DocuCopies.com | Cheap Color Copies | Booklets, Spiral Bound Books

Docucopies.com Gets a Makeover - Website Redesign is Complete!

2011-12-27T16:17:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we checked in with you. That's because there's been a lot of projects going on here, one of the biggest being the redesign of our website!

The new layout is mostly aimed at simplifying the navigation and ordering process to be as intuitive as possible for as many product types as possible. Let's do a quick overview...

1) Simplified Product Layout. With the old site, the different order forms for various products were stuffed into the body of the website and bulky top-navigation links. It wasn't always clear where to go for certain products, like calendars, hand flyers, etc.

Clearly not the most intuitive way to order color copies!

The new design simplifies this. Instead of guessing what order form to go to, look to the list of most common product types on the left side. We've included the jobs we see most, such as tri-fold brochures and newsletters. Meanwhile we kept a couple buttons for the most common, or "featured," products right in the middle of the page for quick, easy accessibility.

Clean and clear design concept -- now that's more like it!

2) Automated Fill-in of Order Details. Though many of the products use the same ordering form, the specifications you put in line by line will affect what kind of product you're getting. For example, clicking on Newsletter will prompt you to specify whether you want a single sheet folded in half, multiple sheets stapled, or an actual saddle-stitched booklet.

Your selection here will bring you to the appropriate order form and automatically fill in the required details to reflect that sort of newsletter. So for a 4 Page Half Fold, you'll get our color copy order form filled in with an 11x17 sheet size, with a half fold so that you essentially get 4 "pages" out of a single sheet. When appropriate we'll also pre-choose an appropriate paper type. In this case we automatically selected the 24/60# white laser bond, because this is the minimum thickness we recommend for double-sided color printing. You are still free to change whatever details you want.

We hope these changes to the website will let you order your color copies, books, booklets, postcards and other digital printing products with unprecedented ease and flexibility. Any suggestions or comments? Please let us know!

Design Tips

2011-08-18T15:28:00.001-05:00

Now that we have a fair amount of "Fans" on Facebook, we've been giving out some useful information here and there to help with various things relating to printing, graphics, etc.

Here's a sample from our most recent piece, which examines which software are appropriate in which situations when preparing files for print. You can find the whole article here.

DESIGN TIPS & TRICKS:
Choosing Design Software

Posted 7/26/2011 by Roe Pressley

Many of our customers are designers or are working with a designer on their print projects, but just as often the customer is relatively new to online printing and has only a rudimentary knowledge of layout and design, or none at all.

If this second category sounds like you, fear not! There are options to help even the least technologically inclined people put together a file for print.

Before we talk about different software, let's look at file specifications. These are properties your file should have in order to print at the highest quality and with the best color reproduction, and these requirements will be mostly the same for digital printing regardless of what company you're using.

PDF file format (some other file types can be converted to PDF but this can cause problems - see below)
300dpi (dots per inch) - this refers to the file's resolution. In most cases going higher than 300dpi will not produce a noticeably higher-quality image, but it will rapidly increase the file size.
CMYK color profile (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) - this is what most digital and offset printing uses. Make sure your file is designed this way so there are no surprises from your screen to final product. By contrast, RGB color profiles are more common for graphics intended to be viewed on your computer but not in print.
Files are printed with about 1/4" white margins around the edges. If your file does not have this, a border will be added, unless you order bleeds. Bleed specificationsmay vary between companies, so inquire with your printer before beginning if you're not sure what they should be.
Multiple-page documents should be combined into one file when possible.

Choosing the Right Design Software

There are a lot of programs you can use for design, and each has its pros and cons depending on your needs and level of expertise. Because trying to cover them all would go on forever, let's focus on a small handful. We will focus on Microsoft Word vs Google Documents, Adobe Photoshop vs GIMP, and Microsoft Publisher vs Adobe InDesign, as these are the software our customers seem to use most.

MICROSOFT WORD vs. GOOGLE DOCUMENTS

Skill Level: Easy

Many customers do their design with Microsoft Word because it is already on their computer and they know how to use it. For many, Word will be adequate for designing relatively simple documents, particularly if they are more text-oriented and less graphic.

For those that don't have access to Microsoft Word, Google Documents is a great free tool with much of the same functionality as Word and a similar interface.

WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)
For the most part, what is shown on your screen is what will print out. Since most companies print in PDF, it is recommended you convert the file to PDF before sending it to print and double check that everything still looks the same.
Save As PDF
Newer versions of Microsoft Word have a built-in option to save as a PDF file. Google Docs also has this function. If you have an older version of Word, you caninstall a print driver that will let you "Print to PDF."
Templates Galore!
Both Word and Docs have a large library of templates to get you started, from brochures and post cards to calendars and shopping lists. The formatting has already been done. You just insert your text, pictures, etc. Explore the library to find what you're looking for.
Many Formatting Options
Both applications have built-in options for formatting, including tables, columns, numbered and bulleted lists, and more.
Import Photos and Graphics
You can literally just drag photos into Word files and reposition them by clicking and dragging. In Google Docs, you click the Photo icon and select a file from your computer to insert, or reference a web address for an image if it is already online. It also incorporates Google Image Search and Picasa, a popular photo-sharing network run by Google. Be careful not to use copyrighted photos and graphics without permission.

Unfortunately, neither is designed to actually create graphics or edit images, so if that's on your itinerary, read on.

Click here to read the whole article

A Big Wave in the Social Pool

2011-07-13T16:53:00.002-05:00

It's been two weeks since we announced plans to give away an 8-Gig iPod Touch to one lucky member of our online social circle.

The results have been huge! Our social network has grown over 2000% percent since we announced the sweepstakes. This is far beyond what most of us expected in much less time than we thought it would take.

This has led me to develop a few hypotheses about the new "social revolution" and about what users expect and value from a company's social presence.

Regarding social content, and people's expectations of a company's social presence:

Most of our customers seem to value coupons above all else
Social media can be a good channel to ask questions and leave feedback
More coupons please!
People don't like to be overburdened with posts by trigger-happy social marketers

Regarding this last point, consider this comment left by one of our fans:

"What I really like about DocuCopies is that you don't overload on your postings. People don't like to see a company post every hour - you do a good job at keeping it fresh!"

This was in response to us asking our fans exactly what they would like to see from us on our page. Did we mention they also really seem to like coupons?

If you have any ideas for how Docucopies should use the social landscape to engage our fans and customers, please let us know!

And if you really like us, please Like our website on Facebook, and +1 us on Google!

Win a Free iPod from Docucopies!

2011-07-06T12:39:00.000-05:00

Every now and then we like to give gifts.

This may come in the form of a donation to a worthy non-profit, an extra day's vacation for our employees, or a unique coupon code for our customers.

But this time we're trying something different.

Docucopies.com is giving away a free 8-Gigabyte iPod Touch to one lucky member of our social circle. All you have to do to enter is become a Fan of the Docucopies.com Facebook Page (this is the same as "Liking" that page). On July 29, we will randomly select one "Fan" to win the iPod.

Click here to read the full rules and enter to win!

What is our incentive?

Social networking is changing the way we communicate, and business-to-customer communication is no exception. Using social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., reflects the technological innovations of the last few years and enables us to communicate with our customers like never before. Not sure how to setup a file? We can send you a how-to video clip. Looking for marketing tips? Check our weekly posts and links on the subject. Want to refer a friend to us? It's just a click away.

Businesses from all industries are exploring the ways they can use social networking and social media to engage their customers.

How would you like to see Docucopies use social networking? Let us know!

Benefits to No Minimums

2011-06-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

It's now been a little over a month since we implemented our new policy of no price minimums on most products, and the response has been outstanding!

It just hit me as I was setting up a file this morning that this is a major benefit in a job scenario I hadn't considered before.

When people want different quantities of different originals or different pages in their file, in the past they would have to place a different order for each different quantity, and each order would be subject to the $50 minimum. Needless to say, this drove some jobs away.

Since there is no minimum, this is no longer a concern. You no longer have to choose between getting way more or less of a certain page than you need, or paying a $50 minimum for something you only need a few copies of.

How has our new policy of no price minimums affected you? Comments, questions, complaints? Let us know!

End of the School Year Blues

2011-06-08T15:03:00.000-05:00

Well, another school year has come to an end. Soon the classrooms and halls will be empty (aside from a few janitors and administrative folks) and the joyful laughter and shrieks of the children will be a distant, fading echo.

Don't be sad, teachers. There's a another school year and a whole new group of kids on the way!

One of the fun parts about this job is seeing the work people send us, and this is the time of year when we are absolutely flooded with yearbooks and memory books. I don't have any statistics to back this up off hand, but I'd say of the book jobs we've been printing over the last couple weeks, over half have been school-related. This means we get to see a sliver of what kids have been up to this year, and it looks like everyone's been having a grand old time.

One thing that can cramp the good times is the cost of printing these books. Because of the myriad fiscal problems schools across the country are facing, a lot of schools have had to scale back their yearbooks. Sad as it is, overall it's better to sacrifice a little luxury in your yearbooks than to have to actually cut back on the quality of education kids get.

But one thing people know they're not sacrificing at Docucopies is print quality and service. Despite the volume, we're churning out our color copies, books and booklets as good as ever, paying close attention to detail and keeping vital communication with our clients. After all, nothing would ruin a child's last day at school quite like getting a misprinted year book!

Here's a couple tips for saving more money when ordering your school yearbooks and memory books at Docucopies.com:

If your total is over $350, use the "10off" coupon code for 10% off your total
If your total is under $350, you can still use the "np5" (non-profit) 5% discount for schools

We hope it's been a good year for students and teachers alike... now go enjoy the summer!

Goodbye, minimum orders!

2011-05-16T16:19:00.003-05:00

If you haven't noticed, we decided on Friday that beginning today (Monday), we would no longer charge a $50 minimum for all orders.

The new minimum? There isn't one! Though you still need to order at least six copies, the dollar amount has been abolished.

This is great news for all our customers, but we think this will be of particular importance to folks who regularly need smaller jobs, such as:

Teachers/professors
Students
Churches/synagogues/etc.
Clubs

Surely there are more groups who stand to benefit from this on a regular basis -- who else can you think of that would fit this description?

Come on over and place a new order today! (And remember, just because you CAN do a smaller order doesn't mean you shouldn't do a bigger one! Ha!)

Environmental Responsibility in the Paper Industry: "Post-Consumer" vs. regular "Recycled" Paper

2011-05-09T12:37:00.002-05:00

The business world is slowly transitioning from the post-Gutenburg era of mass media driven by the printing press, towards a more utopian vision of a "paperless" society.

This is good -- less paper waste means less rainforest depletion, less decimation to the planet's diverse plant and animal species, and more trees to convert CO2 into oxygen.

However, like most utopian ideals, it will probably not be fully realized in any of our lifetimes. So as long as we're still using paper, it is the responsibility of those in related industries to be environmentally conscious.

Regardless of one's views on the controversy of global warming and other environmental issues, I think we can all agree that less waste is a good thing. We've gone over the ways in which Docucopies tries to be good stewards of the planet before, and we don't need to beat a dead horse.

But a customer recently asked us to send an email confirmation that the paper we list as "100% Recycled" is in fact 100% post-consumer recycled (which it is).

But what is the difference?

Basically, unless something is specifically designated "post-consumer" recycled, there is no guarantee that the material used actually went through the entire consumer cycle. For example, something labeled "recycled" may have been reconstituted from the holes which were punched out at a paper company for pre-punched paper. These tiny scraps of paper never went into the marketplace, were never bought by consumers and recycled, and were never made back into a product again. In contrast, post-consumer recycled materials were made into a product, bought by a consumer, recycled, and re-made into another product.

All of our paper which is not labeled "recycled" is made from 25% post-consumer materials. The paper listed as "recycled" is 100% post-consumer recycled (we just can't fit that whole description in the drop-down box for paper types, but if you click to view details of the paper stocks it is explained fully in that area).

So we hope this clears up any confusion!

For more information on paper lingo as it relates to environmental friendliness, visit: http://www.environmentalpaper.org/PAPER-DEFINITIONS.html

Immitation is the Highest Form of Flattery (Unless It's Your Brand Being Immitated!)

2011-05-04T15:42:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has a younger sibling has probably heard the old adage that immitation is the highest form of flattery.

Who among us hasn't had our younger sibling trail behind us, copying our every move -- the way we talk, the music we listen to, and the things we do for fun?

Now imagine that this younger sibling isn't your brother or sister at all, but some stranger. And it isn't a younger person, it's a peer. And they aren't just trying to immitate you for kicks, but are trying to actually impersonate you to steal your friends (or customers) out from under you. Not so flattering now, is it?

That's the situation Docucopies.com found ourselves in just a couple weeks ago. A certain unscrupulous printing company in the same metro area as us (we don't need to mention names -- they know who they are and we hope the shame they feel is punishment enough, and we would gain nothing by dragging their name through the mud) recently bought up a domain similar to Docucopies.com (picture a different domain type instead of .com) and filled it with worthless, keyword-stuffed content pertaining to various printing services, which linked back to their actual website. At the top of the page was "Docucopies," in a big, bold heading.

Despite Google's ongoing attempts to clamp down on people who manipulate the search engines with tactics like this, we watched this site climb in rankings for some of our target keywords. Obviously this became problematic. Once we informed them and Google of the trademark infringement, they eventually took their site down (though we still haven't received any explanation or apology).

Despite this sheisty move, it is still somewhat flattering, because this means:

Said company recognized that Docucopies.com is a leader in low-cost, high-quality color copies and printing
They recognized that we have a huge roster of clients and that our brand is well-known nationally
They could have chosen any number of companies to impersonate, but they settled on us

So, thanks for that, I guess.

Still, the slight flattery we feel is no reason to rejoice. Musicians who have their music stolen on the Internet may be glad so many people want to hear their music, but that doesn't put those lost royalties in their bank accounts, does it?

In summation, let this serve as a warning to any other companies who are considering misusing our brand name in their marketing. We will find out what you're doing, and if there is any legal recourse whatsoever, we will use it.

It should go without saying, but all companies can learn from this example. Whatever small gains you get from using such shady methods will be erased once you're found out and get sued. So please, whatever marketing plans you employ, try to be ethical, or at least legal, about it.

Join us on Social Networks! Save more on Color Copies!

