Indie Printing – The Blog

…more than just ink and paper

Downtown L.A., 9 Film Festivals and Counting

September 2, 2010 – 10:55 am

Earlier in the year, we posted how Indie Printing was a popular printer for Independent Filmmakers. Turns out we’re also becoming a place of convenience. As we enter the fall season we’ve counted 9 film festivals in Downtown Los Angeles alone.

Today, the nationwide traveling Bicycle Film Festival starts. Definitely one of the most unique in the country, offering a rotating theme of all things bicycle. In its third year, the Downtown Film Festival‘s theme is “Urban Wildlife,” truly capturing the essence of today’s Downtown L.A. The Downtown Film Festival starts September 8th and goes through the 12th.

Indie Printing is the official print sponsor for both film festivals. We expect to see a parade of both local and non-local bloodshot-eyed filmmakers, scurrying to get his or her last minute movie posters, postcards and business cards all done same or next day. As always, we’re ready for it.

In case you’re wondering, the film festivals we counted in Downtown Los Angeles this past year are: Instant Films 48 Hour Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, Visionfest, Zero Film Festival, L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival, Skate Film Festival, Jules Verne Film Festival, Bicycle Film Festival, and Downtown Film Festival.

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“Indie Printing, Now Printing on Hemp”

July 10, 2010 – 6:57 pm

We’ve been trying to get the word out about Indie Printing’s newly born Hemp Print Product Line. Hopefully you’ve heard about it by now. We’ve been actively promoting it on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr as well as print publications LA Weekly and THC Expose. The reason we’re trying to spread the word about our Hemp line is not to make money(believe me the margins are tiny), our agenda is to showcase Hemp as an alternative for products traditional produced using tree pulp as well as the simple reasoning that it looks gorgeous and is unique. We’ve received tons of support from graphic designers, the medical marijuana advocates, our environmental buddies and several clients who all agree that Hemp is both aesthetically appealing and responsible.

Hemp is a faster growing plant, requires very little to no pesticides for it’s growth, enriches the soil it grows in, not to mention its Gorgeous! Made up of post-consumer(recycled) fibers and hemp, our hemp print products are TREE FREE, meaning there is no virgin tree fiber used in producing the paper for your printed hemp product. Combined with the obvious soy based inks, our Hemp line is truly the best possible scenario if your looking for a “green” print alternative. Since harvesting hemp is illegal in the U.S., our hemp is as local as it comes…Canada! So we’re happy we can still support a North America supplier.

So far we’ve printed hangtags, posters, bookmarks and a slew of postcards, and business cards on hemp. We’re shocked to find that no other professional printing company is offering a Hemp Print Product line in the entire country, if not the world. It’s a bitter sweet first for us, as we hope other printers will start to think about hemp as an alternative. Whether you choose to use Indie Printing or another printer, look into using hemp as an alternative for not just paper printing, but also for apparel and any other industry where tree fibers are being used.

People are loving it, and we hope the momentum continues. Feel free to stop in, call, or e-mail for samples of our Hemp products. Don’t forget to follow our posts on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr where we often showcase our “Cool Print Projects,” which of course include our Hemp Print Product Line.

Currently we are offering the following specials on hemp.

Hemp Business cards (full color on both sides): 500 for $125 or 1,000 for $175

Hemp Postcards (full color on both sides): 500 for $199 or 1,000 for $275

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L.A. Film Festival means Film Festival Printing!

June 5, 2010 – 9:37 am

Throughout the year we see a spike in business as opening night for the next film festival approaches. No matter what state the film festival is located in, or the size of the festival, we can always foresee a surge in what most call “Film Festival Printing.” There is certainly no exception for this years Los Angeles Film Festival. The LA Film Fest is located in Indie Printing’s backyard this year as it makes its way from the westside to Downtown L.A. The LA Film Fest kicks off June 17th and goes on till the 27th utilizing over a dozen of Downtown new and historic locations.

As filmmakers prepare to strategize on how to get their movie seen, we begin to strategize on how to accommodate the onslaught of next day and same day turnaround times that inevitably will avalanche down Pico Blvd. Indie Printing is literally 4 blocks from the LA Film Festival this year, so we’re a pretty convenient “one stop print shop.” Nobody really wants to use Kinko’s right? We’ve already begun to see a few order trickling in for movie poster printing, and the phones have begun to ring asking for advise on what an Indie filmmaker needs to promote at a film festival.

Indie printing is proud to have pioneered “Filmmaker Print Packages.” Many printers now offer packages directly made to fit the needs of a filmmaker promoting their film at film festivals, but Indie Printing was the first printer to create filmmaker print packages in 2003. The packages were first introduced at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, and have been a great tool for any filmmaker in need of a quick resource for knowing what is necessary when promoting a film at any film festival.

