork. Once text is outlined it is no longer editable.
WHITE INK		White ink should be on a layer by itself. Any print on top of the white ink layer that needs white under it should be set for overprint.
LINKED FILES		Include all linked files along with the artwork or embed all linked files.

Enterprise Print Group’s professional graphics department can create and design or update the artwork for your labels. Contact our sales department for a quote on EPG’s graphic design services.

It is hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us, bringing with it the reality of how blessed we are compared to many of the people in our local community. This is the time of year to share in the joy of helping others. We have selected two local organizations to support this year.

The Ronald McDonald House

We have had what is now a 25-year relationship with the Knoxville, Tennessee, Ronald McDonald House. They are an invaluable resource for families dealing with severely ill children. Their mission statement says it best.

“The Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville, Tennessee exists to serve and sustain families when catastrophe strikes the most cherished part of their lives – their children.“

The House is a not-for-profit organization that provides a temporary “home-away-from-home” for families whose children are receiving treatment for serious illnesses at area hospitals. In an effort to reduce stress, keep the family intact, and enhance the quality of life for families, the Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville provides affordable services in a caring, home-like atmosphere. The services are provided regardless of race, sex, color, creed, nation of origin, or a family’s ability to pay.

The Dream Connection of East Tennessee

The opportunity to support The Dream Connection came to us just last year. Beth Patton, our graphic artist and web developer, serves on its’ board and is extremely passionate about their mission, as described below.

“The Dream Connection, Inc. is a completely volunteer non-profit organization. Our goal is to accept and raise charitable contributions exclusively for fulfilling the “once-in-a-lifetime dreams” of children between the ages of three and eighteen, with life-threatening or chronically debilitating illnesses in the East Tennessee community. We are dedicated to directing 100% of contributions to fulfilling the dreams of the children it serves.”

It is easy to support these two important organizations because they are both so passionate about their mission and work tirelessly to provide for the people they serve. In addition, 100% of our donations directly effect the people who need it most.

Please consider donating to The Ronald McDonald House, The Dream Connection, or another local charity of your choosing. They need our help to do their good work.

Peace,

Kirk

The decision to move from traditional label printing and into the digital world is not an easy one. This is especially true for a small company without the resources to do an in-depth evaluation of their existing work to support the move to digital. When I talk with owners of other companies that are wrestling with this decision, the issue often boils down to the same constraint – not having the hard data to support a decision for (or against) making the investment. Considering the learning curve of any new technology, in addition to the grind of running the business each day, making an informed decision becomes a challenge. Throw in capital costs and the risk factor and it can be downright overwhelming.

It took us an entire year of gathering detailed data from every process involved in running our 7 flexo machines before we could put a model together to do a full evaluation. It was tedious and, at times, frustrating. In the end, we had the numbers we needed to support a decision to move forward with what was a substantial investment for us. In our case, we made the right decision to dive into digital.

Considering the learning curve of any new technology, in addition to the grind of running the business each day, making an informed decision becomes a challenge.

If you think you may be ready for digital but have questions that you’d like to ask, please feel free to contact me. I don’t know it all, but I’m happy to pass on what I’ve learned over the past 33 years in the label business in hopes of it helping in any way possible.

Just one bit of advice in closing – find great partners! Put your trust in the right people and create mutually beneficial partnerships that last for years. I’ve been very lucky to have many great relationships with suppliers, customers, partner converters, and associates. I’ve also had some not-so-great experiences over the years that have taught me invaluable lessons. Again, if I can be of service, please reach out.

Best regards,

Kirk

865-924-9527

Kicuss@eprintgroup.com

Welcome to our new and improved website! We hope that you will find it informative and useful. In addition to our new site, there are other exciting things happening here at EPG.

Stay tuned as we will soon announce other cutting-edge additions to our production floor!

As we deliver on our mission to provide peace of mind, we continue upgrading existing equipment and adding new technology. As such, I am happy to report that we have begun the upgrade of our laser cutting line, which will result in nearly a doubling of capacity. This system allows us to cut any label material without the cost and lead-time of traditional cutting dies. From very small labels to those that are up to 13.1” wide and 120” long, we can cut and finish any shape at industry leading speeds and precision. The line also includes through cutting, laminating, perforating and continuous turret winding.