2011-04-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

Did you know we're ramping up our social networking efforts?

You can become a Fan on Facebook, Follow Us on Twitter, and Network with Us on LinkedIn.

We do occasionally offer special promos only for those in our social networks to help save more money on your color copies and printing, so you might as well network with us! It's free and you have nothing to lose (and savings to gain).

Docucopies supports arts education for inner-city youth

2011-04-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

For several years in a row, Docucopies.com has sponsored the Gala Fundraiser Dinner and Silent Auction held by Urban Arts Academy.

This organization does many wonderful things for kids in South Minneapolis involving after-school and summer arts programs. Their after-school programs are free of charge and currently serve over 80 kids, ranging from pre-school to middle-school ages. This includes art instruction, mentorship, and academic tutoring, including homework help.

These programs are especially important in this neighborhood, which has a history of high crime and no shortage of ways for kids to get into trouble. Through Urban Arts Academy, area youth are able to focus their energy on something they truly love and enjoy -- art!

They also have summer arts programs at very low costs, with scholarships available for those who need it.

We believe education in the arts and humanities is absolutely key to a well-rounded and quality education for kids of all ages, and we're proud to be sponsors and donors to this great organization.

For more information on Urban Arts Academy, surf over to their website.

Answers to Last Week's Question

2011-04-18T17:15:00.000-05:00

Last week we asked if anyone could name one of a couple aesthetic changes we made on the website, for the chance to win 10% off their color copies and printing.

Unfortunately no one responded, so it must have been pretty subtle!

Here are the answers nonetheless. See if you can spot them now!

1. The background color was changed to a solid orange-ish yellow instead of fading from that color into white

2. The background colors on the sidebar items and menus was changed from a dark gray to a more pleasant white-to-blueish-gray gradient

Stay tuned, we may have some more contests coming, giving you more chances to save even more money on your color copies and color printing!

We're Proud to Sponsor This OMS Fundraiser

2011-04-15T17:03:00.000-05:00

You may have seen our post last week regarding fund raising for research and spreading awareness of OMS, a rare neurological autoimmune disease.

We're proud to be sponsoring the DJ music at the mother-son fundraising dance mentioned in that post. But there is so much more to be done!

In tough economic times, we can't expect everyone to open their wallets for every good cause they find. But what you can do is spread awareness of this syndrome, because as the time-tested adage says, knowledge is power.

Spot the Difference (a contest!)

2011-04-11T14:20:00.004-05:00

As often happens in the business world, we had a meeting last week. Big deal, right? Well, maybe for us, but probably not so much for you. Fair enough. But we did decide on a few things to implement in the near future...

One change you may notice is a minor modification to a fairly major element on the site. Can you tell what was changed? If so, email us your answer. The first person to answer correctly will get a unique 10% off coupon which he or she can use any time (once) over the next year.*

Hints:

It's purely aesthetic (visual, not significant to the functionality of the site or individual pages)
It appears on (almost?) every page
There could be two correct answers, though the concept is the same
It's not the text content at the bottom (though that did change)

Go ahead and email us your best guess. We will post the answer next week.

* Your unqieu 10% off coupon code cannot be combined with any other offers or coupons, so save it for when we don't have any promos running!

LittleLauren.org - Raising Awareness and Funding Research of OMS

2011-04-05T14:24:00.000-05:00

Most people have never heard of opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS). This extremely rare condition is a neurological autoimmune disease, which is estimated to affect only 1 in 10 million people. Most of the time, onset occurs in early childhood, but in rare cases teens and adults can develop the syndrome as well.

We became aware of it when one of our customers, Alicia, submitted an order for a flyer for a fundraiser she's organizing. Alicia's daughter, Lauren, was diagnosed with the disease in 2009, and is receiving ongoing treatment to fight OMS.

Please consider clicking over to LittleLauren.org to learn about OMS and how you can help, by spreading awareness and contributing whatever you can to research into this rare disease.

If you live near Ocala, Florida, consider attending the 1st Annual Mother-Son Dance to for OMS. All proceeds go to research for OMS at the Children's Hospital in Boston.

If you don't live in the area but are still able to contribute, please surf over to LittleLauren.org, or go directly to the Children's Hospital website to donate.

Thanks for considering supporting this cause, on behalf of us, Lauren and her family, and all people worldwide fighting OMS.

- Docucopies.com

Lauren and Dr. Gorman, who is one of only about 20 doctors worldwide specializing in opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS).

Help Japan

2011-03-24T11:35:00.001-05:00

As you surely know, the nation of Japan is still suffering from the earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit the island on March 11. International aid and support is coming in, but there is always more work to be done.

Please consider helping the people of Japan recover from this devastating crisis. We've pooled together just a few of the ways you can help give relief to those still struggling to get back on their feet. (Note that we are not affiliated with any of the following organizations -- we're simply providing a brief starting point for those who want to help.)

Save the Children - Japan

This major natural disaster has caused large scale damage along Japan's east coast. We are extremely concerned for the welfare of children and their families who have been affected by the disaster. We stand ready to meet the needs of children who are always the most vulnerable in a disaster.

Donate now to the Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund to support Save the Children's responses to children's ongoing and urgent needs.

MercyCorps

Mercy Corps is working to help survivors of Japan's earthquake and tsunami in cooperation with our longstanding partner, Peace Winds.

Peace Winds continues to deliver emergency supplies — including large shelters, tents, blankets, instant rice and fresh produce — to families evacuated from homes in the tsunami-devastated city of Kesennuma. Mercy Corps has deployed our emergency team leader to help Peace Winds coordinate its lifesaving response.

Your donation will be used to meet immediate and longer-term needs of families affected by this disaster.

Red Cross

Your gift to the American Red Cross will support our disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific. On those rare occasions when donations exceed American Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters.

There are many other organizations and charities working to bring relief to Japan, these are just a few of the ones whose names are widely known and trusted. Feel free to do your own due diligence in finding a group that you feel comfortable contributing to!

Presenting... {drum roll} ... Labels and Stickers!

2010-11-10T13:49:00.000-06:00

We know many of you have been waiting patiently a long time... and we're happy to say, it's finally here!

We now offer full-color and B&W labels and stickers. Read all about it in the attached press release.

We're ecstatic to be able to offer top-quality service and rock-bottom pricing on these new products. Whether you want mailing labels, product labels, bumper stickers, or pretty much anything else, we're your go-to-company.

I (the blog maintainer) personally already did a test run of some stickers for my music project, and they look fantastic. The money I saved doing it in-house (even at the prices we give to the public) was more budget-friendly than anything I found with other companies online, which is great for us starving artists!

Need your stickers to hold up strong to the outdoor elements? Not a problem. Choose a laminate finish to protect your stickers, or order them on polyester stock for added durability. Not concerned about the outdoors? Then a normal matte finish should be just fine, and the colors will hold up wonderfully.

Best thing is, we can print on almost any size and specially cut your stickers to virtually any shape you want.

Check out our pricing on the website to learn more. We know you'll be impressed!

Wheeew. Busy Season is Upon Us!

2010-09-30T15:36:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,

We've been in a crazy hustle and bustle this September, which is typically the start of the busy season for printing. We've been literally up to our nose (often higher) in color copies!

And thanks to you, we're on track to have one of our best Septembers yet. Thanks!

A few new updates since the last post...

We have now indefinitely extended our offer of 10% off all orders over $350 for times when other promos are not running. The coupon code is posted on the front page of the website.
Newsletters: People frequently order an 11x17 sheet and fold it in half, essentially created a newsletter-style sheet which contains four 8.5x11 pages. Now instead of figuring out how to price that on the color copy order form, you can choose "4 pages folded, not stapled" on the Booklets order form instead. This will also adjust the minimum order so you're not paying more for the same product, and the folding is already figured into the price.

Now if you'll excuse me I must be going -- I think I hear more orders for color copies coming in!

Summer Update

2010-07-06T16:31:00.001-05:00

Hi Folks,

Been a while since we last spoke, and there's been a lot going on here!

Chat Help - We now offer live chat help to customers through the website during regular business hours. Check for the "Live Chat Available" icon in the top-right corner.

Design Services - Need help designing the perfect flier or business card? We can help. Refer to the "Design" icon from our main page.

Websites - We also now offer website design through our partnership with Netpro1000. Click the "Websites" icon on our main page to learn more.

We also currently offer 10% off any orders of $350 or more, and we are giving 20% off on all envelope orders. Visit us at http://www.Docucopies.com to take advantage now!

Enjoy!

Big Changes at Docucopies!

2010-05-26T09:41:00.001-05:00

Hello loyal readers,

If it seems like it's been a while since we made a blog post... well, it kind of has been! We're in the midst of what's traditionally one of the busy seasons for printers. It's the end of the school year so there are tons of things relating to that coming our way every day: year books, graduation invitations, calendars, plus the other diverse range of jobs we're always getting anyway.

But the real change here in the last few weeks has been implementing and preparing to go public with our new checkout system. And today, we're happy to announce it's completion!

Drum roll, please...

Announcing, the Docucopies Shopping Cart!

Ok, big deal, right? Lots of other companies have shopping carts. How will this change your shopping experience?

Let's go over a quick list of the Pro's. There are no Con's, so don't worry -- it's a short read.

Order multiple jobs at once -- Not a day goes by where we don't get a call from someone asking how to place multiple orders at once. This will now be a thing of the past, as you can add as many different job types to the shopping cart as you need, review them all at once, and pay for them all with one swift check-out procedure.
Automated removal of shipping charges -- Closely related to the item above, you will now no longer be left scratching your head when you see a whopper of a shipping charge on that second order you place. If you have multiple jobs which total over $150 and you have ground shipping selected, you won't have to worry about us manually removing your shipping charges. That will be done automatically.
Only one charge -- Multiple orders will now come in as one charge, which makes for easier bookkeeping, and no more fraud-alert systems automatically rejecting your concurrent orders.
Full editability over orders -- Made a mistake on one of your orders? That's ok, you can go back and edit the job specs, even after adding it to your cart and making additional orders. You can edit the details of any job right up until you complete the checkout process.

So fresh and so green

2010-04-22T16:02:00.001-05:00

There's an old saying in the business world that "free" is the most powerful word in marketing.

That's probably still true, though over the last few years you would swear that "Green" is the most powerful marketing buzz word. As more and more people realize their effects on the environment, everyone wants to feel like they're doing their part to reduce their "carbon footprint." Marketers know this and have been playing on people's hopes and fears for the better half of the last decade. Hence, we're constantly inundated with various companies touting all their efforts to be more "green." Many of these are completely bologna, others not so much.

We wish we could do more to help the environment here at Docucopies, but every little bit does help. Some of the steps we've taken to curb waste and reduce our carbon footprint have had some very real effects:

Recycling toner bottles
We go through hundreds of these babies every week, and until we moved to our current location in Wisconsin this was not an option. Better recycling capabilities played a part in our decision on where to move the business in 2008, and we've been keeping thousands of pounds of these things out of the local landfill every month since.
Recycled paper stock
Our regular paper stock is already 25% post-consumer recycled material. Unfortunately many people aren't aware that we also offer 100% post-consumer recycled paper in 28# bond and 80# cover stock. On average, choosing these products adds only a penny per sheet, which is still incredibly cheaper than anything you will get from your local printer or chain copy shop. Please folks, bite the bullet, spend that extra penny, and use our recycled paper!
We recycle
It's not just toner bottles, folks. We recycle our own prints (internal memos, etc.), our snack and drink packages, paper scraps left over from bindery, boxes, and anything else that can be reprocessed and put to use.
Future plans
We're always exploring new ways to be more efficient. There has been talk about adding solar panels to our roof to help reduce our use of the electric grid, and the boss has even kicked around the idea of putting up a windmill or two, since we're situated in a particularly blustery corridor. There are other ideas, too, but I guess we should save some for next year's earth day...

Speaking of which... HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Perforation Has Arrived!

2010-04-15T11:56:00.000-05:00

Some of you have been waiting patiently for a long time, and your day has finally come. We now offer perforation on select color copy and printing products. This is great for tickets, receipts, information brochures, or any situation where someone needs to "tear along the dotted line."

Thanks for your patience... more products soon to come!

March was our BEST MONTH EVER!

2010-04-01T16:58:00.001-05:00

We can't thank you all enough, you've really outdone yourselves this time. March of 2010 was our BEST MONTH EVER at Docucopies.

Our customers are an outstanding group. They're always coming back to us because they know what to expect as far as price, quality and speed, and whatever they're doing to spread the word must be working because March blew every other past month clear out of the water.

Thanks again, you guys have been great!

Been a while... Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

It's been quite a while since I posted a blog update. But it's not just laziness (it's NEVER laziness!), there's a legitimate reason. It's because WE'VE BEEN BUSIER THAN A DUBLIN PUB ON ST. PATTY'S DAY!

Ok, bad comparison, and I certainly don't want to appear to be stereotyping our friends across the pond, but in all seriousness we have been very busy these last few weeks. The last couple days have been like rising to the surface for a breath of fresh air before getting pulled under the current again. We're bobbin' like apples! Only our apples are made of color copies!

Don't think for a second we're complaining. Heavy business keeps us on our toes and keeps the machines well-oiled (metaphorically and literally). The one downside, other than the stress levels and ever-present sense of urgency, has been our inability to ship products with the same quickness you're all accustomed to. So we'd like to formally thank anyone and everyone who was affected by our increased production time for their patience. We really appreciate it and we're glad you've stuck with us.

There are rumors floating around -- unsubstantiated, of course, since our managers all operate in secrecy from an undisclosed location on a private island somewhere off the coast of Beliz -- that we're hiring more press operators and upgrading equipment to increase productivity. So in theory, next time everyone and their brother decides to order color copies and printing all at once, we'll be ready for it!

By the way -- just joking about the Beliz thing. All the owners, management and employees operate in the same well-disclosed location in Hudson, Wisc., just across the river from Minnesota. This helps ensure a direct line of communication between customer service, management, machine operators, bindery, and shipping, so we can produce and ship your order exactly to your specifications.

But as one of our customers so aptly put it, everybody makes mistakes. That's just the way the world works. What matters most is how an organization responds when a mistake is made. And we have been an exemplary leader in that department every time something unexpected happens -- which I can assure you is not very often!

Thanks again for sticking with us. There are great things on the horizon which I shall divulge in another post... soon.