The filmmaker packages usually contain a couple larger movie posters to post at the theatre a film will be screening at, some business cards and postcards for the hand-to-hand marketing and a bunch of smaller 11×17 posters to plaster all around town.  The filmmaker print packages are economical too, starting at just $299 for some large and small posters, business cards and postcards. We do often create custom packages to suit any filmmaker’s printing needs. We like to think our predetermined filmmaker packages are more of a template for the filmmaker who is new to the film festival world.

You can view our filmmaker print packages here, along with our other industry print packages for musicians, actors, theatre groups, and small business. If your in the need for film festival printing, movie poster printing, or any other printing for that matter, give us a call! We do large and small quantity movie posters, postcards, business cards and can do same day turnarounds if your in a jam. We love being one of the best Los Angeles movie poster printing companies, and are always happy to help. Since 2003 Indie Printing has been catering to the independent mind on the independent budget.

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UPDATED: Mixing Business with Pleasure

May 26, 2010 – 9:10 am
puppymill

actual puppy mill photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

Quoted as being the golden rule in the business world, mixing business with pleasure usually is a bad thing right? What about when it comes to social justice? Should companies take a stance on issues that aren’t relative to their business life? When it comes to the less fortunate we certainly take pleasure in doing so.

We’ve been printing flyers, posters, stickers and signs for the “anti-puppy mill” protesters for over a year now. Best Friends Animal Society, along with several other active groups, volunteers and public officials have been tirelessly protesting pet stores who purchase animals for resale that come from puppy mills. A puppy mill is a factory of sorts where dogs are forced to reproduce several times beyond their natural ability, often leading to death, or extreme sickness for both the mom and the puppies. These puppies may also be born healthy but raised in terrible and inhumane conditions before being sent off, groomed, then put on display in local pet stores.

KTLA anchor Lu Parker will be reporting on this issue tonight Wednesday May 26th during the 10pm news broadcast on Channel 5 in Los Angeles. You can watch a quick promo here, featuring our good buddy Jennifer Krause of Best Friends Animal Society.

actual puppy mill photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society

Indie Printing strongly encourages you to follow the moto of Best Friends Animal Society’s current billboard campaign “Adopt Before You Shop.” Millions of perfectly healthy animals are being put to sleep every year in our city animal shelters. You can help by spreading the word about the puppy mills.

UPDATE: Watch the full story now:

http://tinyurl.com/33antkg

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New Coalition Formed To Promote High-Speed Rail, Indie Printing’s there for the Launch!

May 25, 2010 – 2:43 pm

We’ve been fortunate enough to work with Downtown L.A.’s Sustainability Council for a little over a year now. Working closely with people who realize that environmental responsibility means everything, not just what’s immediately in front of them has really helped us grow as a company. It really assisted us in raising the bar from the norm of soy-based inks and recycled paper printing to being more innovative, and thinking about how we can grow those now common industry standards, and do things better in all areas of our professional and personal lives.

A good example of the progressive clients we are working with is the newly formed community coalition promoting the high-speed rail in California. Put together by the Los Angeles Chapters of the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association as well as local community members, business owners, local governments and universities, Rail LA is formed.

Rail LA’s mission is simple, “…ensure that the people of California benefit from the nation’s first viable high-speed train network.” Rail LA seeks to reduce traffic and carbon emissions and introduce innovative and sustainable urban design to California. A series of events will be taking place this summer. For more information you can visit: www.railLA.org

RailLA knows a thing or two about eco-friendly printing. RailLA secretary Ashley Z. Hand requested that we print all of their business cards on FSC certified paper stock with a high level of post-sonsumer waste, and soy based inks. Walkin the walk, that’s what we like to hear.

RailLA will be happy to know that their business cards will be printed on FSC certified stock made of 75% recycled content, sourced from the U.S.  Maybe the nice folks at RailLA will be impressed when we show up to deliver their job in a hybrid. Who knows, 10 years from now we could be doing deliveries in a bullet train!

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Adopt before you shop

May 21, 2010 – 8:57 pm

How much is that doggie in the window? TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SO MANY REASONS! Before you decide to buy a dog, go out and adopt one this Sunday from one of several rescue non-profit organizations at Best Friends Animal Societies Super Adoption. The groups at the adoption will be showing all types of breeds, large and small, all spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ready to go to a new home.

Even if your not looking for a new pet, go out and support the rescue organizations by attending the event, dropping some coins in their donation jars, or just go make a pets tail wag for a couple minutes.

