Company Overview: Established by Congress in 1969, the Inter-American Foundation is an independent U.S. government agency that develops assistance to the organized poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. A board of directors appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate governs the foundation.
Problem: Edith Bermúdez, communications specialist at the Inter-American Foundation, needed presentation folders to support the organization’s branding at events and meetings.
Story: Bermúdez started working on the project with her agency’s designers while looking for a company to print the folders.
Because the Inter-American Foundation is a government agency, Bermúdez was required to get three bids for any purchase. She found Company Folders, Inc. during an Internet search, decided to use the company for one of the bids, and ultimately chose Company Folders over the other companies.
“It was a good experience working with people who are specialized in delivering a good product.”
– Edith Bermúdez, communications specialist at the Inter-American Foundation
She chose the Square Corners Two Pocket Presentation Folder and asked for several quotes on printing it – with four-color process on one side, on both sides, and with a variety of coatings.
Bermúdez selected a four-color process on 14pt C2S White Semi-Gloss stock, coated with Aqueous Matte.
The plan was to print four version of the folders with four different cover images. She submitted artwork, at which point the project hit a snag.
“There were a lot of questions about the artwork and issues with files,” said Company Folders Print Project Director Jennifer Grubb. “So, I worked with her, and she worked with her designers to solve the problems.”
The image resolution was low and the artwork didn’t line up with the score lines on the template. Grubb adjusted the files to match the score lines, bleeds and pocket sizes while Bermúdez went back to her designers for better images.
Bermúdez chose four new images for the covers, but one was still too low resolution. She requested a printed color digital proof to see how it would reproduce.
The new image solved the problem and Bermúdez approved the proof.
Bermúdez requested her first quote in May and her order went to production in September. The delay was the result of a lengthy approval process in her company.
“I wonder if I had used [Company Folders’] design services if it could have been easier,” she said. “The design was done at my agency, taking into consideration the representation of all different groups that we work with. I had to prepare multiple designs and reach an agreement, which was the most difficult part. The final decision was made by the agency CEO.”
When she was ready to order, Bermúdez said the process was easy. It took some time, but Bermúdez was pleased when she received her presentation folders ahead of her event.
“I would recommend [Company Folders] because they make the process easy to deal with and their quick delivery without extra charges,” she said. “It was a good experience working with people who are specialized in delivering a good product.”
Product: Square Corners Two Pocket Presentation Folder printed with four-color process on 14pt C2S White Semi-Gloss stock, coated with Aqueous Matte. H1 business card slits on the right pocket.
