On the day the team got right to work, with dog walks around the local country park to start the morning, followed by wide range of tasks including; weeding, painting fences, benches and the stables to help get the rescue centre ready for their open day on Sunday, which raises vital funds to help keep the charity running and helping as many animals as possible.

Some of the team were even lucky enough to get some kitty cuddles! The day concluded with a guided tour of the site including meeting all the farm animals, visiting the wildlife hospital, and meeting a 22-year-old giant tortoise which some of the team wanted to adopt!

“We had a fantastic day helping a wonderful local charity, Animals in Need, who go above and beyond to support animals who need a safe and loving environment until they find their forever home. We loved helping their incredible staff by walking some of their very cute dogs, sweeping, weeding and tidying different areas of the facility, cleaning and tidying in the kennels and painting woodwork across the site in preparation of their fundraiser open day! As a business, we are proud to offer colleagues the opportunity to help local charities via volunteering days and we loved being able to help such a wonderful charity who make such a difference to the animals in their care’” - Jen

“The team at AIN were great with us and the animals, they seemed to know so much about each of them and partnered us with specific dogs based on experience. 

We felt like we had a good opportunity to really help them in the afternoon, helping clean the site and get some painting done ahead of their open day – the sun even came out in support. We painted up the stables, benches and had lots of welcome animal distractions throughout 😊 The lovely Emma who was running the site that day finished off the day taking us on a fantastic tour of centre giving us all a chance to meet every animal in their care – and there was a lot of them!” - Bryony

JD team members volunteered with a range of tasks, including helping to choose and weigh shopping, packing, carrying bags, restocking, making cups of tea and by being generally friendly, kind and approachable. 

“I really appreciated the opportunity to get involved, to talk to people and to help them with their shopping. It was an eye-opening experience, particularly seeing how much work goes into the preparation, not only for the Pop Up Shop but also for the regular foodbank which runs alongside this incredible summer initiative.”

A big thank you to everyone at Godmanchester FoodBank for letting us get involved and to all the JD team members who volunteered. Having the opportunity to support our community and to work more closely with one of our charity partners was fantastic. 

The visit gave JD employees an opportunity to spend a bit of time relaxing with the dogs throughout the day, which has the following benefits:

• Just 10 minutes with a dog can reduce levels of cortisol.

• Studies show that the simple act of stroking a dog releases a relaxation response and promotes the release of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin, all hormones that can play a part in elevating mood and reducing anxiety.

• Dogs can reduce the focus on negative emotions and promote feelings of safety and comfort.

 We had great feedback from the day and hope for another doggy visit soon.

The real Living Wage is calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence in the UK and London. It is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living and applies to those aged 18 or over. To find out more you can visit the Living Wage Foundation website. 

We work with three carbon balancing organisations, Forest Carbon, The Woodland Trust and the Woodland Carbon Scheme, who support a range of initiatives such as tree planning schemes in the UK and community schemes internationally.

Alongside tree planting in the UK, which so far has enabled the planting of approximately 1200 trees, our involvement supports the following two schemes;

• Projects in the Amazonian Rainforest, Brazil, including protecting the rights of the Amazonian people, supporting economic development and making a stand against climate change.

• Cooking stoves project in Kenya, providing household stoves, which are locally produced in a solar-powered factory in Kenya. The innovative natural draft technology reduces fuel consumption and cooking time by up to 50%, freeing up income which would have otherwise been spent on fuel. The climate benefits mean saving on coal and firewood fuel and the social benefits involve creating new jobs in disadvantaged Kenyan rural communities. From September 2021 to May 2022, we facilitated the purchase of 80 household stoves and saved 267 tonnes of coal and firewood.

If you would like to learn more, please contact us to find out how we can support you in your own sustainability journey by offering products, materials and advice as well as reassurance that by working with us you will partner with a company that has sustainability at its heart.

ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) is an independent, non-governmental international organisation which develops and publishes international standards. The standards ISO develop cover various aspects of business from quality to environmental management.

Each standard has different benefits and requires organisations to meet different criteria.

ISO 9001

ISO 9001 is based on the idea of continual improvement and sets out the requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Based on a number of quality management principles, ISO 9001 ensures businesses are more efficient and improve customer satisfaction.