Indie Printing has been fortunate to work closely with Best Friends Animal Society for the past few years. This year we printed the flyers, posters, banners and a few other items including a “Pawsport!” All done with eco-friendly printing in mind (of course!). All the paper used had a high level of recycled content, was made in the United States, FSC certified and was done with either Low V.O.C. or soy based inks. Not to mention our recyclable/biodegradable banner material.

Also in attendance will be our favorite rescue group, the Downtown Dog Rescue. Go by their booth and say hello! Tell them Indie Printing sent ya. Best Friends Spring Super Adoption, Sunday May 23rd in Westchester, 11am-4PM for more information visit: Best Friends website.

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Reality TV touches “Green Printing” in Downtown L.A

May 19, 2010 – 11:10 am

We’ve been anxiously awaiting the airing of the Lazy Environmentalist TV show on the Sundance Channel which was shot here at Indie Printing a few months ago. We were excited to be chosen as the printer of choice for the show because of our strong environmental values, and our support for local business and arts.

Behind The Scenes

The Lazy Environmentalist is a show on the Sundance Channel which teaches people how to make smart environmentally conscious decisions in their every day life, without trying so hard. In Season 2, Episode 5, the show features host Josh Dorfman “greening-up” local band “Raining Jane.”

Josh “green’s” everything from the instruments the band uses on stage to stenciling with mud, and marketing. Mud StencilingWe were lucky enough to be featured as part of the marketing segment, since we often work with the concert industry, and print tons of posters and flyers for the indie music scene as well as several record labels both large and small. The nice folks at the Sundance Channel thought we were a good fit for the show, and we are happy they chose us. A little bashful, but certainly grateful. Find the show on The Sundance Channel, on Itunes, and online

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Worldfest, are you going?

May 15, 2010 – 3:58 pm

Whether your a green enthusiast or not, you’ll enjoy Worldfest, which is this Sunday, May 16th.

It was important for us to be part of Worldfest this year because we really support the positive nature of the event. Whether your into Veganism, Animal Rights, an Eco-lifestyle, or not into any of the aforementioned, Worldfest is simply a positive event with a positive message, “have fun!”

Go out an support our new friends at Worldfest this Sunday. Who knows, you might taste the best food you’ve ever eatin, bring home a new 4-legged friend, or meet some new friends who share the same positivity that you do. See you there! http://www.worldfestevents.com/ Sunday May 16th 10:30-7pm in the Valley at Woodley Park in Lake Balboa, pets Welcome.

If your wondering what we printed for Worlfest this year, we printed all the postcards and flyers, 11×17 posters, their stage banners and step-n-repeat banners, as well as several banners for the many booths which will be showcasing their eco-friendly products. It was the perfect event for a local eco-conscious printing company (Indie Printing, duh!) to be involved with. We are really happy Worldfest put trust into our company in providing green printing, eco-friendly printing, eco-conscious printing, eco-smart printing or whatever else you want to call it. We are just happy to be involved and are proud of the products we produce. Eco-conscious printing, locally grown!

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TransPLANT

April 22, 2010 – 10:49 am

Just a quick thought….”what if we did something with these old ink cans other than recycling them?” And so you have TransPLANTS by Indie Printing.

Indie Printings TransPLANT

What better day to kick off a fun new “eco” project than Earth Day. Indie Printing is giving away Transplants, a repurposed ink canister made into a plant pot. Would you like one? Come by and pick one up.

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Its the time of the season for FILM!

March 26, 2010 – 9:56 am

Film festival season seems to be constant now days. With a quick break during the holidays, things quickly pick-up in February. We always get busy producing posters, postcards, business cards and our filmmaker packages, which we are proud to boast that Indie Printing was the first printer in the industry to offer filmmaker print packages back in 2003.

This month Indie Printing was involved as sponsors in the Green Lifestyle Film Festival at UCLA, and is sponsoring the upcoming Going Green Film Festival in Century City , Los Angeles’ 7Ten Film Festival, San Diego’s Indie Fest, and The Method Fest in Calabasas/Agora Hills which starts this week, and goes on until March 31st.

Indie Printing’s history with the Methodfest goes back before Indie Printing even existed, so we are always in big support to Don Franken, the Methodfest staff, and it’s filmmakers. The Methodfest is much different than any other film festival, keyword METHOD. The Methodfest is the only film festival that concentrates on the actors performance. There are no categories for animation, music videos, special effects or anything else digitally made. You’ll only find good ol’ fashion story telling and acting at the Methodfest. Along with the films, there are plenty of workshops, events, a few music showcases and celebrity guests and honorees. The Methodfest should not be missed!

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