Variable Data Printing Service (London SE1)

Using ‘variable data printing’ is a way of personalising sales and marketing literature to individual recipients. It’s a great marketing tool too. People are far more likely to notice a mailed flyer, for example, if it addresses them by name, right there in the colour printing, as part of the actual design. You may have received brochures personalised to you, perhaps. They may have mentioned your name here and there throughout, in colour. That is a sure-fire way for a sales or marketing piece to get noticed and taken more seriously. Receiving such tailored communications suggests an existing knowledge of the customer, as an individual. It also comes over as being highly professional and a bit more ‘grown up’ than the usual anonymous approach. It also lends the printed piece an element of gravitas, subconsciously saying ‘this is an important message to you‘.

Personalised text

Personalising the text of a brochure or mailshot to include the recipient’s name is an obvious example of variable data resulting in personalised printing. As well as a name, though, the person’s location could also be included for that extra personal touch. Or there could be mention of a previous purchase, a brand usually ordered, or anything else that’s relevant. This is all possible so long as it’s included within the database being supplied to your commercial printer. All of this extra personalisation can demonstrate a real knowledge of the customer within the sales piece, potentially becoming integral to the sales proposition as part of a strategic, well thought-out approach.

Personalised images

Variable Data printing doesn’t need to end with text though. It can also merge images, diagrams or illustrations into the printed piece. For example, a particular image can be printed in a printed document meant for one recipient, while a different image can be printed for someone else. For example, a mailer used to sell health supplements might include a featured image of something the customer has ordered before, now on special offer perhaps. If they’ve ordered before and are reminded of what they purchased, that’s certain to really catch their eye and generate additional repeat sales from the recipient. That’s just one example of how variable data printing can be used to personalise sales and marketing literature.

How Variable Data printing is achieved

This kind of document personalisation is all made possible using a decent database and ‘variable data printing’ on a digital press. What’s more, it’s all possible at Southside Print in Tabard Street, London SE1. In simple terms, you need to supply your digital artwork along with a database, for example an Excel file. Ask us for more information if you are considering using variable data printing and we’ll help to guide you through the process. We’ll need to know a little bit more about your particular job before we can give you rock-solid guidelines, though.

Contact Southside Print for more information

We can be contacted on 020 7378 6754 or via email using our online enquiry form. We are open for business as usual, despite the COVID-19 lock-down, but of course we’re taking extra precautions in respect of the virus outbreak. We therefore suggest that you contact us using one of the above methods in the first instance, rather than coming to the print shop in person.

Southside Print are printers and graphic designers based in Borough, close to London Bridge. We are a digital printera large format printer and offer various print and design-related services in the SE1 region of London and beyond.