Organisations that are ISO 9001 certified will have a Quality Management System implemented in core areas of their organisation, including their facilities, people, training, services and equipment. Topics covered for ISO 9001 include:

• QMS requirements, which include documenting information, planning, processes and management responsibilities

• Resource management

• Product design to delivery

• Measuring, analysing and improving the QMS through methods such as internal audits

What does it mean to be ISO 9001 certified?

A company certified to ISO 9001:

• Puts customers and their needs first

• Strives to enhance customer satisfaction

• Provides high quality products

• Works efficiently

• Meets the necessary statutory and regulatory requirements

ISO 14001

ISO 14001 is an environmental management system accreditation. It helps organisations to enhance their environmental performance, fulfil environmental obligations and achieve their environmental objectives.

Being ISO 14001 certified helps organisations reduce waste and improve efficiency and compliance through reductions in stock purchases and reusing or recycling materials.

Being ISO 14001 certified means organisations will have implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS). ISO 14001 helps provide a general framework that will then assist organisations in planning, implementing and improving their EMS and provide a reference for environmental improvement.

There are 5 essential elements to achieve or maintain certification:

• Commitment and policy

• Planning (for example setting goals and targets)

• Implementation (training staff on procedures and communicating this)

• Evaluation (continuously monitoring and adjusting plans)

• Review (plans, goals and the EMS should all be reviewed)

What does it mean to be ISO 14001 certified?

Organisations that are ISO 14001 certified:

• Improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact

• Continuously monitor and control the environmental impact of their business operations

• Are compliant with environmental legislation

• Supply chain environmental performance

ISO 27001

ISO 27001 certification demonstrates that organisations are compliant with information security, and is the only information security management system standard that is accepted globally.

ISO 27001 means that processes are in place where organisations look intently at all assets and assess the risk and impact of an attack or failure and how effective the controls in place are to protect the assets. The processes also help identify what risks need to be addressed and what risks are deemed low priority.

ISO 27001 is a collection of best practices specifically aimed at information security. It doesn’t tell organisations how they should implement information security but guides them to the necessary goals that they need to achieve to be secure.

What does it mean to be ISO 27000 certified?

ISO 27001 certified organisations will have:

• Security policies including human resources, supplier relationships and communications security

• Asset management, security incident management and business continuity management

• Cryptography, operations security and compliance

• System acquisition, development, maintenance and access control

ISO 27001 means organisations can show to their employees, clients and stakeholders that they are effectively and securely managing client information and their own. ISO 27001 also helps organisations comply with some aspects of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Data encryption, confidentiality and personal data processing are just some aspects of ISO 27001 requirements that are similar to those of the GDPR. A few examples of what ISO means are:

• All critical data is secure

• All information security is up-to-date with new technology

• Increased customer confidence

• Proof of abidance to best security practices

Print marketing, specifically direct mail, has been shown to require 21% less cognitive effort from consumers compared to digital media. This means it’s easier to understand and more memorable for your target audience. When remembering organisations, customers are 30% more likely to remember a company they received direct mail from compared to digital advertising, meaning customers are more likely to have your company in mind when they are looking for a product or service.

With vibrant colours, unique designs and creative finishes, here are a few ways printed literature can increase your ROI:

• Emotional stimulation – Customers who receive printed materials are more likely to show emotional engagement.

• Time engaged – 82% of customers tend to read printed materials longer than a minute.

• Judging the value – Research has shown that people provided a higher valuation for items displayed in printed material, with 56% of customers who received printed marketing finding the brand more trustworthy.

• Improved memory – Customers can recall information more quickly from printed materials, with 48% of customers keeping a direct mail, and the average person retaining it for 17 days.

Along with the above, effective and personalised print marketing also drives digital sales. A well-chosen selection of products in a mini-catalogue delivered to someone’s door, with compelling imagery and emotive content, can entice customers to your website. However, that customer is more likely to place an order online than through a telephone number due to convenience. 92% of customers have said they have been driven to the brand online by direct mail.

A great way to track printed material is by adding a unique postcode or number to call. This can be an effective way of monitoring how your customers found your product or service. Alternatively, adding a custom landing page that only customers who receive printed literature will know can be an effective way to monitor your print marketing campaign’s effectiveness.

