Welcome to The Winners Circle

Your production partners here at Circle Graphics are pleased to announce the introduction of our new e-newsletter entitled "The Winners Circle". As often as we have news that we think you will benefit from, we will publish and send -- promising to keep our communications relevant to your needs and respectful of your busy schedules. Of course we love to get your feedback so we can make our products and service exactly what you deserve -- World Class! Drop us an email to suggestions@circlegraphicsonline.com.

From everyone here at Circle Graphics, thank you for the trust and confidence you place with us each day, namely the production of your large format digital images. We promise to keep getting better every day!

Have you been to My Circle?

Circle has recently introduced some exciting new Internet tools to help customers ENTER and TRACK orders via the web 24/7 in real-time. Click the image to the right to see a walk through with some screen shots of these new tools.

Key Benefits of This New System:

• Enter your orders online and receive an instant Order ID and Art Upload link.
• Save time by having key information defaulted for your online orders.
• Track order status day or night -- in real time.
• View and approve your electronic proofs online.
• Track your package right to your doorstep.
• Upload your artwork directly into your order's job folder.

New Shipping and Image Labels for our Boxes and Vinyl

Based on a terrific suggestion from one of our customers, Circle has recently added an IMAGE LABEL on each box depicting the contents of the included billboard print (either poster or vinyl). In addition, we are placing this image label on each and every vinyl.

We have also expanded the information we provide on the Shipping Label to include the vinyl size, # of extensions, Advertiser and Design (in addition to other required shipping information). Of course, we have retained all the useful elements and functionality of our previous labels that provide the total order quantity and # included in a particular box.

Check out pictures of these new labels below.

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Super Saturated Color™ Posters

Circle Graphics would like to share some exciting news about a dramatic improvement to the quality of billboard posters.

Circle Graphics has completed a year-long project to increase the amount of color (pigment) in our inks. These Super Saturated Color™ inks deposit much more color onto the poster paper than other inks. The results are:

true fire engine reds	deeper navy blues	more brilliant yellows

The challenge to this development was that pigment (the actual color element in ink) can clog the nozzles of ink jet print heads unless it is a very precise size and quantity. Our new inks contain a much greater amount of pigment than other inks and, therefore, deposit much more color onto the paper. The resulting vibrancy is very striking.

All of our posters are now printed with these "Super Saturated Color" inks. We remain committed to making digital the best quality, best service, and lowest cost method by which to produce outdoor advertising and this ink development represents one of our key initiatives.

The many advantages of digital poster printing are well known. Nonetheless, technical limitations of digital inks have limited the "pop" or "intensity" of certain printed solid colors (spot colors) when compared with prints from other traditional printing methods. Those days are now over.

Our Super Saturated Color™ posters meet the requirements of the most demanding design directors and expand the benefits of digital printing. No less important, Circle Graphics remains the only outdoor advertising digital printer whose inks are free of Hazardous Air Pollutants (as defined by the EPA).

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Black-Backed Vinyl

Circle Graphics is pleased to announce an improvement in the production of flex-vinyl billboards.

Black-backed vinyl has been used for the past few years to provide extra opacity in "open frame structures". These open frame structures are popular along the coastal regions susceptible to hurricanes. Additionally, these open frame structures are becoming more popular and prevalent in all parts of the country due to their cost advantage over traditional structures.

The black backing and extra opacity creates MAXIMUM color intensity in all situations so Circle Graphics has now standardized behind this premium-priced black backing material for all our vinyl flex production.

If you have any questions about this improvement, please do not hesitate to contact your Account Manager, Hank Ridless, or Rod Rackley at (303) 532-2370.

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The Winners Circle "Easy-Bake" Solution to the Ink-to-Ink Adhesion Problem

Solvent-based inks used by all digital printers, Circle Graphics included, have a tendency to "stick to themselves" even when completely dry. As temperatures rise in the summer months, the likelihood that the ink will stick to itself increases.

Most printers provide the obligatory Warning Label admonishing your operations crews not to fold your vinyls ink-to-ink. And they stop there. However, Circle realized that this warning is impractical for many operations crews due to the various and unique methods employed to hang vinyls.

As a result, Circle re-engineered the production of vinyl bulletins to eliminate the potential problem of "ink sticking to ink" during installation. Circle has developed and implemented a unique additional curing capability in-line with our printing process. This innovation to our production process has essentially eliminated this industry-wide problem that is most prevalent in the hot summer months.