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints!

2010-02-09T10:14:00.000-06:00

We at Docucopies want to extend a very special congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on their historic Super Bowl win this past Sunday (even though many of us up here in the north still believe it should have been the Vikings, blah, blah, blah...).

It was an outstanding game to watch, particularly in the last half when the Saints came from behind to deliver a crushing defeat to the Colts. Sure, it would have been more exciting if the Colts had caught back up in the last three minutes and launched it into overtime, but I don't think it would have made a difference. The New Orleans Saints were motivated and passionate, and not a dang thang was going to stop them.

So once more, congratulations to the Saints and to all the residents of the Big Easy from everyone at Docucopies.

Connect with us on LinkedIn.com

2010-01-27T15:01:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

We just recently set up a business profile on the professional networking site, LinkedIn.com, as part of our ever-continuing efforts to stay on top of new Internet-related technology and services (after all, that's part of what helped us survive in a time when other printers were going out of business left and right...)

If you're on LinkedIn, consider connecting with us on there. You can find our profile at http://www.linkedin.com/companies/docucopies.

See you soon!

In case you didn't notice...

2010-01-08T16:19:00.003-06:00

(this post was amended on 1/14/2010)

Hey folks,

We know from talking with customers that our site is pretty much the easiest to use in our industry. Our intuitive step-by-step ordering process makes ordering your color copies and printing a breeze. Still, we get calls every day from people who don't understand certain elements of the ordering process. And as much as we try to make it clear on the site, there are a few common elements that seem to throw some people a curve ball. Please check out this list to see if your problem is addressed before calling us.

1) You upload your file on the very last page of check-out, not before. This is the most common issue people call about.

2) Multiple products must be placed as separate orders. Unless you're getting the same exact quantity on the same exact paper stock and all other specifications are identical, you will have to place multiple orders separately. There is different setup required for different files and order types.

3) The $7 setup charge is a standard charge for readying files for the printers. This is applied to every order, regardless of whether it's a reorder and regardless of how many orders you're placing.

4) Shipping costs can be calculated right on the order form. Once you see your total price in the pink box, there will be another link right above this that says "Estimate Shipping Time and Cost." Since your cost is dependent on weight, this is a much better method for calculating your cost than calling in, as we will have to make you repeat all your job specs only to calculate your shipping cost using the same method available on the form.

5) Any current promotional offers will be listed at the top of the main page. We're sorry, but we do not extend expired promotions as it would be unfair to the customers that hurried to get their jobs in on time.

6) Ground shipping is free if your total is over $150. If you are combining multiple jobs to reach $150, it may show a shipping cost although we will remove that amount before your credit card is charged out. Be sure to note in the job notes that you have multiple jobs in. Also be aware that the $7 setup charge does not count towards the $150.

7) If you have time constraints, be sure to note this in the special instructions! Though we strive to complete all jobs within their estimated time frame, we cannot guarantee this unless you specifically mention your exact deadlines. This will allow us to prioritize your job to ensure that it reaches you on time.

8) Ordering bleeds for your printing requires very specific file setup. Please see the section on Bleeds in the Pre-press Help under our Help menu.

Added 1/14/2010:

9) Please watch your email inbox after placing an order. If there are any problems with your file or your order, this is the first line of communication we use. We also recommend you add info@docucopies.com to your "safe sender" list so that your mail client does not accidentally place emails from us in a spam folder. We cannot be held responsible for delays in production due to unanswered emails.

10) We do not charge your card until the order is ready to print. This is partially because there may be additional charges if we end up having to alter your files or make changes to your order. This means even after your files are "ready to print," your credit card transaction could still be declined or come back invalid. So again, watch for emails from us.

What Should We Do in 2010?

2009-12-28T17:09:00.001-06:00

As 2009 spirals toward its inevitable end, we've already looked back on all the changes we've made this year at Docucopies. We are proud to be the best place on the Web for getting low-cost color copies and printing at the best possible prices. But that's not enough. We want to stay the best (and hopefully put some distance between us and the nearest runner-up) by asking our loyal customers one simple question...

What would you like us to do?

What products or services would you like us to offer that aren't currently available? What can we do to improve the functionality of our website? What absolutely drives you nuts about working with us? (Hopefully nothing! But if there is something negative you have to say, we definitely want to know.)

In short, we want to be in-tune with our customers' needs and desires. We may answer to the boss, but we work for you. Providing great service to our customers, along with the best prices on the Web, is what has catapulted our company to the top of our industry. But we know staying at the top takes maintenance!

So please, let us know how we can better serve you in 2010. Thanks for sticking with us!

"I'm not too good with this Internet stuff..."

2009-12-22T15:01:00.000-06:00

How many times have you heard someone say that? If you work for an e-commerce business, or any business with a strong web presence, you've probably heard it more than you would like to.

Other variations include, "Bear with me here, I'm not too computer savvy," and, "I'd rather just take care of it over the phone so I know what I'm doing."

And that's ok. We understand not every customer has the same set of technical skills and knowledge we often take for granted as an online business, which is why we have very personable and patient customer service reps ready to take calls and help people when they get hung up at any place in the ordering process.

But we also strive to make our website as simple as possible so anyone, even someone who has never used the Internet before, can hopefully order our products online. We're constantly updating our features to try to make it as clear as possible exactly what the customer needs to do, and in what order, to get their job quote and place an order. Automating the process in this way allows us to focus on production as much as possible, which keeps our costs low and keeps our customers happy.

If you notice anything on our site that is unclear or confusing, please let us know! It's the only way we're going to find out and the only way we'll know to smooth out the process so other customers don't have the same problem.

On a related note, we'd also like to hear from you about what products or services you would like us to add. We're always evolving, and the best way for us to suit your needs is to hear directly from you what those needs are! So please, let us know.

A Recap on 2009...

2009-12-09T12:02:00.001-06:00

What an exciting year it's been -- not just for us and our customers, but for the whole country and even the world! So much has happened it would be impossible to do a concise recap of it all, so we're going to focus just on the changes that have happened here at Docucopies since the beginning of the year.

- We added business cards to the product lineup. This included the new on-site designer and editor for creating your own business cards with our multitude of themes and graphics.

- We extended our new minimum order indefinitely. This brought our minimum job price from $70 down to $50.

- We began offering several stocks of 100% post-consumer recycled paper. This is part of our ongoing effort to stay as environmentally conscious as possible.

- We began offering an ongoing 5% discount to schools, churches and non-profits.

- We launched our graphic design and desktop publishing services.

- We created and aired our first television broadcast commercial. This 30-second spot featured former Timberwolves player John Thomas, and former Timberwolves owner, Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champion, and Jewish Sports Hall-of-Famer Bob Stein.

- We launched our custom envelope printing service.

- We launched our laminating services.

- We launched our new cash-back / store credit affiliate program.

- We began offering PERFECT BINDING!

- We started selling bulk paper by the case.

- And finally, just yesterday, we lowered prices on B&W copies by 30-50%!

What can you expect from us in the coming year? Only time shall tell, but rest assured we're always striving to keep up with demand and offer the products our loyal customers want.

Is there a product or service you would like us to offer? Please, let us know!

Docucopies Christmas Party

2009-12-07T12:00:00.002-06:00

We had a spirited company gathering this past weekend to celebrate the coming holidays, and what better place to do it than the River's Edge Restaurant in Somerset, Wisconsin.

This place has been serving western Wisconsin and Twin Cities folks since 1946 with great food, classic nostalgic atmosphere, and outstanding service. Some people may know River's Edge only as the most popular starting-point for tubing down the Apple River. If that's the case, make it a point to visit the restaurant some time -- you will not regret it!

The manager, Lisa, and her crew went above and beyond in decorating -- it looked absolutely beautiful for the holidays, more like a ballroom than a restaurant in many ways. The service, though always above average, was top-notch that night -- they made sure that every dish came out hot and every glass stayed full all night long and really made us feel like our being there mattered to them. This was exemplary service from one of the most unique restaurants in the upper Midwest, and to the River's Edge we say Thank You!

At Docucopies, we recognize good service when we see it. Like the River's Edge staff, we have learned over the years that a friendly presence, an open ear, and a willingness to go the extra mile to please a customer all go a long, long way toward improving that person's experience and leaving a lasting impression.

A couple people in our party were snapping pictures that night, so we should be posting a few over the coming weeks.

The Holidays Are Upon Us

2009-11-30T09:52:00.001-06:00

For some, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

For others, it's a stress-inducing gauntlet of obsessive shopping, meticulous cleaning and preparation, and ruthless self-critiquing that culminates into a 3-to-4-hour family gathering in which all the hard work is barely noticed, all the delicious food hastily gobbled up, and all the daintily dressed gifts torn open like wild game, after which the mighty beast of holiday cheer slinks back into its cave to hibernate for another year.

Whether you're part of the former or the latter, we want to do our part to make the holidays easy on you. That's why we've extended our special discount on our envelope printing services (20% off) and we're giving away 250 free business cards. It may not be egg nog, but at least it's one less thing you'll have to worry about cramping your holiday budget.

For those in need of holiday products, check out our partner site PaperWithBorders. They've been adding new products over the last couple weeks, including a plethora of new Christmas, Hanukkah and other holiday-related paper products.

Here's to making the holiday season as stress-free as possible. Cheers!

Free money. No ploy, no scam, no lie.

2009-11-23T13:11:00.001-06:00

Have you signed up for our affiliate program?

Why not?

You really should. You have nothing to lose, and if you have a blog or a website that sees a lot of visits, you could be earning a fair amount of cash with virtually no work involved.

Here's how it works. You sign up for our affiliate program, which is absolutely free. We give you a code to stick on your website or blog. Whenever someone clicks on your link to us and places an order, you earn money.

You can earn money in the form of cash-back, in which case you earn a 5% commission. Or if you place a lot of orders with us, you can earn 10% store credit commission. If people who visit your site have a need for color copies and printing on a regular basis, you can see how quickly your commission could pile up!

Seriously folks, it's free money, and it's just sitting there waiting for you to take it! Not convinced? Click here to learn more about the affiliate program or to sign up and start earning commission today.

In Defense of Kinko's (or FedEx Office, if you prefer)

2009-11-12T09:35:00.004-06:00

Update: I just found an interesting article on Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea, one of the world's most inspiring entrepreneurs. He is an example of very successful people with ADD.

The other day I wrote an entry criticizing one of the decisions recently implemented by FedEx regarding the takeover and renaming of the world-famous Kinko's brand. The main point of the argument was that, judging solely by comments I found on Twitter regarding the Kinko's brand and experiences in their copy shops, FedEx made a bad choice taking the Kinko's name off the stores and simply calling it FedEx Office. I argued that for many the Kinko's brand was synonymous with bad customer service and overpriced print and copy services, and that unless FedEx plans to fix the problems associated with the stores, those negative feelings once reserved for Kinko's will soon be targeted at the greater FedEx brand itself.

The core of the argument was based on the idea that most people harbor ill will toward Kinko's.

Now let's look at it from a different perspective.

First off, I said off the bat that most of the Tweets about Kinko's were simple statements, like "I'm going to Kinko's." These far outnumbered the qualitative Tweets about Kinko's (e.g. "I hate Kinko's" or "I love Kinko's!"). So one could draw the conclusion that these people in the former group, in advertising and endorsing the Kinko's name, are implying that they've had mostly good experiences with the company (or else why would they come back?).

Now, let's look at the nitty gritty of why FedEx Office (Kinko's) still prospers and will probably continue to do so, even as companies like our own undercut their prices by upwards of 500 percent.

1. FedEx Office / Kinko's has a location in almost every decent sized city. This means that when you need something NOW, not three days from now, you can drive over there and have your copies or books in minutes. This is great if you're in a bind or short on time, and it's no wonder they are so popular with students.

2. They have no minimums. Sure, their color copies might cost $.50 a piece, but if all you need are 10 copies that's not too much of a concern. Again, that's part of why they're popular among students (and teachers, for that matter).

3. Kinko's is much more geared at the consumer. While companies like ours do serve thousands of single-person consumers, our prices and services are much more geared at businesses and organizations who typically need a lot more than just 10 color copies or three bound books.

4. Kinko's does a lot more than color copies and printing. In short, they are diversified. You can get your passport there, you can rent time on a computer with Internet access, you can pick up some basic office supplies, and you can ship packages. We do none of those things; color copying and printing is our specialty, and we couldn't implement some of these other things if we wanted to.

These are the four main points I can think of off hand why Kinko's is useful, and why they will never be put out of business by the likes of us and other online printing companies. Can you think of any more reasons? Post in the comments below.

Kinko's, or FedEx Office? My Two Cents

2009-11-06T17:22:00.002-06:00

As our in-house search engine optimizer, social media networker, public relations guy, etc., I do a fair amount of research on what's being said about us and our "competitors" on a regular basis. One place where I can always get up-to-the-minute feedback is on Twitter. I frequently search to see what's being said about other companies in our industry, and of course the one company that's always a-buzz is Kinko's (or, as they are called now, FedEx Office).

Most posts are simply people sending status updates to their friends like, "I'm off to Kinko's (again), then to Starbucks, then to the gym..." (Actually, you would be surprised how many people follow up a trip to Kinko's with a trip to Starbucks. I read this as saying that Kinko's is right across the street from Starbucks, which seems almost too perfect -- people can get their overpriced copies from a huge corporate chain and walk right across the street to get overpriced coffee from another huge corporate chain! But I digress...)

Other times, the Tweets are qualitative judgments on the Kinko's experience (e.g. "The customer service at Kinko's is terrible," or "The guy who helped me at Kinko's was super nice."). Now I'm going to make a rough estimate here, since I haven't done any scientific quantitative studies on this, but it seems to me that those types of Tweets are roughly 5-to-1 in favor of bad experiences. When they're bad, it's usually something to do with A) outrageous prices, or B) bad service from under-trained employees. Regardless of the reasons or the exact ratio, it is safe to say that the bad comments outnumber the good.

Over the last year or so since FedEx and Kinko's merged, the brand name has been in constant flux. I believe that most recently, they have done away with the Kinko's name all together in favor of FedEx Office.

Though I'm not really a Public Relations expert (I have a BA in Journalism, thank you -- the Light Side to PR's Dark Side), I think FedEx corporate would do well to fire their head PR officer over this.