If you have a direct mail campaign you need printed literature for, give us a call on 01480 825000 or email us at justask@justdigital.co.uk and find out how we can help you.

Throughout their time with us, our students got involved in a range of different projects, including learning about our internal processes and spending time using professional graphic design software. All with the help and support of our graphic design teams.

The feedback we received from the schools and students has been hugely positive, as you can see from the comments below:

“There was a lot of freedom of what I could create and how to produce what I aimed for. It helped that I like drawing and designing as I used a lot of that knowledge to do the work. There was definitely a range of things to do here as I did nearly a different thing each day just in one section of the building.

Overall, I learned new skills (adjusting images), improved on old skills (patience, resilience) and had a good time at Just Digital. Everyone was nice and approachable which helped as I didn’t really know anyone or where everything was.”

“My experience of work has been interesting and educational. I’m glad I did it as I now have a taste of what life will be like when I start my career in the near future.

I can take all my new knowledge to school with me to help with my lessons. I’m excited to start my career and see how my life pans out, seeing where my knowledge takes me after education.”

We are pleased that our students enjoyed their time here, and that we were able to help develop personal and professional skills, whilst also providing a taster of the working environment.

We would like to thank our work experience students for all their hard work during their time at Just Digital.

Paper weights are measured in grams per square metre, most commonly referred to as gsm, and as different weights are perfect for different applications, here’s a helping hand to make your choice.

80-100gsm

You will typically find 80-100gsm paper in your photocopier. This weight of stock tends to be used for internal documents, meeting notes and carbon copy forms.

100-120gsm

100-120gsm is the most popular choice for business stationery, including letterheads and compliment slips, which are also often printed on an uncoated stock. 100-120gsm is also a common choice for printing presentations, business documents and occasionally lightweight throwaway flyers.

130–150gsm

Ideal for lightweight flyers, leaflets and multi-page brochures, 130-150gsm is also a popular choice for catalogues.

160-200gsm

160-200gsm paper stock is perfect for tri-fold leaflets, high-quality flyers and brochures. This weight of paper is a good paper choice for posters, providing rigidity without being too thick.

200-300gsm

As a thicker paper stock, 200-300gsm is often used for technical data sheets, photos, brochure inserts, and postcards. Thinner inside pages can often be combined with thicker cover pages using 200-300gsm for a cost-effective quality feel to a brochure or booklet.

300-350gsm

Paper stock over 300gsm is a popular choice for a range of items including business cards, greetings cards and menus. A thicker stock tends to give a luxury feel to a document, and so is ideal for VIP events, invites, certificates and wire-bound proposal documents.

Laminate

For extra luxury or thickness, applying a laminate, whether it be matt, gloss, satin or soft touch will also increase the weight and enhance the feel of your printed document.

The weight of paper your document is printed on will affect the overall weight of the document, which may be something additional to consider during a direct mailing campaign, taking into account delivery costs.

What is web to print?

Web to print is an online ordering portal and digital asset management tool helping organisations maintain their brand, save time, save money and provide their staff with access to personalisable, pre-determined marketing assets.

What are the benefits?

There are a range of benefits, from saving time and money and maintaining a consistent brand, to guaranteed print quality and centralised ordering. To see a full list of the benefits of web to print, please read our ‘Benefits of web to print’ page.

What products can I have on my site?

One of the great things about web to print is that you can include as many different products as you like. These could range from exhibition displays to promotional materials, such as pens, notebooks, cotton bags, business cards and exhibition stands. Promotional items and bulk print can be stored in our on-site fulfilment area, for call off when required.

Popular products include:

Business stationery, leaflets, postcards, training packs, brochures, posters, promotional items, outdoor banners and exhibition displays.

What will our site look like?

Your site can look however you like – it can be designed to match your corporate identity, we can brand it in our style, or you can have a simple and generic design. All of our websites provide a clean and simple layout with clear imagery throughout.

Can I approve what is ordered before it is processed?

Yes, you can. Approval workflows can be set up where user’s orders are sent for approval (often to line managers or marketing teams). This allows users to have access to order what they need, but provides you with more control over the process.

