Take a look at this image.

Which grey column would you say is darker? The one on the right or left?

Ah, trick question. They're actually the same color. But I'm sure you all saw that coming...

Even when I see it laid out plainly like this, I still have trouble convincing myself of the truth. Our eyes are so tricky!

Here's another example of the same illusion:


(source)

These illusions illustrate just how inaccurately we perceive color. Whether we view something as light or dark really depends on the context; background and surrounding colors greatly influence our perception.

Our eyes struggle with all sorts of colors, not just shades of grey. Take a look at the images below. If you didn't know better, wouldn't you say that the small blocks of light purple were the same color in each scenario? Same with the oranges?



Our imperfect color perception is yet another reason why careful proofing is so important. We might like how a color looks in one context, and hate how it looks in another. In the display of pens above, the grey works nicely on the black, white and blue pens. There is good contrast, and the imprint really pops. On the red and lime green pens, however, the grey imprint almost shakes before your eyes. It's a bit distracting and unpleasant to look at.

Don't ever settle for a black and white proof, and pay careful attention to how your selected imprint color looks against the actual item color.

This week at Sonic Promos, we're working on...

... event calendar magnets for Forrester.

... nice paperweights for internal meetings at Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals.

... and sweatbands for BBYO.

"This Week at Sonic Promos" is a regular feature on our blog.
Read all past posts here.
Check in every week to see some of the work that's going on in our office.

Another staff interview for you today! This time I am... um... interviewing myself. Enjoy!

Meet Lindsay:

How long have you been working at Sonic Promos?
At the end of January, I'll have been with Sonic for three years.

What role(s) do you play here?
I'm one of Sonic's Brand Managers. We're the intermediaries between clients and production. I brainstorm ideas with the client, suggest product solutions, make decisions regarding sourcing and artwork, and oversee the project's timeline. I'm also Sonic's primary blog author (yes, I'm awkwardly answering questions of my own creation), and I manage our website and social media.

Best part of the job?
Industry shows are a lot of fun. I really enjoy catching up with our reps and reviewing new product. It's also pretty neat to see something you worked on displayed at an event, or to spy someone wearing a T-shirt that you had a hand in designing.

Worst part of the job?
Hmm, I'd have to say shipping. Sorry UPS and FedEx, you all do a great job, but it really stinks to worry about and be held responsible for something outside your control. I could do without natural disasters and lost packages.

What's your favorite kind of project to work on?
I like projects that have a lot of moving parts. Split shipments, complicated decoration, variable data... all of that really appeals to my Type A personality. Ugh, I'm such a dork! I also love T-shirt design, especially faded imprints and retro/vintage apparel.

What do your coworkers love to tease you about?
I can be embarrassingly gullible. I have a really sarcastic sense of humor, but I'm apparently not very good at detecting it in others. I also get a lot of flak for my avocado obsession and strange lunch combinations.

Keep reading for more staff interviews in the coming weeks. In case you missed it-
Meet Rahmie
Meet Jen
Meet Mallory

Several of my friends and relatives were engaged or married recently (I went to five weddings in 2012, all of them in different states. Yikes!), so I've been spending more time than usual browsing wedding boards on Pinterest and other wedding websites.

I recently came across a bunch of cute Save-the-Date ideas on the Martha Stewart Weddings website that creatively use promotional products. These ideas can easily translate to any kind of product campaign... they're certainly not limited to weddings!


Lightweight, easily mailed and inexpensive, custom balloons are a great choice for any kind of promotion. I once saw them used to promote an event raising awareness for lung cancer. Funny!



Napkins are a promotional item with so much potential. Here are two more ways to use them for business endeavors:

1. If you frequently arrange catered lunches or bring in coffee and donuts for meetings with clients, bring along a stack of napkins branded with your company's logo and contact information. The extras will linger in their office long after your meeting has ended.

2. At food festivals or restaurant events, napkins are a great way to put more information in the hands of your guests. Print a map of the venue or a list of the various courses served or vendors present.


Note pads/cubes are one of my favorite promotional items. I realize that not all people are sticky note-obsessed like I am, but if they are, you can be sure your piece will occupy desk space for weeks. Note cubes are particularly good choices when you need ample imprint area; you can customize both the individual sheets and all four sides of the cube.

This week at Sonic Promos, we're working on...

... mints, Post-it highlighter pens and ear buds for Wilmer Hale.

... T-shirts for REAL School Gardens, to be worn at a community garden build.

... and Red Zone T-shirts for AAA and the University of Maryland.

"This Week at Sonic Promos" is a regular feature on our blog.
Read all past posts here.
Check in every week to see some of the work that's going on in our office.