For a lot of people, their brand name has become synonymous with "bad service," "high prices," and "unreliability."

Regardless of how the general public viewed FedEx before the takeover, it simply cannot be good for the all-encompassing FedEx name to replace the Kinko's name. It seems to follow reason that, eventually, all the negative qualities associated with the Kinko's brand are going to be passed on to the larger FedEx name. I wonder what sort of exchange FedEx's PR department has with their customers, specifically Kinko's customers, and whether this was ever a topic of discussion among top managers when they considered switching the brand. It seems like a no-brainer that this should have been given serious thought.

Unless FedEx is going to make a concerted effort to lower their prices and actually train their employees on how to run the machines and treat customers like their business matters, they are going to absorb all the negative connotations associated with the Kinko's name. If they're not going to increase the quality of their services, they might as well change the name back to Kinko's and forget FedEx Office ever existed. After all, it's only a name. Why not stick with the name that's already been sullied with years of bad customer satisfaction?

For the record, I know not all Kinko's are that bad. The one I occasionally had to go to for last-minute prints in college had a staff that was mostly very courteous and helpful. I am basing this purely on what I have observed in the Twittersphere, and even then there's still that roughly 1 in 5 that had a good experience. But they should not discount the other 4.

Ultimately, it matters not to us, because the more displeased people become with the large corporate brands they are used to dealing with (Staples, Office Depot, Kinko's), the more likely they are to look for alternatives and end up finding us.

But I thought I'd share my 2 cents on this... maybe, just maybe, someone in the FedEx corporate offices will read it and take it to heart.

Great feedback from another customer

2009-10-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

We don't like to brag, but... well, yes we do. Because we're proud of our ability to put out high quality products that literally WOW our customers right out of their socks. With that said, here's another raving review of our services, and the second one we've gotten this week:

I am so pleased with the finished product!!!! The preschool families are amazed--and we were able to sell every single cookbook! The preschool made some much needed funds! Thanks to your super quick production and very reasonable pricing!!! Thank you again!

-Amber

Time for Us to Give You Money

2009-10-28T16:24:00.000-05:00

They say there's no such thing as a free lunch. That may be true, we wouldn't know. But there is such a thing as free money.

Take our affiliate program, which we'll be launching very soon. This is going to be an opportunity for you to make money just by referring people to our company via a banner link on your website or blog.

There's two ways to make the money. If you place a lot of orders with us already, you might want to go with the Store Credit option. For every visitor that clicks over to our site from yours and places an order, you will get 10% of that order in the form of a coupon, which can be used on any one order for the next year.

If you'd rather have the cash, that's fine too. You'll get 5% of any order that comes in through your link.

Stay tuned for more information on this sweet deal and to find out when it's available.

Another fantastic testimonial on our color copying services

2009-10-27T09:38:00.002-05:00

Yet again, we've received another great testimonial from a customer who was blown away by the value and quality of our color copies. Observe:

Our youth organization is more than pleased with the entire process that DocuCopies has offered. We were able to not only complete the task of our annual program/yearbook, but we were able to do so with beautiful color, top quality, and an extremely high end book, but most importantly, we were able to do it within budget and actually save money, to help fund the needs of the youth involved in the organization and surrounding communities. THANK YOU DOCUCOPIES! We will definately utilze your services again next year, as well as finding new projects to have a reason to come back sooner and we are spreading the word in our area that your services our respectable, reliable and SPEEDY!!

-Wendy

10% off for churches and religious institutions

2009-10-20T17:15:00.000-05:00

Color Copying and Printing Company Docucopies.com Gives 10% Off to Churches and Religious Institutions

HUDSON, WI, October 16, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The online color copying and printing company, Docucopies.com, announced today that they are running a special promotion on color copies, booklets, books, and all their other digital printing products.

Unlike many of their past specials, this one is geared specifically at churches, religious groups and faith-based organizations, who have made up a significant portion of their clientele for years.

Customers in this category can get an additional 10 percent off any job type, whether it be plain color copies, or multi-page books and booklets, postcards, flyers, or anything else from their wide range of products.

"If it weren't for the spiritual and religious communities we serve, our business would not be what it is," says marketing director Jeff Corbo. "This is the least we could do to thank them for their continued business."

It seems from experience that their customers have been just as thankful to have Docucopies. By saving as much time and money on their printing products as possible, they are able to donate greater time and resources to serving their members and communities.

One satisfied customer recently commented, "We were so pleased with the quality and price of the copies. The website is very self-explanatory and the ordering was simple. I was in a bind and needed the copies quickly and that was certainly accomplished! Our church will definitely use your services again when the need arises."

This promo runs through October 23. Customers can enter the coupon code "church10" to get their 10 percent off.

For those who cannot get their jobs in before this promo expires, Docucopies has you covered: they are always running a 5-percent discount for churches, non-profits and schools with their "np5" coupon code.

For more information on Docucopies and their myriad printing and mailing services, log on to http://www.docucopies.com.

A Rave Review

2009-10-08T10:25:00.001-05:00

One of our customers was very pleased with their job -- ecstatic might even be the right word. Behold:

FANTASTIC! The ISSA Kentuckiana chapter and myself cannot thank you enough for the incredible product and service you provided for us. With slow clients sending in their submission, we had to push our printing deadline back to the point of fear. We were worried it wouldn't make it to us in time because we gave you short notice, but your courteous, knowledgeable staff not only got the job done on time, but I was BLOWN away by the quality. I personally pulled 10 quotes for our project (300 28 page programs). Of those 10 quotes (5 online and 5 local printers) you were the lowest by FAR in price. Initially we worried that could be an indication of poor service or quality. You really delivered, and we cannot thank you enough. You made me look good as I was heading up the programs and I will refer you to ANYONE that brings up printing needs. If you ever need a reference, feel free to rely on me or anyone in my the ISSA Kentuckiana Chapter organization. Regards, [customer name]

20% off envelopes and business cards thru September!

2009-09-10T16:45:00.002-05:00

All right, it's not completely through September, but almost. You can get 20% off full-color custom envelope printing (our newest service) and 20% off color business cards! This offer runs through September 29. So take advantage while you can!

TV Commercial

2009-08-25T14:50:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

If you haven't seen it yet, please, check out our TV commercial and let us know what you think!

Envelopes Are Here!

2009-08-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

HUDSON, WISC., 8/24/2009 – Docucopies.com, one of the web’s foremost suppliers of discount color printing and color copies, launched their custom envelope printing services today.

This is one of the most requested services from customers, and they’re glad to finally be offering it at discount rates comparable to their cheap color copies.

“We would get requests from customers fairly often for envelope printing,” says Jeff Corbo, the company’s marketing director. “It was just a matter of the right time, and we’re happy to finally say that time is now.”

Docucopies now offers B&W and full-color printing on #9, #10, #10 (windowed), 6” x 9”, and 9” x 12” white envelopes.

In honor of the launch of this much-anticipated service, they are also offering 20% off their envelope and business card printing services. For example, 1,000 full-color #10 envelopes would cost only $156.

Docucopies is a division of Quantum Digital, which has been in the printing business for over 25 years. All orders can be priced out and placed on the website. For more information on this and other color copying and color printing services, please visit them online at http://www.docucopies.com.

Spillin' the beans on the TV commercial...

2009-08-04T15:33:00.005-05:00

I couldn't hold it any longer. I'm sure the bosses will reprimand me for leaking this, but here's the low down on our commercial...

I don't want to give away the script yet, but I will tell you it's a comical narrative. One of the kickers is that two of the speaking parts will be played by former Timberwolves president Bob Stein and former Timberwolf / Golden Gopher John Thomas.

We shot it last Friday and expect it to be completed and edited this week.

If you're looking for a really talented and experienced producer to do a commercial spot for your business, get a hold of Shaun LaBelle. He's really well-connected and knows what the heck he's talking about. He's a musician and music producer as well, and has worked with the likes of Branford Marsalis and is involved in producing Paula Abdul's upcoming record. He's also the son of Larry LaBelle, a legendary producer who worked on the Milton Berle Show.

Keep posted for more info on the upcoming commercial, including the premiere time and network.

Unprecedented Discounts Were Very Well Received

2009-08-03T12:05:00.002-05:00

Hi All,

For those who didn't notice, we had a long-running Customer Appreciation special this past month in which we gave unprecedented discounts on some of our products. For example, color copies were 15% off. Black and white jobs were 20% off. And business cards were a whole 40% off.

Needless to say, our customers seemed to love it. Orders poured in to take advantage of the deals, which just went to show that we consistently have the lowest prices and best service on color copies and related materials available on the web.

I'm not on the marketing team, so it's hard for me to say when we'll be running specials again or what sort of discounts you can expect. But rest assured, we will be running coupons again (as we tend to do on a monthly basis), and your money will be well-spent saving hundreds of dollars at Docucopies.com.

Filming Friday!

2009-07-28T14:50:00.001-05:00

We're going to be filming our much anticipated TV commercial this Friday.

Hard to say when the editing and final production will be completed, but you should be seeing it on television in the Twin Cities area soon! After that, we will explore other markets in which to air it.

We're really excited for this, and we hope you are too. It's gonna be a little on the humorous side.

TV Commercial!

2009-07-16T10:34:00.003-05:00

We're working on a TV commercial. I want to say as little about this as possible until it's done and on the air. But I'll drop a hint: for those of you who know your sports, there may be a familiar face or two in the cast...

That's all I can say, I've already gone too far!

Last Day to Take Advntage of July Color Copy Specials

2009-07-13T10:31:00.002-05:00

Hi all,

For those who religiously check our blog (come on, I know there's some of you!) today is the last day to take advantage of our July specials!

The following coupon codes are good until 11:59 p.m. central time tonight:

color10 - 10% off any color job
bw20 - 20% off any black and white job
bc20 - 20% off full-color business cards

We realize some of you are not ready to place your order today but still want to take advantage of these awesome deals. Do not fret! We run them fairly often (at least once a month, usually). And here's a free tip: if you become our friends on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, you can get exclusive deals from time to time which we offer only to people in our social networks. So friend us or start following today!

10% off Color, 20% off B&W and Biz Cards

2009-07-06T17:27:00.001-05:00

We've got a holiday promotion running!

Until July 13, you can get an additional 10% off your color jobs. Not doing color? Get 20% off all black and white jobs! Getting business cards? Take 20% off that!

Coupon codes:

Color10
BW20
BC20

Enjoy!

ColorPrintingSite.com is a great source of information

2009-07-01T12:59:00.003-05:00

There's a new site out there you might come upon: ColorPrintingSite.com. This site serves as a source of information about the digital printing industry and is a great place to start if you know absolutely nothing about the process.

It contains information on file formatting for bleeds and other applications, paper types and weights, design help, FAQs on digital, offset and screen printing, and more. There are also links to news articles relevant to the industry.

Check it out when you get the chance!

Now offering 5 percent discount for schools and non-profits

2009-06-29T15:38:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope the summer finds you well.

We've recently assessed our pricing and decided it's time to offer additional savings to non-profits. This includes schools, churches, colleges, charities, or any organization with legitimate non-profit status.

If you're a non-profit placing an order with us, enter the coupon code "np5" to receive 5 percent off your order. Also be sure to include your non-profit ID number in the job comments section.

We used to offer discounts to non-profits, but that was before a dramatic drop in pricing effectively brought ALL orders down to the non-profit rate. Now that's not enough.

Times are tough across the board right now, and often non-profits and charities feel the brunt of a bad economy. We want to be able to give back to the community and the country where we can, and this is just one way in which we do it.

We recently hosted a concert in Northern Wisconsin, featuring free live music all day long to raise money for the local Fire and EMS Departments (money was raised by selling food and beverages).

A couple months back, we had a similar event near our headquarters in Hudson, Wisc., to raise money for the local food bank.

Last summer and the summer before, Docucopies made a substantial donation to the Pinnstock Music and Arts Festival in their effort to raise money for the Urban Arts Academy (donations were made directly to the UAA as well).

Got any ideas for how we can help out further? Let us know what you're thinking and how we can help.

Docucopies Champions Freedom of Speech While Valuing and Protecting the Comfort of Their Team Members

2009-06-16T16:26:00.004-05:00

Here at Docucopies we believe strongly in freedom of speech as established and implied by the First Amendment. It is the most important of all our amendments, as it establishes the right to speak up against the government, and the right to freedom of the press, essentially making it an invulnerable tool for political and social change. Without the First Amendment, many of the ones that followed would not have been. (This blog’s author, by the way, carries a B.A. in Journalism and is an avid defender of the Constitution.)

But freedom of the press is a double-edged sword. Inevitably, every printer must make tough choices and set policies about what they will and will not print. Sometimes these choices are based on the beliefs and views of the company’s owners. Other times they are based on the comfort and dignity of the employees who must work on the jobs.

Docucopies has to make choices, too. I remember getting a phone call from a man who wanted to print up handbooks for new members of the KKK. Obviously I rejected his job, probably more politely than I should have. In this case, it was based on both a fundamental disdain for their hateful views (we do not print hate speech) and the comfort of our employees.

From time to time, people also send us racy material, including sexual and/or pornographic material, and expect us to print them. While we as a company make no official judgment on the role these sorts of things play in society, we do have a strict policy to not print them. This is both for the comfort of our team members and the integrity of our business. From a purely legal standpoint, we could be sued by our employees for sexual harassment should we make them work on these sorts of things. (Forcing someone to view sexually offensive material as part of their job is a form of sexual harassment, something we, like all workplaces, have a very strict code on.) But more so, we are a conscious and empathic company who genuinely cares about the comfort and dignity of our employees, whether they’re on the clock or not.

The funny thing is when people assume because of the First Amendment that we are obligated to print whatever they send us. This is simply ludicrous. The First Amendment, among other laws, guarantees our right to deny service. The free market dictates it as well; if one printer will not work with a customer, there’s always another who will.

Because of our output volume, not every single file is inspected for offensive material. And inevitably, as we put out millions of copies a month, some of it might occasionally slip through without our knowledge. So in some cases customers who have had things printed with us before suddenly find that we will not print a new job. This is not reflective of a sudden change in policy. More than likely it’s because some element of the job required taking a closer look at the files, at which point offensive material was discovered. In these cases, we politely inform the customers that we will not print their job.

