A piece of the puzzle.

Ruth Kaufman, a Chicago author and actress, describes 'puzzle writing' as a sure fire way to write a book.
"Writing a book is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. You have to arrange a lot of pieces–characters, plot, setting, pace, sub-genre elements, dialogue, narrative, etc.–until they form a seamless whole." Read More

This is something we've considered recently.  We've had the privilege of working with several authors and small publishers over the years - seeing their popularity grow - watching them piece together new stories and ideas - helping them find ways to better their product.  And it's been fun to be one of the pieces in their puzzle.


As we've come to see, it's not just a matter of writing a killer story, but also producing a printed product that brings your story into the hands of your readers.  After all, that is the end goal of writing a book in the first place - to share it.


One of the core values of our business is long-term relationships.  Not just within our company, but with our surrounding communities and customers.  We'll be featuring some works of popular area authors and small publishers in our stores over the next few months.  Stop by one of our 8 locations to check out some of the cool ideas and products they've pieced together through the years.  And, check out book publishing resources on our website!

Our New Scion iQ

We've been offering free pickup and delivery to our commercial customers since day one.  That's right - it's free!  We love offering this service to our commercial accounts.  To fuel this service, we have delivery vehicles in Eau Claire, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Wausau, and Milwaukee.

We've had three locations in Milwaukee for several years and our business there has been growing.  In effect, we've added an additional delivery vehicle to our Milwaukee fleet - the 2012 Scion iQ (Video)  Don't let size fool you.  This little car will accomodate several cases of paper.  And, averaging up to 40 miles per gallon, it's an eco-friendly addition to our continuing Sustainable Printing Policy.

Watch for the Scion iQ to be roaming the streets of downtown Milwaukee.  And, ask about our free pickup and delivery service for your business or organization!

Our thanks to Mark Toyota Scion in Plover, WI for this great find!

Pennies for Patients

http://www.wxow.com/story/17194837/pennies-for-patients 

In the 12 years our doors have been open, we've had the opportunity to support and donate to various non-profit organizations, community efforts, and families.  One recent effort we were able to participate in was the "Pennies for Patients" fundraiser at Harry Spence Elementary School in La Crosse, WI.
Watch the Story

Classes competed to raise money for 4-year-old Raylin, who is being treated for leukemia.  Students collectively raised four times their overall goal!  We donated the oversize check which in effect helped increase the funds collected.  We want to thank the kids at Harry Spence Elementary for giving us the opportunity to join in their efforts.

Our goal is to be an integral part of each community we serve.  In fact, serving our community is part of the core structure of our business.  It has been our vision to direct the money we would spend on advertising efforts to invest in the needs of our friends, neighbors, and customers.  We offer support through donations, sponsorships, volunteering, and non-profit pricing.

For more information, visit dcopy.net/about-digicopy/promises

Restaurants: Keeping it Local

Going out to eat.  It's a common enjoyment of most Americans.  While there will continue to be the staple cuisine that always draws a crowd, many restaurant-goers are drawn to new establishments, new recipes, and new ideas.

So how do restaurants go about gaining and maintaining their customer base?  The word on the street is: keep it local.

The National Restaurant Association recently published an article reporting the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2012.  Locally sourced meats, seafood and produced ranked at the top of this year's hottest menu picks.  And rightly so.  Many restaurant-goers are attracted to menu items that are prefaced with a local reference.  Not only do local food sources have a fresh appeal, but they also provide a healthier alternative to mass-produced food.  Click here to read more.

Restaurants that are looking for new ideas or just needing help in their general operations can always turn to a local information source: The Wisconsin Restaurant Association.  They have some helpful information and provide access to skilled professionals to answer questions.  The 2012 Wisconsin Restaurant Expo is taking place next week (starting March 5th) at the Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee.  This can also be a helpful tool for restaurant owners to gain new knowledge and ideas.

Keeping it local can be a great solutions for restaurants.  It can also be an expensive one.  Tell us your thoughts on restaurants using local food sources.  Is it worth their time and money?

How?

Print media.  It's been around for centuries, but only in recent years has digital printing become a popular solution.  I graduated from college with a degree in design and had little understanding about offset and digital printing by the time I went looking for a job.  Although both processes can create similar prints, the difference is in How they are produced, How fast, and How much.

How? Digital printing is a four-color printing process. Four colors - cyan, magenta, yellow, and black - are printed in tiny dots that when visually mixed together, create various colors. When using a printing press (ie. offset printing), the desired print image is burned onto a plate and is then transferred (or offset) from the plate to a rubber blanket, and then to the printing surface.  Read More >

Our Xerox iGen 3 (Stevens Point location)

How Fast? Both digital and offset technology are characterized by speed.  Offset can create more prints per minute, but there's a catch: printing plates and setup add lead time to getting the finished product on paper.  Whereas digital prints can be produced at the click of a button.  Digital printing is fast and a great solution for on demand projects while offset printing is best fit for larger print runs.


How Much? Again, digital and offset both have cost-saving solutions, but in different manners.  Because digital technology bypasses the expensive setup of offset, you only pay for the prints you make.  Offset pricing per sheet is dictated by the quantity of prints.


How Do I? If you're debating about whether digital or offset is a good fit for your project, we often find a solution for you.  Just stop in and talk to one of our co-workers.  Whether your job is big or small, we'll find a solution to fit your needs.

Bypass Frustration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtTUsOKjWyQ

Hello everyone and welcome to our blog.  I'm embarking on a new endeavor as I've never blogged before in my life!  But, as the old saying goes, there's a first time for everything.

Speaking of old, although I'm only in my 20s, I'm beginning to feel more and more old in this technology-crazed society we live in.  I keep remembering the days of no internet and no cell phones - yes that was during my lifetime.  How far-gone that is now.  Nevertheless, while technology is great, it still has the potential to deeply frustrate.

As I hit "print" today to my HP Laserjet and saw the flashing orange "something's wrong and you won't be able to fix it" lights come on, I thought of an action to best relieve my frustration.

And that's one of the many reasons why we're here... providing print solutions to help you bypass frustration.