Reminder:
Please take care when handling or re-folding your flex vinyls. Even with our new curing method, Circle encourages our customers not to allow the printed side of a vinyl to come into contact with another section of the printed side (i.e., ink-to-ink). We suggest that you always use a non-stick material to protect the print side before you lay it on top of another printed section.

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Paper Poster Templates

We are pleased to announce the release of new templates for our 30 and 8 sheet posters. These templates have been posted on our website under the Artwork Preparation Guidelines section.

The files are called 30_Sheet_Template.psd and 8_Sheet_Template.psd. Both templates are profiled with the U.S. Web Coated (SWOP)v2 profile that comes standard with Photoshop, so no need to install anything. When referencing Pantone colors we ask that you use the "Pantone Solid to Process Library" which also comes standard with Photoshop.

Why Photoshop?
The short answer = simplicity.

When you prepare a file in Photoshop with these templates you are significantly reducing the odds of any "glitches" occurring . . . no fonts to supply, no links to embed, no overprinting issues to worry about. And only one file to upload!

There are a myriad of potential pitfalls with page layout and illustration programs (all of which we will continue to support), but from a speed and accuracy standpoint, a flattened Photoshop file is the way to go!

Finally, we ask that you do not include any frames or rule lines in your design that you do not want to print in your final posters. It's important that your design go all the way to the edge of the template so no white gaps appear when they are installed.

As always, if you have any questions regarding these templates please feel free to drop me an email at matt@circlegraphicsonline.com.

Thank You for Being Such Terrific Production Partners!
Matt Lautemann
Director of Prepress

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We've Made the Big Time... Times Square That Is!!

Circle Graphics is flattered to have been chosen by Clear Channel New York to produce a number of mega-bulletins for Times Square. Take a look at some snapshots of our Madison Square Garden - Madonna Concert wallboard installed in the heart of New York City.

Circle Graphics uses automotive-grade pigments to create long lasting and vibrant colors on 13-ounce flex-vinyl material. Our vinyl is certified to meet NYC safety standards (the most stringent standards in the country). Our 360-dpi resolution is the highest available from any volume billboard producer. We have recently developed unique pocket-welding equipment to ensure our welds are the strongest available.

Circle Graphics is still investing in technology and automation to continually improve the quality of our production, the speed of our service, and simultaneously reduce our costs. We are very grateful for the support the industry has shown us for these efforts and will continue to strive to earn a role as your best outdoor production supplier.

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The Winners Circle Featured Account Manager: Tredessa Rhoades

Circle's Customer Service Philosophy

Circle believes our customers deserve world class service. We want our customers to think of Circle as their very best supplier. And we want every customer to have a single point of contact at Circle -- someone that they have a bond with and that can provide unique levels of service especially on jobs with special requirements or turnarounds.

The role of Circle's Account Managers is to deliver on this customer service philosophy -- to make sure that our philosophy is not simply a bunch of words but rather words backed by deeds.

This section of The Winners Circle is intended to give you a brief glimpse at the people here at Circle who play such a large role in delivering world-class service.

Introducing Tredessa Rhoades, Circle Account Manager

What do you enjoy most about being an Account Manager?
We have a fun team. We talk a lot about providing world class service. With so many examples of "average" service at fast food or big box retailers, we want to provide memorable and positive experiences to our customers. And we LOVE getting feedback!

What is the Circle philosophy on customer service in your opinion?
It may sound odd, but I don't really focus on the fact that Circle Graphics offers the absolute lowest prices in the industry. I know that cost savings is important to my customers, but my focus is strictly on the service related to their order. I know that it has to get there and look good for my customers to really experience the value. I like that my customers know that I am here to look out for their orders and to be a resource for them. There's almost nothing I won't do to satisfy my customers.

Can you tell us something else about you that your customers might find interesting?
I come from a large close-knit family who mean the world to me. Luckily we all live in the same area and we enjoy Sunday night meals as one big group. In fact, my youngest sister, Stormie, works here at Circle too as our Art and Proof Coordinator. Another random fact about me, is the origin of my name. My mother knew a little girl whose name was Tredessa (TRA-dess-uh) and that girl's mother made the name up. As far as I know, there are only two Tredessas in the world!

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