Obviously this can cause a backlash. Following a recent incident, dozens of posts were made on blogs and forums relating to a certain customer’s niche industry. Random and anonymous people hurled slanderous insults and accusations about our company, creating quite a fervor. Fortunately, a good chunk of these people also defended Docucopies and our policy to not print offensive material. But others clearly had a misconstrued understanding of our policy and incorrectly linked our rejection of said-job to the social and political views of our company and/or our owners, which is just silly. In almost all cases, rejection is for the comfort of our employees and is not intended to be a form of censorship.

After a couple weeks of consideration, we decided to write this blog post in response to the back-and-forth banter coursing through the forums in question.

So, to clarify where we stand:

Docucopies DOES NOT discriminate against customers or their orders on the basis of political affiliation, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, physical disability, or any other factors pertaining to the customers’ personal views, dispositions, or lifestyles or such views as expressed in their files.

Docucopies DOES discriminate against orders which are overtly sexual or pornographic in nature, constitute hate speech, contain illegal material, infringe on copyrights, or any other orders which we reasonably believe might make ANY team member feel uncomfortable, undignified or discriminated against.

Fortunately our team members are all fairly reasonable, moderate people, so it’s rare that this sort of thing arises. But when it does, we feel it’s better to address the issue than to ignore it, as we value quality customer service.

We hope this settles our position on this issue, and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers!

Thanks to Wendy for Our 500th Testimonial!

2009-06-10T16:49:00.002-05:00

We started highlighting testimonials from our customers in 2005 as a way to boost confidence for those who aren't sure about ordering copies online.

Wendy Turner is one of our repeat customers who has been printing with us since June, 2007, and she recently had this to say -- our 500th testimonial:

I am a previous customer and since the first time I tried Docucopies.com, I've been completely hooked. It's the only place I go when I need new copies of menus or fliers. You have such reasonable pricing; I can get beautiful full color menus for a comparable price to a lesser quality black and white made locally. For me, there is no other choice.
Wendy Turner - 6/8/2009

Thanks, Wendy!

Wendy works for Jerry's Pizza in Central South Carolina. If you live in the area and you're hungry, check out Jerry's: http://www.awesomepizza.com.

:)

Docucopies Extends Lowered Minimum Order

2009-03-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

The Web's premiere color copying and digital printing company, Docucopies.com, has extended their reduced minimum order amount indefinitely after getting a great response from customers since the holiday season.

The new minimum order of $50 (reduced from $70) was originally intended to boost copying and printing sales over the holidays, when business is typically slower than usual. But the marketing department was astonished by the positive response from new and existing customers.

"This was originally going to be a limited-time promo offer," says Jeff Corbo, marketing director for Docucopies.com. "But we've had such a swell of new customers since implementing it, and our existing customers are also pleased. So why tinker with a good thing?"

Docucopies.com offers color copies and digital printing at the lowest prices on the web. They also specialize in saddle-stitched booklets, spiral and comb-bound books, postcards, business cards, calendars, promo products, and their newest product line, T-shirts. Customers can price their orders right on the website and place their order any time of day through their automated system. They offer free shipping on orders of $150 or more.

Docucopies.com has worked with companies such as 3M, ESPN, MGM Grand Hotel, and Pepsi, schools like CALTECH, Penn State, and Texas A&M, as well as a host of small- to medium-sized businesses, organizations, and individuals. They have been in the copying and printing business since the 1980s and were one of the first companies to integrate and automate their services for the World Wide Web. For more info, or to place an order online, visit http://www.docucopies.com.

# # #

You CAN Get the Exact Price Without Signing Up

2009-02-20T10:29:00.002-06:00

A quick background before I get to the point here --

Those of you who found us by searching for "color copies" on Google may also have come upon another site in the top results. It's a blog entry by a man named Tim Heuer. The entry itself is terribly outdated -- I'm talking 2005 -- yet it has remained near the top of the search results for quite a while. This is due to a few factors, not the least of which is that thousands of people read and link to his blog every day. I'll spare the technicalities of how search engines rank (since it's all voodoo anyway), but suffice to say that this entry is basically about how Kinko's is a rip off. That in itself probably would not have stayed on top of the rankings forever. But when others in our general market saw how high his post ranked for such a major search term, they [we] all started posting to it, each of us telling him that there are cheaper solutions and that our company is the best, each of us trying to draw more traffic with our posts.

Then came the avalanche, because everyone started trying to outdo the last guy. Now there's a constant influx of people in our industry posting their links, trying to squeeze a few web surfing customers out of the techy blog's readership. The irony is that all these new posts just keep his entry fresher, guaranteeing it a spot at the top of the search results! Good for him; the shortsightedness of others in our market who don't really know SEO is actually helping him and hurting them. That's one sweet business model.

But I digress. Most recently there was a post from a woman named Marcia. She was disappointed with the posts because according to her, all of the companies which quoted prices in their posts wanted her to sign up for an account before showing the actual cost, including shipping, surcharges, etc.

This is a response to her. I hope she gets it, because she left no email and her website is listed as under construction.

Marcia -- not sure if you looked at our company's site (we did give a quote on Tim's blog), but we definitely do not make you register to find out our prices. All you have to do is go to the order form. As you fill in information, the price calculator will update in real time. Once all your job information is in you can click "calculate shipping cost and time" to get the price of shipping. And of course shipping on all orders over $150 is free at Docucopies.com. The only other charge is a standard $7 setup fee. There are no hidden charges, and no taxes because it's done over the Internet -- the world's last unregulated market.

I hope you see this, as I have taken a stand to stop posting on the aforementioned blog. Next time you need a copy job done cheap, fast, and with great quality, check us out at Docucopies.com.

Why Do They Choose Us?

2009-02-18T15:05:00.004-06:00

Many of our customers are quite Internet-savvy, which means they are probably aware of the color copying services offered by some of our competitors. It would be hard not to know about it, since some of them rank higher on certain color copy keyword search terms, and many pay more to list higher in the pay-per-click search results.

There weren't nearly as many competitors in our general price range for color copies as recently as two years ago. Since then many more have popped up. Many of them are using our business as a model and trying to emulate what we are doing. In fact, a Sir Speedy branch out east directly plagiarized some of the wording I wrote on our website! Some competitors who started out rather ambitiously by paying more to rank higher for "color copies," or by dropping thousands of dollars on SEO, have now apparently failed and dropped off the map. I'm sure this leaves some of them scratching their heads, wondering how it is we do what we do so well.

I'm not an expert, nor do I make marketing decisions. I'm just a PR guy. But from what I can observe, what separates us from virtually all our competitors is how easy we make it to price a job and place an order.

For one thing, we're the only one I have seen with an automated cost calculator built into the order form. Our customers know that if they want to get a price on a color copying job, they don't need to fill out a form, send it in and wait for a response by e-mail. They don't have to call in and sit on hold while we run up a quote. They can do it all themselves from the privacy and comfort of their own homes and offices, which alleviates the pressure to "act now" and lets them take the process at their own pace. Pressure is the last thing you need when you're ordering a print job.

Our customers also know if they need help with any part of their job they can call us. And when they call, they will speak with real live people at our plant whose job it is to know what they're talking about. Our team of customer service reps are friendly and knowledgeable. We don't hire punk kids looking to scrape up some extra spending money during college. We hire career-oriented individuals who are in it for the long run.

These are just a couple things that set our company and our color copying services apart from the rest. What about you, friends? What have you noticed about us that is better than "the other guy"? Anything we should improve on?

Speak Your Mind!

2009-02-10T13:31:00.002-06:00

We've been getting some really good feedback from our customers lately. We appreciate the kind words and love to hear from those we've served. Whether it's praise or criticism, we want to hear from you. And more importantly, we want others to hear it from you too!

Spread the word about the service you've received from the team here at Docucopies.com.

It's a New Year

2009-01-15T15:41:00.003-06:00

It's a new year here at Docucopies.com. The last one was great, and we hope this one will be even better.

But we recognize not everyone is as fortunate in this time of trouble for the U.S. and world economies, and we're thankful that we're able to weather the storm.

We want to help others do the same. We would love to rally other small businesses together and address the government, demand to know why huge industries are getting bail-outs from the taxpayers without our permission and why the government isn't doing anything to help the small businesses, which make up half of the country's gross domestic product. We would love to do all these things and more. But in the mean time, we're doing what's in our power.

Hence, Docucopies.com has indefinitely extended the lowering of our minimum order from $70 to $50. Originally this was just supposed to be a holiday special, but we figured what the heck -- it ain't hurtin' us, and there are a lot of businesses out there that can take advantage of our cheap color copying services to help keep them afloat.

Like I said, it's not much, but it's what we can do... for now.

Happy Sailing.

Customers Have Nice Things to Say About Us.

2009-01-13T10:25:00.003-06:00

Our customers seem to think highly of us. Just check out this testimonial one of our customers sent to a ticketing service after he found that we have better deals and better service than the ticket company's preferred printer...

Dear friends,

I am so impressed with your ticketing services.

Artbeat puts on shows all over the USA and for now on, we hope to be using your services when theaters don't have internet capabilities.

I was reading your advice for presenting an event tonight and checked out your recommendation for printing posters M3 back on the east coast.

Well, they charge $1 for an 11 x 17 poster.

I've been using a place that is at least one day less time shipping distance called Docucopies and they charge about THIRTY CENTS for the same product (depending on the quality of paper you choose).

These folks are incredibly reliable, fast, have great service people, fine quality posters.

I think you should consider changing your advice on poster printing (unless they are giving you some kind of kick back or you own the press or something).

But if you really want to help your customers, look into the superior product and lower prices at www.docucopies.com.

- david shaw

Can Fonts Be Green?

2008-12-30T15:31:00.003-06:00

What a strange concept -- fonts that are better for the environment? It may seem odd at first, but we must remember that fonts are more than just letters on a computer screen. Quite often those letters get printed out on a sheet of paper (in fact, in our line of work, it happens all the time!) Printing takes ink (or toner), and the more you use, the more you buy. The more you use, the more plastic bottles get tossed.

So what if there were a font that used only half the amount of ink or toner as other fonts? I don't want to say much more; I'll let the people who offer this wonder-font explain it here.

The Year in Color Copies: a Recap of 2008 at Docucopies.com

2008-12-19T10:42:00.004-06:00

It's been an exciting year for us here at Docucopies.com, a year that has seen an exponential increase in our ability to provide high-quality color copies with reliable, friendly service.

Let's take a look back, shall we?

March - We moved from Stillwater, Minn., to a new location in Hudson, Wisc., which allowed us to expand the size of our operation and push out more color copies than ever before.

This allowed us to be more green as well, as we can now recycle our empty toner bottles.

We extended our services to Canada and Mexico.

We also gave away some freebies and lowered our prices.

May - We increased our productivity by buying new equipment. This sped up the production of spiral-bound books by 700 percent.

New machinery also allowed us to increase the size of our booklets to 200 pages.

July - we upgraded our whole system to a faster server to keep up with the growing demand for our color copying services.

September - we updated the site to be friendly with the new web browser Google Chrome.

We launched our postcard printing and mailing service.

October - we extended our customer support hours.

We added pre-designed advertising calendars to our product lineup.

November - we began offering business cards on a large scale.

December - we lowered the minimum order to $50.

With all these monumental changes in the last 12 months, who can tell what we'll come up with in the next 12!

Thanks for your loyal business, we look forward to serving you further through 2009 and beyond.

Deck the Halls with Color Copies!

2008-12-10T17:11:00.000-06:00

Deck the Halls with Color Copies! Online Copy Center Docucopies.com Lowers Minimum Order to 50 Dollars

Special holiday promotion intended to help customers save money on color copies and digital printing over the holidays

HUDSON, WISC, December 06, 2008 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In an effort to ease the burden on families and small businesses over the holidays, the online color copying and printing company Docucopies.com has lowered their minimum color copy order from $70 down to $50.

This move comes in response to the various market and economic forces that are dragging the country deeper into recession. While the government considers bailing out yet another of the nation's biggest industries, Docucopies.com decided to help bail out the small businesses who really need help by cutting the cost of their print and copy advertising expenses.

"It's the season for giving, especially this year when it seems everyone will be spending a lot less than usual," says Jeff Corbo, marketing director for Docucopies.com. "Why shouldn't we help out our fellow small businesses? That's the real backbone of the economy right there."

If the special goes well and they get a huge response, says Corbo, Docucopies.com will consider extending the special promotion or even keeping it permanent, allowing customers to enjoy a smaller minimum order on their color copies all year long.

Docucopies.com is an online color copying and digital printing company based in Hudson, Wisc. They specialize in color copies, fliers, posters, booklets, books, post cards, calendars, and now, business cards. They pride themselves on having the cheapest prices on color copies and booklets on the Internet. For more information, to price your job or place an order online, log on to http://www.docucopies.com.

# # #

Sir Speedy Feels the Need to Plagiarize Our Site

2008-09-26T12:38:00.004-05:00

It just came to my attention, when doing my daily searches on terms relating to color copies in various blogs and news databases, that a certain blog entry for our international rival Sir Speedy directly plagiarized content from our website's main page!

See the plagiarized content here: http://www.yourvirtualmainstreet.biz/2008/08/cheapest-color-copies-and-digital-printing-%E2%80%93-sir-speedy/

(Note: Since putting this blog entry up and sending them take-down notices, whoever is responsible for maintaining this page removed the copyrighted content promptly. Big-ups to them!)

And compare it to our original content here: http://www.docucopies.com

While we're deeply flattered that an international company like Sir Speedy recognizes our company as a worthy competitor, this clearly shows they are insecure about the services they offer and the alleged "value" associated with it--to the point where they can't even write up their own original content!

All right, folks. You know from experience we have the cheapest color copies and digital printing available, we have excellent customer service, and we represent and help out the small businesses that make America great (and we don't ask for taxpayer bailouts, either!). But Sir Speedy wants you to think otherwise. They're so confident that their prices are the cheapest, they won't even post their rates on their website! They make you call or e-mail for a quote request. What an inconvenience.

Sir Speedy? More like Sir Seedy!

Digital Printing Will Dominate!

2008-06-09T12:31:00.002-05:00

I read an interesting article today from Printweek.com. It claims that digital printing will dominate the industry by 2020.

http://www.printweek.com/RSS/News/814269/Digital-printing-will-dominate-print-market-2020/

This is good news for Docucopies, as we currently have the lock down on first place as far as having the best prices online, whether you're doing regular color copies or printing entire books or booklets. We will continue to offer the best service and the highest-quality copies and prints, even as more offset printers make the switch to digital.