If I do not have approvals, can I see what has been ordered?

Yes, we can provide regular ordering reports at a frequency to suit you (often monthly). These reports will include any information you require, such as what has been ordered, who has ordered and quantities etc.

Can I pay for all items on one invoice?

Yes, all of your orders can be invoiced together at the end of the month.

Layout

• Carefully plan your hierarchy of information – what do you want your audience to see first? Think about the message you want to convey and decide which is the most important information to put first.

• If you are designing for roller banners or exhibition stands, it is best not to include important content too low down on the design, as this isn’t in the consumer’s eye line.

• If you are designing for an exhibition where there is more than one joining panel, try to avoid having text crossing the two panels.

Scaling

• To keep your file size smaller and prevent your computer slowing when processing large files, it is often a good idea to design at 25% of the finished size.

• To give you an idea of how your artwork will look when printed, you can view it on screen at actual size (100%). If you have designed artwork at 25%, view the final artwork at 400%. Please note this is not an exact representation of image quality as this will differ between on screen and print.

Images

• Artwork should include high-resolution images and vector logos in .eps or .pdf format, that will scale up without losing resolution.

• Ensure images are a high resolution of at least 300dpi.

Fonts

• To avoid any font issues when printing, it is advisable to convert all text to outlines. This ensures that the design will still print as you expect, even if we don’t have the font you have used. Outlined fonts aren’t editable so it is best to keep two versions – one with outlined fonts and one without.

Colour matching

• Set up your files and colour swatches in CMYK. All artwork is converted to CMYK before printing, which can result in colour differences if files are set up as RGB.

Bleed

• Templates for large format will differ depending on what you are designing for, but ensure you have a minimum bleed of 5mm around the edge of your artwork.

Please email justask@justdigital.co.uk or phone 01480 825000

FSC® Certification is available in two types – The Forest Management Certification and Chain-of-Custody Certification. Forest Management Certification means that all FSC® certified materials originate from forests that are managed by strict FSC® principles and criteria, including maintaining the whole forest ecosystem. Chain-of-Custody Certification ensures the product is environmentally compliant from beginning to end. The certification starts as soon as the tree is ready to be taken from the forest and to achieve the FSC® Certified mark, all companies involved in the supply chain, including printers, retailers and harvesters, must also be certified.

To give you an idea of what it means to buy FSC® Certified products, they ensure:

• Products are recognised as being environmentally responsible

• Sacred sites and trees are protected, and indigenous people have their rights respected

• Trees used for your product are able to naturally regenerate or are replaced, meaning sustainability is present

• Forest owners must employ local workers and pay them a decent wage, and provide the necessary safety equipment and training to carry out the job

As well as the positives of these certified products, FSC® continuously addresses issues such as illegal logging, deforestation and global warming, whilst promoting economic development and environmental conservation.

How do I know my product is FSC® Certified?

Products that are made from wood from FSC® forests will be marked with a logo with a ‘tick tree’. You can be confident that buying an FSC® approved product means it has gone through the Chain-of-Custody, where the timber used has been tracked at every stage throughout the supply chain until the end. Purchasing a product with the FSC® logo means you can rest assured that your product has come from an FSC® certified forest or from FSC® approved recycled material.

There are three types of FSC® label to look out for: FSC 100%, FSC Mix or FSC Recycled. 

FSC 100%

This label means that the wood within the paper is sourced from FSC® Certified forests. These types of forests are independently audited to meet the FSC’s® principles and criteria and managed with the people, wildlife and environment taken into consideration.

FSC Mix

This label means that the wood within the paper has FSC® Certified material, recycled material or controlled sources, the latter being risk assessed to ensure no illegal logging, genetically modified trees or violations of civil or traditional rights are taking place.

FSC Recycled

FSC Recycled means that any wood in the paper comes from reused material pre- or post-consumer. Pre-consumer materials are items that are unfit for end use such as damaged stock, offcuts and sawdust. Post-consumer materials are recycled materials that have been used for consumer or commercial use.

What it means for your printed literature

By using FSC® paper you can be confident that the paper used is from sustainably sourced materials and has an audited trail straight from the source to delivery.