I came across this powerful and insightful poem written by Wanda B. Goines (age 92) and thought you would enjoy this message of self-reflection, too.

The Gift Wrap and the Jewel

I looked in the mirror and what did I see,
But a little old lady peering back at me

With bags and sags and wrinkles and wispy white hair,
And I asked my reflection, how did you get there?

You once were straight and vigorous, and now you’re stooped and weak,
When I tried so hard to keep you from becoming an antique.

My reflection’s eyes twinkled as she solemnly replied,
You’re looking at the gift wrap and not the jewel inside.

A living gem and precious of unimagined worth,
Unique and true, the real you, the only you on earth.

The years that spoil your gift-wrap with other things more cruel,
Should purify and strengthen, and polish up that jewel

So, focus your attention on the inside, not the out,
On being kinder, wiser, more content, and more devout.

Then, when your gift wrap is stripped away, your jewel will be set free,
To radiate God’s glory throughout eternity.

We know that deadlines are critical when it comes to your printing projects. Here are a few of the most common design issues to avoid, which can cause printing delays:

• Low-resolution images. The proper resolution for images for print is 300 DPI (dots per inch). Here’s a quick and easy way to determine the maximum size that an image can be printed at: simply divide the number of pixels in the image by 300. For example, an image 480 x 270 pixels divided by 300 = 1.6 x .9. Therefore, the largest size of this image should be printed is 1.6″ x .9″. If you increase the size, the image will lose resolution, and the image would become blurry.


• Missing bleeds. “Bleed” is a printing term used to describe the part of the design that extends past the cut line, leaving no white margin.


• RGB instead of CMYK. To avoid dramatic color differences between your on-screen and print designs, build out your designs in CMYK color mode first. It’s also recommended to request a printed proof of your design to check the colors in print.


• Text and graphics near edges. To ensure that text and graphics aren’t cut off during printing, they should be positioned within a safety margin, ensuring an adequate distance from the edges.


• Fonts aren’t embedded or outlined. Once your document is finalized, convert all text/fonts to vector by creating outlines. To do this, highlight your text, and click Text>Create outlines. Remember, outlined text is no longer editable, so you’ll want to save a copy of your original design in case you need to make edits.

If you’d like help with your next printing project, our creative team would love to bring your ideas to life. Give us a call or stop by today!

Send this article to a friend