But what does this mean for traditional, offset printing businesses? Are they doomed to fail?

Certainly not. There are plenty of instances when offset printing is still the better choice. It just depends on what kind of job they're doing. What offset printers will have to do, then, is focus and streamline their services for those specific instances, and either outsource their other jobs to companies like Docucopies, or invest in digital printing machines to handle those types of jobs.

Either way, digital printers are getting better and cheaper every year. The quality of jobs they put out is increasing exponentially. So as more people come to the Internet looking to have their mid-sized jobs printed on a small budget, more people will find a friend in Docucopies.com.

'Til next time.

Summertime at Docucopies

2008-05-15T16:48:00.004-05:00

Howdy there, loyal Docucopies Blog readers!

Roe Pressley here, your favorite Public Relations guy in the biz. Just wanted to update y'all about some of the goings-on here at Docucopies.

We've settled into our new location pretty comfortably. The new layout of the offices is just spectacular. It allows us to communicate and work more closely, has big windows to let in lots of natural light, has much better "feng shui," and I think the new spot increased the overall morale of our team members substantially.

Our yard has lots of lush green grass and dandelions (personally, I love the dandelions, but the managers want to mow them down!). And we recently got a picnic table, too! Haven't really used it yet... but I imagine as the weather gets nicer and nicer, we'll start finding reasons. Lunch picnics, brainstorming sessions, the ol' Friday after-work beer... plenty of excuses to sit outside in the sun! (God knows we Midwesterners don't like to take nice weather for granted)

We've also added some new team members. Let's all give a warm welcome to our newest member in the production team, Jim!

We've also welcomed back our helpful customer service expert, Genese, who just had a baby! Congratulations!

There's something about summer. Maybe it's the increased hours of sunlight, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's that smell in the air. Whatever it is, it brings us closer together as individuals in a company, thereby strengthening the glue that holds the company together. When the employees are happy and morale is high, you can expect nothing less than triple-A, top-quality service from your pals here at Docucopies.

Here's to a wonderful summer! {{clink-clink, cheers!}}

Recession Woes

2008-04-10T16:40:00.003-05:00

Recession, recession, recession... Housing, housing, housing... Interest rates, interest rates...

Well, you get the idea. Everyone is talking about it. But far less people are willing to take it a step further and start mentioning the big D: DEPRESSION!!!

There's probably a reason for that. Though our economic problems run rampant at the moment, to the point where most Americans believe this is the worst state our economy's been in since the Big One, there is little sign that we're slinking toward depression... at least from a GDP stance.

One of our partners' blogs goes into detail about the nature of recession vs. depression. He provides a number of quality links to articles detailing all the problems our economy is facing and the likelihood of it getting worse before it gets better. But he doesn't flat out say we're heading for a depression; rather, he leaves that up to the readers to judge for themselves.

Check out this excellent blog entry on recession, depression, and the state of our economy here.

If the nation is indeed in a recession, or even headed for depression, we're seeing no signs of it here at Docucopies. In fact, business is doing quite well, thank you very much. Of course, as other industries take hits, this could generate more business for companies like Docucopies. When less people are buying homes, Realtors need to be more competitive with their advertising and branding endeavors. Where do they go, what to they do, to accomplish this? Print more flyers at Docucopies.com!

Not that we relish in the suffering of others. That would be un-American, even inhuman. In fact, we like to think we're actually helping those whose businesses are hurting due to the perceived recession. After all, these companies would be printing their fliers, newsletters, promotional materials, etc., anyway, right? And instead of paying the maintenance costs of doing it in-house, or getting ripped off by the Big Three (Kinko's, Staples, and Office Depot), they're saving nearly 1,000% on their color copies by coming to us.

We have no plans to raise our prices in lieu of the economic slump, and would do so only as a last resort. So you can count on Docucopies to help you and your business through the good times and the bad. And when the economy turns around and America's back on top, we'll be right there beside you nurturing the soil, sowing the seeds, and reaping the spoils.

Little Guys Helping Little Guys

2008-04-03T15:47:00.004-05:00

In my experience answering phones, taking orders, assisting customers, etc., here at Docucopies.com, I'm constantly reminded of the sheer volume of orders we get from churches, organizations, schools, and non-profits. And if it's their first time going through us, they're always astounded by the stunningly low prices on our color copies, books, booklets, etc.

This leads me to the unfortunate realization that for every one of these calls I take, there are probably another hundred people in the same situation naively getting their copies done at Kinko's, Office Depot, Staples, or any other number of big chain copy places that feed on ripping you off. We don't play that.

We like to help out the little guys, because that's what we are.

Our managers don't sit like stiffs in sterile board rooms all day drinking coffee, deciding when to hire and when to fire, when to raise prices and when to lower them, when to roll out that fancy new million-dollar ad campaign. Our business motto is simple and profoundly utilitarian: when you help the largest number of people save the largest amount of money for the highest quality jobs, everyone wins. Our customers keep coming back because they know what to expect from us: high-quality color copies at the cheapest prices on the Internet, excellent customer service, and special perks like free shipping and free bookletizing.

As mentioned, many of our customers represent not-for-profit organizations. We used to give these people a 10 percent discount; now we don't. Want to know why? Because now EVERYONE is getting that discount. Our prices are as low as they can be, and everyone seems pleased, especially small organizations and businesses on limited budgets.

So please, if you've used our services and liked what you saw, pass our name onto your friends. Link to us on your website. Do whatever you can to help the little guy save money in this struggling economy. After all, it's small businesses--not Wal-Mart, not big oil, not industry lobbyists, but small businesses--that are the heart, soul, and backbone of our country. Let's help keep it strong.

Viva revolucion. Fight the chain copy mafia!

-Docucopies
We pound staples into Staples's face with our low prices; we put kinks in Kinko's arteries with our friendly customer service; we put the off in "Office Depot" by offering the same services for 50 percent off.

Online Color Copy Giant Gives Freebies, Lowers Prices to Celebrate Move

2008-04-02T10:24:00.002-05:00

Leading color copying and printing company gives away free services and discounts prices following a change of location.

HUDSON, WI, March 28, 2008 -- Docucopies.com is giving away free services and cutting prices to inaugurate their move from Minnesota to Wisconsin.

They are offering free booklet binding on any copy job at no extra charge. They also offer free shipping on any job over $150.

They dropped their prices on spiral binding of books and manuals, making theirs the lowest prices on the Internet.

Docucopies.com has also added 28-pound glossy text paper to their product lineup. Before, the lightest glossy paper available was the 32-pound text.

To improve usability and the quality of the customer experience, they now have comprehensive video tutorials that explain, step-by-step, how to use the website's self-service features, including placing an order, converting PDF files, combining PDF files, and uploading files.

Their competitive prices on color copies, books, booklets, and other services have made them one of the most well-known companies for color copies and printing on the Web. Yet they're always ready to evolve and welcome input from their clients,

"We're constantly updating and improving our features," said Marketing Director Jeff Corbo. "Our clients have made it clear they prefer our services over the other guy's, and we want to keep it that way."

About Docucopies.com
The company has been in the copying and printing industry for over 20 years. Their services include black and white and color copies, stapled booklets, spiral-bound and comb-bound books and manuals, posters, mailers, and more. For more information or to place an order, please visit http://www.docucopies.com.

Leading Online Color Copy Giant Extends Services to Canada, Mexico

2008-04-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

Company wants to provide neighboring nations with same great value as Americans

HUDSON, WI, March 20, 2008 -- Docucopies.com, the leading provider of low-cost, high-quality color copies, has extended their services. They now offer the same value on discount color copies to their neighbors in Mexico and Canada.

This is in addition to the services already extended to United States territories such as Puerto Rico.

"We're competing in an increasingly global marketplace," says marketing director Jeff Corbo. "So we're pleased that we can finally give the same great services to our neighbors to the north and south as we give to our fellow Americans."

In addition to standard black and white and color copies, Mexican and Canadian citizens will now be able to order booklets, spiral or comb-bound books and manuals, and the myriad other services provided by Docucopies.com.

About Docucopies.com
The company has over 20 years' experience in the copying and printing industry and has done jobs for companies such as ESPN and General Motors, and educational bodies such as the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Penn State, and Boston University.

For more information, to get price quotes, or to place an order, please visit http://www.docucopies.com.

For more information, contact Docucopies toll-free at (877) 222-4842, or visit http://www.docucopies.com.

Docucopies Goes Green!

2008-03-13T10:42:00.001-05:00

STILLWATER, MN, March 14, 2008 -- Docucopies.com, the Internet' s leading provider of quality color copies at rock bottom discount prices, is going green. But unlike our amphibious friend on "Sesame Street," these veterans of the printing and copying industry insist that it can be easy bein' green.

Beginning with their move from Stillwater, Minn., to Hudson, Wisc., this week, the color copying giant is initiating a recycling solution to properly dispose of their empty color toner bottles and paper.

"This is something we' ve wanted to do for a long time," says Marketing Director Jeff Corbo. "But between our old property managers and the city, there were road blocks that kept us from recycling more efficiently."

Docucopies owns their new building in Hudson, so they can now keep proper recycling bins on the premises. The city also has more options for recycling plastic toner bottles and paper products.

"In our old location, we would have to throw away entire trash bags full of color toner bottles every day," says Corbo. "Now we can finally do our part to reduce waste and hopefully set an example for others in our industry."

Docucopies wants to assure their loyal clientele that this change will have no effect on their cheap prices for black and white or color copies, books, booklets, magazines, or any of the other myriad services provided.

"This is just more sustainable copying, and that's all there is to it," says Corbo.

Docucopies.com provides the cheapest color copies available online at the highest quality, as well as other related services like binding, stapling, cutting, and other finishing options. For more information, please visit http://www.docucopies.com.

# # #

Online Discount Color Copy Shop Changes Locations

2008-03-05T16:49:00.001-06:00

Online Discount Color Copy Shop Changes Locations
New space will allow them to increase production, expand services, improve turnaround time, and lower prices.

STILLWATER, MN, March 06, 2008 - Docucopies.com, the Internet's trailblazer in high-quality color copies at cheap prices, is changing locations.

The new space will allow the company to expand immensely on their color copying and binding services. They plan to produce more volume, improve the turnaround time on jobs, and eventually add new services which customers have requested. By producing more copies and decreasing the turnaround time, Docucopies.com will be able to keep their prices at an all-time low, solidifying their rank as the least expensive color copy business on the Internet.

The new location, just across the St. Croix River in Hudson, Wisc., dwarfs the square footage of their current spot. This will allow them to add more machinery for copying, printing, binding for books and booklets, bulk mailing, and more.

"The brave new world of web-based, on-demand copying and printing just got a lot braver," said marketing director Jeff Corbo.

Their prices on color copying have dropped dramatically over the last year, leaving their competitors scrambling to keep up. Now, Docucopies prices are cheaper than they have ever been.

"With the new space, new machines, and increased staff in production and customer service, we'll never have to raise prices again," said Corbo.

About Docucopies.com
Docucopies.com offers discount prices on color copies, black and white copies, booklets, books, magazines, manuals, and more, at a fraction of the cost charged by chains like FedEx-Kinko's. Their website will price out almost any custom job and show a price-calculator that updates in real-time as information is entered. They have been in the business since 1980 and are among the small percentage of printing companies to adapt, survive and flourish with the sweeping changes brought on by the Internet Revolution.

For more information, contact Lynn Klatt toll-free at (877) 222-4842, or to place an order visit http://www.docucopies.com.

# # #

But Are They Really Green?

2008-01-25T12:14:00.000-06:00

I posted yesterday about an example of Xerox trying to go more green. Afterward, I was approached by one of my bosses with an anecdote of a similar nature from a couple years back. It prompted to clarify that I meant not to be a soap box for Xerox and their alleged attempts to be more eco-friendly. Because as this anecdote illustrates, what a company says and what a company does is not always the same -- and that's certainly the case with huge companies like them, where the bottom line -- profit -- is just that, the bottom line.

A few years back, a certain copy-machine producer (whose name rhymes with Danon) was advertising that they were now being more eco-friendly by allowing businesses to recycle their empty toner bottles -- you know, those big clunky plastic containers that fill up your dumpster like a Toys-for-Tots bin on Christmas. Supposedly, businesses could now arrange for this empty waste to be transported to said company's recycling facilities (or whatever third party's facilities they were utilizing). But when the boss man called the company about taking advantage of this program, a representative told him that the recycling service was not available for that product.

So yeah, they offer these services, but not for any of the products you use. Tricky corporations.

The lesson? Take what these multi-national corporations say with a grain of salt, because the bottom line is ALWAYS profit.

Speaking of companies that rhyme with Banon and bogus claims to eco-friendliness, check out this article in which Canon refuses to condemn the hunting of whales by Japanese fleets. Heck, if you're not willing to stick up for the whales, what good are you to the environment?

Green Color Copies

2008-01-24T15:57:00.000-06:00

There's a lot of talk about things like "global warming," "climate change," and "energy crisis" in the media today. And rightly so. These are issues we, our children, and our children's children, will have to deal with in the coming century.

So it's good to see that industries across the board are beginning to make changes that speak to the growing concern in our society about these daunting issues.

For example, here's a little something about Xerox and one of their recent attempts towards environmental responsibility:

http://copies.com/?p=117

Now, we're in no way promoting this company's new line of copy-printers which claim to make color copying as cheap as black and white (we did a post on this weeks ago, which you can view below). Sure, there very well may be instances where consumers actually would save money buying one of those machines, paying for the regular maintenance and solid ink stick refills, etc., but we hold true that 95 percent of the time, the business or individual will be saving more putting that burden on us. We're simply commending Xerox's baby steps in reducing energy consumption and waste from traditional ink cartridges.

More about color copies and printing, and their impact on the environment, coming soon.

News in the Color Copy World

2008-01-17T11:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a few headlines that caught my attention:

More Printers Moving to VDP

An article on the rising popularity of variable data printing, which we do at Docucopies.com.

Peace, Love, and Paper Power

Article about various ways in which paper company Domtar is "going green."

