Everyone always asks us if the brightly hued dalmatian is our dog.  Hue is Speedpro Imaging's mascot, and his tagline is "It's not just black and white anymore."  Hue is cute and uniquely colorized, but more importantly, he's memorable.  When creating your company's marketing materials--even something as straightforward as a banner-- try incorporating an eye-catching photo or graphic element other than just text and a logo to capture more attention. To keep your graphics fresh and current, here are a few fashion trends from Pantone's 2012 forecasts.

Graduated Color is trending upward in fashion as well as graphic design.  This trend is a step away from previous seasons' color blocking in that it uses colors within a range rather than strongly contrasting colors.  Both design elements are not only attractive, but also effectively simple for the eye to comprehend and move on to your marketing message.

Matte Metallic is coming on strong in everything from nail polish to

Fuchsia's popularity is blooming. Pantone included this happy color in its 2012 trend projections "because we felt people needed a pick me up."  Fuchsia, violet and other red-based purples are energizing and optimistic, yet are a continuation of the last two years' growing purple trend.

Pantone's color predictions for 2012 move forward continuing trends from 2010 and 2011.  With a troubled and stressed economy, there are no jarring shifts in color direction, but rather a smooth transition within color families, with emphasis on what is familiar and comfortable.  

Remember to keep your large-format design fresh by being aware of trends in apparel, home decor and other industries' product development.  With our state-of-the art, 6-color imaging, we can help you bring your design to vibrant life. And, really, it's not just black and white anymore!    

Enjoy a colorful summer!

Best,

Carolyn Miye

Oregon native Steve Terrill is one of the Pacific Northwest's most talented and creative photographers.  His portfolio is a testament to his discerning eye for capturing our region's breathtaking scenery on film.   

We're proud and excited to be partnering with Steve to offer his stunning photography in large-format wall murals, board-mounted graphics and dry-erase boards.  Two of Steve's photos, Salsify Bloom and Oneonta Creek, are now gorgeous wall murals and a dry-erase board in our studio.

Here is Steve's comments about the photos:

While hiking on a rare calm day in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, I came across this salsify bloom that transformed into a perfect seed head ball.  I took out my macro lens and captured numerous photos of these delicate patterns created by the round seed head.  This image I captured was only about "3 x 2" in true size.  The creek reflection with rocks was photographed along Oneonta Creek, also located in the Columbia River Gorge.  The greens and yellows were created by the reflection of sunlight that bathed the lichen-covered cliffs of the canyon walls above the creek.  The ultraviolet blue light created in shadows on sunny days created the blue of the rocks.

I've had numerous photos printed to large sizes, but I believe Speedpro Imaging of West Portland is one of, if not the best and fastest, printers that have recreated my photos with extreme high quality and true color.  

9' x 19' Salsify Bloom wall mural in our conference room

9' x 15' Oreonta Creek wall mural in Mike's office

Photo by  Andy Batt, OBT website

In a creative move, Oregon Ballet Theatre transported its dance studios outdoors to Director Park in downtown Portland , offering visitors of all ages an opportunity to meet and mingle with OBT professional dancers. From July 18^th through the 23^rd, Portlanders were also treated to free onstage classes and a sneak peek at George Balanchine's The Nutcracker before the company's Korean tour.

For the event, our studio proudly produced life-size cutouts of three famous characters from The Nutcracker: Sugar Plum Fairy, Mouse, and Soldier.

OBT is the region's largest full-time professional ballet company. Since 2003, OBT has added over 50 ballet repertoire, including nearly two dozen world premieres.  OBT also offers experimental arts education programs for youth and adults, as well as a professional ballet school for students, ages 4 to 18.  

OBT website: The Nutcracker  

If your small business provides health insurance for your employees, you may be  eligible for a credit toward their health insurance costs.

Adrienne Hutchins, a health insurance agent at Greenberg Insurance and Associates, notes that, small employers need to contribute at least 50% of the premium cost of the health plan in order to qualify.  Small businesses with 10 or fewer full-time employees and with average taxable wages of $25K or less can claim the full credit amount (35% of premiums paid).  There is a tiered credit for businesses with between 11-25 employees as well."

"The credit was effective beginning in 2010, and will run through 2013," says Hutchins.  "In 2014, the credit will be available to those qualifying employers that purchase their health coverage through the new Insurance Exchange, that's in the process of being created."

Adrienne Hutchins
Greenberg Insurance and Associates
503-297-8078
adrienne@greenberg-insurance.com
 

www.greenberg-insurance.com