TsunamiNews :: March 2008

Show and Tell

It’s not just for kindergarteners and talkative flashers anymore. Check out some of Tsunami Marketing's most recent work:

If you're reading this from the comfort of your home, office, school, resort hotel room or gazebo on Kauai, chances are good that Island Truss fabricated the trusses that are holding up the roof over your head. They've built a reputation of trust and quality for over a decade on the Garden Isle, so we crafted them a complete re-branding package which included a new logo, marketing materials, vehicle graphics, signage and website that reflects their indelible strength within Hawaii's construction community.
www.IslandTruss.com

Or else you don't get any ice cream....or any coffee, brownies, cookies, or t-shirts for that matter. Freshly launched, we bring you the Lappert's Hawaii retail website. Now, you don’t have to travel all the way to Hawaii to enjoy their handcrafted frozen treats, baked goodies and locally grown coffees. Click, drool, order, repeat as necessary.
www.LappertsHawaii.com

Kawaikini is a new K-12 Hawaiian immersion charter school that will open its doors in August of this year. As a Hawaiian immersion program, Kawaikini’s students gain vast cultural knowledge of Hawaii’s history through the native language — and an extensive, multifaceted curriculum will provide each student with the tools necessary for a successful future while preserving the language and culture of Hawaii’s past. We were honored to create their brand, marketing materials and website, and are excited to see what the future will bring for Kawaikini.
www.Kawaikini.com

How far can you throw a stone? If it's 300 yards, then you'd be able to hit Tsunami Marketing's old building from our new one (but we wouldn't suggest you do that). Recently we relocated from our rented office space on Kaumualii Highway, to our very own building in a neighboring area off of Pu'u Road.

Tsunami Marketing's owners, Robert and Valerie, purchased the new headquarters in 2006, and after a complete renovation of the original structure and an addition that virtually doubled its overall size, we've all become very comfortable in our new surroundings.

It was quite an undertaking, but with much vision and patience, Robert and Valerie were able to resurrect the faltering 1920's plantation style home — saving it from potential tear down and breathing new life into its ramshackle appearance.  

A tired, sagging front porch was completely rebuilt with a new support structure, decking and doors. Painted plywood floors were replaced with cork and natural stone tile. New paint and drywall provided much needed cosmetic improvements, while updated electrical and plumbing made it safe for us to operate as a normal business should. The original floor plan, barely able to house a family of four, was expanded by adding a completely new area to accommodate our entire creative and interactive staff. The list goes on, and even though the building has been completely refurbished with all the modern conveniences, it still retains its quaint charm.

"We finally have a place we can call our own and are able to provide our staff a comfortable place to work and have fun — that's the biggest reward," added Valerie.

To see the location of our new headquarters go here: http://tsu.biz/googlemap/

A big Mahalo goes out to all of our 'Tsumo' staff, friends and construction professionals who made it happen.

Printing 101 - Offset vs. Digital

Two of the most common commercial printing technologies in use today are "Offset" and "Digital" printing — and one of the most common questions in printing is, "When should I use them?"

Offset, or conventional printing, has changed little since the original steam powered offset press was first developed in 1906. It involves a mechanical process of applying layers of ink to paper with a series of rollers. Each roller has its own specified ink - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black — or CMYK. As each of these rollers pass over the page, they transfer ink and build layers of colors, resulting in complete images and text on the page. Additionally, specialized colors called Pantones or PMS colors can be added to the layout if very specific colors are needed, for instance in a logo.

Digital printing eliminates the numerous steps involved in the offset printing process, such as creating films and plates for ink rollers. Most digital presses today apply ink in a single pass from a single ink head, similar to common inkjet printers found in homes and offices.

Many different considerations will determine which method is best, such as quantity, timing, and size of the printed piece. Offset printing is commonly used for higher quantity, larger format jobs while digital printing is best applied to smaller format, lesser quantity print runs. Tsunami Marketing's production department takes all these variables and more into consideration to determine the best possible printing method for each job.

Offset Printing Pros
- Larger Runs - A print quantity of over 500 units is typically well suited for offset printing.
- Larger Format - For instance, a 40" press can accommodate a flat page size of approx. 25" x 38".
- Specialized Colors & Techniques - Offset presses can print PMS colors and utilize gloss/dull varnishes for added texture.  Additionally, multiple press "heads" allow for an infinite array of colors and printing techniques.

Offset Printing Cons
- More costly and time consuming - A typical offset press requires at least two pressmen to run a job, plus added maintenance, setup, printing plates and specialized inks, which result in higher print costs and increased turn around time.

Digital Printing Pros
- Small Runs - Any print quantity under 500 units is typically well suited for a digital press.
- Variable Data - Digital presses can print customized copy on each individual piece, such as names and addresses for postcards.
- Cheap and Fast - Less setup and maintenance (no films/plates) results in cheaper pricing and quicker turns.

Digital Printing Cons
- Limited Size - Most digital presses can only accommodate press sheets of up to 18" x 12".
- No PMS Colors - Digital presses cannot print Pantones, though in recent years, they have become much more apt at closely matching PMS colors.
- Lower Quality - The print quality from digital presses is not as refined as offset.

Upcoming Events

On March 25th Robert Rekward, creative director and partner of Tsunami Marketing, will be a presenter at an eCommerce and eMarketing workshop hosted by the Kauai Chamber of Commerce, County of Kauai Office of Economic Development and the High Technology Development Corporation.

Following the roundtable discussion, Robert will also lead a breakout session for businesses that already have some experience with eMarketing and are looking to move to the next level.

Learn Something New Today

TsunamiNews is your online resource for technology developments, marketing insights, production tips, and updates about Tsunami Marketing and our current projects. To subscribe, follow this link: http://clients.tsunamimarketing.com/news/. You can opt out any time.