Pictorial Offset Joins EPA Program

This company was admitted into a program by the Environmental Protection Agency as the only major printing company.

More as it comes...

Economists Proclaim Minnesota to Be in Recession

2008-01-15T17:10:00.000-06:00

Big news in Minnesota today. According to economists, our great state has slipped into recession.

Ironically, this news broke after I wrote today's blog entitled "Fears of Recession? Not here."

But there's no irony in the basic principles stated, and I will reiterate them here, with a greater focus on why Docucopies.com will probably not raise prices during the so-called recession.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, paper and paper products fall into a class with alcoholic beverages, tobacco, drugs, and other products and materials which, for the most part, see no change in demand during times of economic strife.

This means that unlike airline tickets, real estate, recreational vehicles, and other products and services whose sales are largely depended on economic factors, color copies are something that individuals, organizations and businesses are going to need no matter what the economy looks like. (In fact, in some cases, businesses might need color copies even more during economic hardships)

So ye though we walk through the shadow of recession, we shall fear no harm to our business, for supply and demand art with us.

Fears of Recession? Not Here.

2008-01-15T11:43:00.001-06:00

There's a lot of talk in recent months, and especially in the last two weeks, about the possibility of the economy slipping into recession. The failing real estate market, the hits taken by large banks like Citigroup, job cuts across the board, the weakening of the dollar, record oil prices, the rise in cost of wholesale goods and the fall in retail sales -- all these factors point to a nasty conclusion.

How will this affect Docucopies?

It's hard to say. Recession will most definitely touch nearly all industries in some way due to the "trickle-down" theory (a rising tide floats all boats, and a falling one sinks them). One might draw the conclusion that the cost of paper might rise along with other wholesale goods. In theory, this could affect Docucopies's prices.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, paper and paper products fall into an industry class that also includes alcoholic beverages, tobacco, footwear, drugs, and other "nondurable" products believed to have a life expectancy of 3 years or less. Preliminary data for the producer price index in this industry shows a 5 percent increase in production costs in 2007. (Source: http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?series_id=PCU424---424---)

But wait... those of you who've been our customers over the last couple years should notice that our prices have gone down, not up, over this period.

So it seems there's no indicator that our prices are suffering under current economic woes. Furthermore, if the rest of the economy were to suffer under a new recession, efforts by companies like Docucopies to keep their costs low could have a positive effect on the economy -- lower costs for the businesses that order our services means less price increase for their customers -- again, the old "trickle-down" theory (apparently it trickles up, too, despite perceived laws of gravity).

At any rate, no matter what happens to the economy as a whole, you can rest assured we will do all we can to keep our prices low. And if there are any changes in our prices, they'll be perfectly visible right on our main page -- not hidden in shipping costs, setup fees, etc.

It's just good business.

Docucopies.com on FaceBook!

2008-01-15T11:29:00.001-06:00

That's right... Docucopies.com now has a Facebook account. You can view it here.

Keep checking back for new posts!

A Few Selected Testimonials

2008-01-11T10:24:00.000-06:00

Alright, I've spent a fair amount of words on this blog touting our services as being so great... some of the readers (how many of you are there, anyway?) must be thinking I'm full of it.

So here's a few selected testimonials from some of our customers:

I just want to thank y'all! Docucopies.com could just very well be the best thing that has happened to my PTA budget. Thank you!
-Toni Brookshire

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! When my printing plans fell apart for a Christmas book I made as a present for my extended family, I came across you guys through a Google search. I was a little bit nervous about long-distance fulfillment, and even more so because I had a couple special instructions. But you guys executed perfectly! The quality was superb. You honored my special requests perfectly. Your customer service on the phone was helpful and supportive. Your web site was far easier to navigate than others I had worked with. The quality of the print job exceeded my expectations. I was elated when the job arrived at my doorstep ahead of when I even hoped to expect it. Thanks for helping make it a merry Christmas for my family! You probably don't always realize how doing a great job on a day-to-day basis can really make people's lives easier and more enjoyable. But that is exactly what you did for me. Thank you so much! Happy holidays and best to you in the new year!
-Joe Stahl

OK - this is absurd - you didn't ship when you said you would, but on the day that I placed the order! Thank you for the superb service!
-Jim Young

Fabulous and easy self-service website, not to mention great prices! Small Businesses Love It! Love It! Love It
-Shonika M Proctor

So ya see, it's not just all puffery. You can read these and many other client testimonials at our testimonials page.

Cheapest Discount Color Copies

2008-01-11T09:57:00.000-06:00

Every now and then I see a blog post or discussion group of somebody asking "Where's the cheapest place to get color copies?"

The shocking part is not that these people haven't heard of Docucopies.com. The shocking part is that occasionally people still reply with "Kinko's has them for 99 cents a piece..." or something like that.

Obviously if people are looking for a good price on color copies, they've probably already tried Kinko's and realized they were getting jacked.

On that note, I will reiterate -- Docucopies.com has the best deals on color copies and printing on the net, period. Our website is the easiest to use, you can find out what your job is going to cost right on the website, we have better customer support than our competitors, and we have free shipping on orders over $150.

The only possible deterrent is that we do have a $70 minimum. If your order should cost less than $70, we will tell you so you can save your money.

So please, people that are still wondering about where to find the cheapest color copies, read this blog, and as Saturday Night Live's iron-pumping duo Hans and Franz would say, "Hear me now, think about it later."

Economic Patriotism at Docucopies.com

2008-01-10T15:56:00.000-06:00

We live in an ever-shrinking world, where the fate of everything from freedom in America to the cost of milk in Egypt to restricted Internet access in China are linked economically. Some call this globalization; some refer to it by much dirtier words. Whatever you want to call it, Docucopies.com doesn't care -- we are not a political organization, nor are we particularly concerned with international economics.

But one thing we do care about is supporting the local economy, and in this sense, we are talking about the United States of America. We keep our jobs here in the states and play an active part in strengthening our nation's economy. For example:

You will never call us for support and be transferred to some guy in India. Our customer support reps are right here, in house, so you can be assured there will be no language barriers or hurdles to jump through to find out about your job.

Our paper comes from the United States of America and Canada. American paper companies use sustainable practices in logging, which is more than we can say for companies in South America and around the world who would sooner clear cut an entire rain forest than lose profits.

We do not have Washington lobbyists. We don't give money to political candidates or campaigns, political action committees, or causes. We have no clandestine contracts with international conglomerates, media organizations, contractors or utility industries. We do not control any other aspects of your life than the color copies and printing you order from us. We wouldn't even try it if we could.

We observe fair and ethical business practices. Even our competitors can appreciate that.

We support independent businesses. If a customer brings us a job that's too small, or we're overloading with jobs, we're more than happy to refer the job to another local printer or copier. And they're happy to do the same for us.

We fight big conglomerates and chains like FedEx Kinko's, Staples, and Office Depot. Heck, our pricing is already way better, so in our view, we've already won that battle.

Check back regularly to read more about how Docucopies.com supports our country and local economics.

The Little Print Shop that Could

2008-01-09T16:03:00.003-06:00

Sometimes people get the impression that we, as the front-running purveyors of cheap color copies and printing online, are out to put the local mom-and-pop copy shops out of business.

This could not be less true.

Still, I have read blogs and forums in which people refer to the top online places as mafia-like, as if we're all part of some organized syndicate whose primary directive is price-gouging, fixing the market and stealing business away from the little guys.

While we can't speak for our competitors, this is certainly not true of us.

Here's the truth: Docucopies.com began over 25 years ago, long before anyone knew what a dot-com was. Our founder and CEO, David Pressley, was a student at the University of Wisconsin River Falls in western Wisconsin. It was here that he managed the print and copy shop on campus. Eventually he, along with his wife Karen and a few business partners, took up shop in historic downtown Hudson, Wisconsin and named their print and copy shop Copy Cat. Over the years, Pressley expanded and diversified his business in Minnesota and eventually made the transition to the Internet, where the business continues to thrive and grow today.

Docucopies.com has a synergistic business relationship with smaller, localized print and copy shops, because while the business has certainly grown since being the little shop that could, we never forget our roots as a mom-and-pop shop and support the mutual effort to protect independent business from the large national chains.

Here's a well-deserved salute to small businesses, and a defiant fist in the face of the chain-copy mafia.

Cheap Color Copies and Printing, Free shipping and more...

2008-01-08T15:29:00.000-06:00

We at Docucopies.com know we have one of the greatest products on the Internet. We do cheap color copies, color printing, stapling, binding, three-hole-punching, bookletizing, and more. Our industry is somewhat unique, in that it's one of the only ones where you can get the service done offline, or you can go online to our website and save upwards of 700% on a color copy order. Let's put that in realistic numbers:

Say you go into the chain copy shop in town where color copies cost 49 cents a piece, which is a realistic estimate. You order 1,000 color copies. Math geeks? That's right, you're looking at paying $450 for a stack of papers.

Now instead of taking the time out of your busy day to start your car and drive to the other side of town (or further), you log on to Docucopies.com (you're so smart!). You enter your job info, upload your file, and the copies are at your house or business in two days. And it only cost you $90!

The savings doesn't stop there. That's just on a thousand copies. The more you get, the more you save -- get your color copies for as little as 5 cents a piece!

Granted, we are not the only company online offering such a drastic price break. If we were the only ones, the price would not be so low. Healthy competition assures that you will continue to save on your color copies. But what makes us the best is that we have a consistent reputation of producing high-quality color copies at impossibly low prices, and offering free shipping on orders over $150. We also have other services besides just copying, including custom promotional products and pre-printed themed border paper. Other companies have tried to play catch-up, but they're just a bunch of Johnny-come-lately's!

With this little factoid, it might seem odd that so many people are still throwing their money away at Kinko's, on campus, or {gasp} at Walmart. I know, it doesn't make sense to us either. Thanks for reading.

Get your cheap, quality color copies and printing today and, in the words of Razor and Blade from the movie Hackers, never again [over]pay for a service that would be dirt cheap if it weren't owned by a bunch of profiteering gluttons.

Holiday Gifts from Docucopies.com!

2008-01-03T15:48:00.001-06:00

We at Docucopies.com hope everyone had a comfortable and safe holiday season. We also hope you took advantage of our special holiday gift to you of 50% off binding -- that's spiral and comb binding, mind you.

If you didn't get a chance to take advantage of our offer, don't fret. At Docucopies.com, we love giving away stuff. It's a part of what makes us better than our competition. So don't worry, we'll be running another special really soon... if we're not already!

Our New Year's Resolution? Continue to smack down the competition and bring you the best darn color copying and printing services available on the 'net, and off.

Happy New Year from Docucopies

2008-01-03T15:25:00.001-06:00

Hi everybody, and Happy New Year!

2008 is officially here, and it's going to be a great one. At Docucopies.com, we're constantly reinventing ourselves, adding content to our website and blogs, optimizing our services, and otherwise working hard to continue to bring you the cheapest, highest-quality color copies there are.

In the coming year, you can expect the following from your pals at Docucopies.com:

We will continue to...

Provide high-quality color copying and printing services to our customers

Beat our competitors by offering the best prices on the Internet

Provide excellent customer service and set-up help

Offer our trusted clientèle sweet deals like free shipping, discounts, and more

Fight the powers that be (Kinko's, Office Depot, etc.) by beating them at their own game

And we will...

Offer other services such as pre-printed border paper and promotional products through our various partners

Look for new, innovative ways to provide quality color copy and print services to our customers at the lowest prices possible

Update our blog with relevant, industry-related entries for those who would read them

and more... just wait and see!

Don't forget to check out our Myspace profile. Add us as a friend today!

Docucopies on the Radio!

2007-12-28T16:35:00.001-06:00

Select FM radio stations across the country will soon begin airing a commercial for Docucopies.com, whom you already know supplies the Internet's cheapest and highest-quality color copies.

The 30-second spot features a mock telephone conversation between a "customer" and a Docucopies.com customer service rep, as well as a voice over explaining that, yes, we do indeed provide the web's best value color copying, color printing, and more. More information coming soon...

Docucopies.com is on MySpace

2007-12-21T11:28:00.000-06:00

Hello Friends,

Just wanted to let our readers know that we've started a MySpace profile for our company. You can find it here: DocuCopies.com - Cheap Color Copies and Printing.

Internet Color Copying and Printing Company Makes Website Friendlier to Firefox, Safari

2007-12-20T15:31:00.000-06:00

Leading color copy and print company wants to reach beyond the scope of Internet Explorer.

STILLWATER, MINN., 12/21/07 — The Internet’s leading color copy and printing company is reaching out to the growing number of web surfers who use browsers other than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, making their services more accessible to web users in general.

Docucopies.com, whose cheap prices on color copies and printing have brought them to the top of their market, realized the need to optimize their site for non-IE users months ago.

“More and more web surfers are turning to applications like Mozilla Firefox and Safari to browse the Internet,” said marketing director Jeff Corbo. “We want our services to be just as accessible to these people as they are to Microsoft’s faithful constituency.”

Specifically, Docucopies.com’s automated price calculators will be affected by the new changes. In the past, some customers not using Internet Explorer have had difficulty fully utilizing this feature, which automatically updates the projected price of each color copy or print job as users enter job information.

Traditionally, many companies and websites have struggled making certain features accessible to both Internet Explorer and its competing software. But in a market where Microsoft is seen by many as a dominating, if not monopolizing, force, businesses should be prepared to open their services to the growing number of surfers using alternative web browsers.

“This isn’t playing favorites,” said Corbo, who reminds us that the majority of web surfers still use Internet Explorer. “This is just being practical and making our services accessible to a wider range of users.”

Docucopies.com is a web-based color copying company headquartered in the Twin Cities, Minn.

For more information, visit http://www.docucopies.com, or e-mail info@docucopies.com.

###

More on SEO, part 3

2007-12-11T10:44:00.000-06:00

Good news for those who are trying to boost their ranking in the SERPs. Google is now indexing images uploaded on Blogger. This means that the images you upload on your blog (specifically on Blogger) could have an effect on your ranking, depending on how you use this to your advantage. Here's a couple ideas:

1) Post a new blog, and include an image with a link to your website, like so:

2) Link the image to your website's main page. In your image's ALT tag, enter a descriptive sentence rich with your most important keywords. Do the same in your HREF "title" tag. It should look something like this:

<a href="http://www.docucopies.com" title="Cheap color copies, black and white copies, booklets, books, binding and more!"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WGsIcLBX86s/R169UBTajoI/AAAAAAAAAAM/uBiHfk5ApgY/S220/DocuCopies+Logo.gif" alt="Cheap color copies, black and white copies, booklets, books, binding and more!"></a>

3) The image itself, coupled with the descriptive ALT and TITLE tags and of a course a link back to your website, can be a powerful way to get indexed higher for these keywords next time a Google Bot (automated "crawlers" that locate and index HTML pages) crawls over your blog. Hint: Google likes when people link to you. The more people you can get linking to your site with an image and descriptive ALT and TITLE tags, the higher you will be ranked.

More on SEO, part 2

2007-12-07T16:14:00.000-06:00

(continued)

4) Analyze your needs for SEO, then analyze your budget. Try to figure out how much you would stand to gain from having your site on the first page for your main keyword phrases. You may find that the costs of optimizing might well be more than your potential return. And remember this -- very few SEO pro's guarantee results at all, because you really can't guarantee anything in this business. What works for one business may do nothing for, or even hurt, the next.

5) Do you need to outsource your SEO, or can someone in house do it? Though nothing is a given or a constant, there are certain principles that tend to apply to search engine optimization. If you have an employee whom you can't keep busy, and this employee has writing skills and at least a moderate interest in marketing, tell him to start researching SEO. After a few days or weeks of reading up, he may be able to optimize your website. Depending on your business, your site, and your needs, you may find that boosting your position in the SERPs isn't as hard, or expensive, as you thought it would be.

More on SEO

2007-12-06T17:11:00.001-06:00

I talked briefly about search engine optimization (SEO) in the last entry and intend to provide more links to relevant articles and other information for those of you just entering into this exciting world.

But for those of you who are not in the SEO business but think your company could benefit from hiring SEO professionals, here are a few tips I offer from my own experience.

1) Don't believe anyone who considers himself an SEO "expert," because there's really no such thing. The algorithms and other methods of crawling websites used by search engines such as Google, Ask, MSN, Yahoo!, and others are constantly changing. Because these companies have people working for them who get paid very well to keep their services fresh and their indexing methods secret, you can rest assured that businesses seeking free advertising through natural search results will be locked in a never-ending game of cops and robbers with the search engine programmers. In this sense, the people at Google, Yahoo!, etc., who are in charge of this could be considered the only true SEO experts, because they're constantly rigging the game.

2) If someone tries to sell himself as an expert or even a professional, look at his track record. Ask him to show you some data from jobs he's done with past clients, and look for a consistent upward movement in the client's website's position. If there isn't any, it could be a good indicator to hold onto your pocket book -- for now.

3) The vast majority of Internet users today go to Google to perform their searches. Hence, while it is important to consider optimization for the lesser engines, it is more important to focus on Google, at least for now. Perhaps in the near future some of the recently demoted underdogs will have a resurgence in popularity, once Google's plans for world domination are exposed.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Copy and Printing

2007-12-05T10:34:00.000-06:00

As you probably know, the vast majority of our business at Docucopies.com comes from the Internet. Marketing on the Internet is... well, how much can we say about that? For a company whose veins and arteries are directly hooked to the world wide web, Internet marketing should generally be your biggest focus.

There are countless strategies, techniques and tools for marketing on the 'net, but in this entry I will focus on just one. Unlike most marketing strategies, it's completely free. Unfortunately, it's not an exact science, and many people don't have the time or patience to figure out exactly how it works (and these people tend to end up outsourcing this job to specialized firms). I'm talking, of course, about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

When you do a Google search, the first items to come up at the top of the page are your "Sponsored Links," which is just a fancy word for advertisements. These people pay to be there. But below the sponsored links is a list of 10 other entries, ranked by relevancy through a series of intricate algorithms, or mathematical formulas and equations, the search engines use to rank pages. These entries are referred to as the natural, or organic, search results, and most search engines display 10 on each page. (The pages that display these results are called SERPs - Search Engine Results Pages.)

No matter how much a business is willing to pay to get in the sponsored links, there is no replacement for ending up in the top position of the natural search. But how, when there are millions and millions of pages being returned for a search query, are you ever supposed to get your site ranked that high?

That's where those specialized firms come in -- the Search Engine Optimization "experts." (I use the term expert loosely because, quite simply, nobody knows anything for sure, and what they think they know is constantly changing.)

But before you rush out and pay some company $5,000 to optimize your site for you, there are a number of resources online, written by internet marketers and SEO professionals, that you can read for free to get an idea of how SEO can help you.

For beginners, I would recommend the following links:

A Rookie's Guide to Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing

(Of particular interest on this site is the link to "Top 10 SEO Factors")

Internet Color Copying Company Offers Promotional Products via New Partnership

2007-12-04T12:42:00.001-06:00

Docucopies.com partners with World-Promo-Products.com to offer customizable promo items, expanding far beyond the realm of online color copies.

STILLWATER, MN, November 15, 2007 — In a new partnership with World-Promo-Products.com, the color-copy giant Docucopies.com now offers a huge selection of promotional items, including stationary, calendars, office supplies, apparel, drink ware, bags, and more, with the competitive pricing and superior service their customers expect.

With this new partnership, Docucopies.com, who have made their name providing high-quality color copies at rock-bottom prices, can now provide a service many of their corporate customers have long been coveting. Now, clients can upload a digital copy of the promo image they want to use with the ease of placing a color copy order.

"Businesses know if they need quality color copies done fast and cheap, they come to us," says Jeff Corbo, marketing director for Docucopies.com. "Now they can get their promo products done just as easily, with the quality they expect from Docucopies."

But it's not just good for businesses. Docucopies.com caters to the everyday consumer as well, and from time to time, everyone needs a customized product.

"Some people might want to order commemorative mugs for a family reunion or a wedding," says Corbo. "Or they have a band and they want to order some t-shirts or hats. Now we can accommodate pretty much any situation."

The catalog is enormous. It features everything from golf hats to sun visors, baby clothes to fishing lures, and religious items to can coolers. There's so much to choose from, Corbo challenges visitors to try to find something they don't offer.

"We have yet to hear from anyone who hasn't found what they're looking for," says Corbo.

For more information, contact Lynn Klatt at (877) 222-4842, info@docucopies.com, or visit Docucopies.com or http://www.world-promo-products.com.

Cheap Color Copies Turn Over Even Quicker Thanks to Equipment Upgrade

2007-12-04T12:03:00.000-06:00

Leading online color copy company increases productivity by adding new machines.

STILLWATER, MN, November 15, 2007 — Docucopies.com, one of the Internet's top resources for cheap color copying, has boosted their productivity once again by adding new equipment to the lineup. This means faster turnover and increased production for the company, whose cheap prices on color copies and related products have earned them a place at the top of the industry.

One of the new machines automatically inserts spiral binding into books and booklets, which speeds up the production of these popular products astronomically.

"Books and booklets play a huge part in our color copying business," says director of marketing Jeff Corbo. "The new equipment will really expedite the entire process."

Also new to the arsenal is a digital cutter, which measures and cuts sheets and stacks of paper electronically, making more precise cuts at a much faster rate.

Making regular upgrades to their equipment as technology improves is integral to the company's success, according to Corbo.

"Staying on top in the industry means staying up-to-date with the latest changes in copying and printing technology," he said.

About Docucopies.com
Docucopies.com has been pushing out cheap color copies on the Internet for five years and is based in Stillwater, Minn.

For more information, visit http://www.docucopies.com, e-mail Lynn Klatt at info@docucopies.com, or call (877) 222-4842.

Ink vs. Toner

2007-11-30T11:15:00.001-06:00

There's a lot of talk about laser printers and inkjet printers in our industry, and though I think most people IN the industry know the differences and pro's and con's, there are probably a lot of everyday consumers who don't.

Traditionally (meaning since the beginning of the boom in "personal computers" and word processing), most people used inkjet printers in their homes and offices. Many people still do. I remember finding a perfectly good printer at K-Mart for 50 or 60 bucks in my freshman year of college. Of course I bought it, figuring there's no way I'd find a better deal. Little did I know I was just a pawn in Lexmark's marketing strategy.

Perhaps Jeremy Shulman, vice president of Reink Technology in Tempe, Az., which makes re-manufactured ink cartridges under the Vibrantink brand name, put it best: "The general rule of thumb is that the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the disposable costs for refills and so on." (Full article)

Maybe you've had the same problem. You buy a cheap printer and then find out it costs more money to refill the ink cartridges than it did to buy the printer (and ironically, the printer came with ink cartridges when you bought it).

In this sense, laser printing is much cheaper. Rather than using traditional ink, laser printers use toner. Toner is a dry powder composed of carbon and polymers that, when heated, bind with the paper, essentially acting like ink. What's the catch? It's much faster and cheaper than ink and generally matches or beats the quality. The laser printers cost quite a bit more than inkjets. But your overall cost is much, much less.

For more information on the relationship between ink and toner, check out this article.

Cheap, High-Quality Color Copies

Xerox Proclaims 'Color Copies for the Same Price as Black and White' -- What This Means for Us

2007-11-30T10:22:00.000-06:00

Xerox has recently unveiled their Phaser 8860 and 8860MFP printers. With these new products, Xerox claims that you can now "add color to every document you produce and no longer worry about how much it costs."

What does this mean for Docucopies.com, or for your color copying and digital printing company?

Well, we're not too worried about it. While Xerox claims their machines are economical (to the point where color and black and white cost virtually the same), it's clear to see that these copy-printers are intended for consumers, not providers. These are aimed at small- to medium-sized office work groups whose needs are more or less restricted to business meetings, reports, charts, etc. They are clearly NOT intended for large-scale copying companies. This is evidenced by the price as well as it's multi-functionality (e.g. scanning, faxing).

So if you're an executive of a color copying or printing company, you can stop shaking in your boots. This product is not going to put you out of business. You may lose some customers from the small- to medium-sized work group demographics, but your big expensive jobs will keep coming in, because this machine just isn't designed for them.

Furthermore, an article by Nanette Byrnes says, "Xerox's new machine makes a color copy at five cents, about half of what printing it on today's machines costs." At first glance, you may be thinking, "Five cents, hey, isn't that the same price Docucopies offers?"

Yes and no. The five cents per color copy that this machine offers does not factor in the maintenance and repairs that the owner will almost certainly suffer over the course of the machine's life. At Docucopies, that's already figured in--when we say five cents a copy, we mean it. Most companies do not want to worry about the constant upkeep involved in having their own machines, and that's why they will keep coming to us.

The Xerox 8860MFP is very new, and there doesn't appear to be much for customer reviews. If any of our readers have an experience with this machine they'd like to share, please post.

Check out our related blog on the differences between printing with ink, printing with toner, and printing with what Xerox calls "solid ink" (which they claim to offer exclusively).

Cheap, High-Quality Color Copies

Why Are Copy Shops So Expensive?

2007-11-29T15:40:00.000-06:00

So if you've been reading our blogs, visited our site, or placed an order with Docucopies.com, you've probably noticed by now that our prices for color copying (5 to 13 cents per 8.5" x 11") are really, really low, especially when compared to giants like FedEx Kinko's. So the obvious question: why?

Why is it that an international chain of copy centers can charge upwards of 49 cents a page for mediocre color copies?

The biggest reason is, Kinko's main target is consumers, not businesses. Kinko's wants to reign in the church leader or college student who needs thirty copies, not the executive who needs 30,000. By doing so, they are able to charge outrageous prices for color copies, knowing that most of their jobs probably won't be for more than $50. They need to make it worth their time to run the machines.

At Docucopies, the situation is a bit different. We happily serve average consumers just as quickly and professionally as businesses. But we do it differently. Our customers don't walk in with a stack of papers. They upload their files from their homes or offices. So there is less need for in-house customer service reps. Secondly, we have a $70 order minimum. To some, this may seem steep, but for anyone doing any serious copying, it's peanuts compared to the savings: $70 at Kinko's will get you roughly 140 color copies. $70 at Docucopies will get you over 500 color copies.

Don't believe me? Check out our cheap color copies for yourself.

Printing and Copying in the 21st Century, pt. 2

2007-11-28T11:39:00.000-06:00

Printing and Copying in the 21st Century - Part 2

Tips, tricks, comments, and anecdotes on survival in the color copy business.

Know your market. Do you print big jobs for universities, businesses, and organizations, or do you focus on consumers who need personal jobs done? Knowing your market it essential to survival. Picture a wolf that doesn't know it's supposed to be hunting deer instead of mice. It will never survive. Nor will a bobcat that's trying to take down a moose.

Focus on your market. The world is too big to market your services to everyone. Once you've analyzed your market, focus on them. Don't waste time doing $20 jobs for the guy down the street if your color copy machines are going to be busy doing that big job for the law firm downtown. Likewise, don't take on a $10,000 job from a big corporate entity if you don't have the machines and manpower to get it done on time.

Cheap, High-Quality Color Copies

Printing and Copying in the 21st Century, pt. 1

2007-11-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

Printing and Copying in the 21st Century - Part 1

A different kind of climate change...

Anybody with even a modest understanding of the print and copy industries should be well aware that the climate has changed dramatically in the last decade, washing thousands of mom-and-pop businesses out to sea and leaving countless others to claw at the sand for dear life.

Why is this happening? Why is it that printing, an industry that has been on a steady rise since Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type printing in the 15th century, is suddenly suffering? Obviously the Internet, which bombards us with millions of gigabytes of information without asking for a single piece of paper in return, has played its part. But there are other players in this Darwinian battle of the industries which must not be brushed off lightly.

For one thing, the cost of machines has gotten progressively cheaper -- so much that many companies who need regular copying done have invested in in their own copiers rather than pay the outrageous prices toted by companies like FedEx Kinko's. Meanwhile, companies like Docucopies.com have carved out a new market by marketing their services over the Internet, focusing largely on businesses that need big copy and binding jobs. As for the printing industry, many small-scale operations can't keep up with the progression of digital imaging, which is often able to replicate the quality of offset printing presses at a fraction of the cost and setup time.

With such a glum forecast, how can any small- to medium-sized business in the industry hope to survive the next decade in what promises to be an even more cut-throat marketplace?

Keep reading posts in this blog to learn some tips about how to survive in the Brave New World of copying and printing.

Cheap, High-Quality Color Copies