A Little Postcard Did What??!!

June 9, 2009

Geez! It was only 2,000 postcards mailed to the Phoenix Suns’ season ticket holders! We had no idea this was going to happen. Find out why Printing News Magazine made this postcard its cover story!!


Tonic Wins a Gold ADDY!

June 6, 2009

Here we go, turning heads again. In case you haven’t heard, each year, ad agencies participate in the world’s largest and most prestigious advertising competition, the American Advertising Federation ADDY® Awards, with the hope for a big win.

Tonight at the 2009 ADDY® Awards ceremony in Arlington, Va., Tonic Photo Studios, a division of R and R Images, scored a major win! Photographer Matt Baldwin took the Gold ADDY® Award for his remarkable photo illustration series.

“For me, it’s an incredible personal achievement. I’d say it ranks right up there with winning an Oscar. And it puts R and R Images on the radar with recognition for producing outstanding creative,” Matt said.

ADDYs aren’t easy to come by, in fact, fewer than 1% of all entries win! That said, Matt and fellow ADDY® award winning photographer Patrick Darby are a powerhouse team who work together to produce some of the most compelling images in the industry! They are awesome!

R and R Images’ entire team is proud to have won this coveted honor at the ceremony. This award provides the kind of credibility necessary to turn heads in the business world, especially when R and R makes its exciting announcement early next month about the introduction of a service that has been the dream of marketers, and their clients, for ages. (Stay tuned!)

Congratulations Matt Baldwin, to Tonic Photo Studios and to our entire team at R and R Images! We rock!!



Join R and R Images Help At-Risk Kids

June 3, 2009

We’ve thought for a long time that creativity is a real soul-soother. That’s why we jumped on the opportunity to sponsor Art and Soul: an evening of celebration and inspiration in Chandler this Friday, June 5. We know first-hand how creativity can sooth souls!

This inspiring evening benefits Free Arts of Arizona, a nonprofit organization that sparks the creative spirit of abused, homeless, and at-risk children to inspire and transform their lives through artistic expression. R and R Images is proud to be a sponsor and to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Arizona’s children.

Please join us for the evening’s highlights:

When: Friday, June 05, 2009

Time: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Where: INSPIRADOR 63 E. Boston St. Chandler, AZ 85225  (a historical building recently renovated and restored and made into a trendy art gallery and event facility)    

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Free Arts of Arizona’s goal is to inspire and transform kids’ lives through the power of artistic expression. Volunteer mentors use the visual arts, music, theater, dance, literary and culinary arts with children living in over 100 group homes, residential treatment centers and shelters in Maricopa County. Since 1993, Free Arts of Arizona has touched the lives of nearly 60,000 young people, helping them build self-esteem, improve social skills, renew trust and learn to express emotions in a positive way through the healing effects of the creative arts.

Buy tickets online:  http://artandsoul.eventbrite.com/

Join us for a good cause and for an evening to remember! Will you be joining us? We’d love to see you there!


R and R Images Demos HP SmartStream Director

May 29, 2009

Drew Swankie of R and R Images gives HP SmartStream Director demonstration

Drew Swankie of R and R Images gives HP SmartStream Director demonstration

R and R Images’ very own Drew Swankie (Web2Print Manager) was featured on a recent HP demontration video giving a hands-on walk-through of their new SmartStream Director web-to-print ecommerce software.  If you want to check it out head over to:

HP SmartStream Director Demo Video

R and R Images has been at the forefront of web-to-print technology and services since we first started and we continue to push the envelope to provide the best marketing products and services for our clients.  Working with HP to demo and test their SmartStream Director software is just one more step in  making our clients’ marketing a success.

If you have questions about web-to-print technology and how R and R Images’ web-to-print expertise can take your marketing to the next level please contact us through our website at randrimages.com .


R and R Images Recognizes Outstanding Employees

April 30, 2009

Justin receives Special Commendation for 10 years of service.

Justin receives Special Commendation for 10 years of service.

R and R Images is full of outstanding team members but there are those who have proven their commitment to our company through years of diligence and hard work.  This month we recognized Justin Schaefer for his 10 years with R and R Images – quite the achievement!  Justin has long been a core member of our production team and currently oversees all book production for R and R Images.

212award-logo-graphicAs well, R and R Images strives to recognize those individuals on our team who, each month, make the extra effort – go the extra degree – to continually make our company better.  For the month of March we had a tie for our prestigious 212 Award, going to Otto Jones and Mick Jones.

Well done team!


Tonic Wins the District Gold ADDY

April 16, 2009
The Moth: part of the Smoke and Water Series by Tonic Photo Studios Photographer Matt Baldwin

The Moth: part of the Smoke and Water Series by Tonic Photo Studios Photographer Matt Baldwin

Like the proverbial Moth to the Flame, the judges in the ADDY competition have once again been drawn to Matt Baldwin’s “Smoke and Water Series.”  R and R Images‘ very own Tonic Photo Studios won the Gold ADDY award on the local level, and moved onto District and we just now received word that they’ve won the Gold ADDY at District level as well!

This all means they move on to the ultimate commercial photography industry award recognition, the National ADDY Awards.  Judging for the National Competition is going to be held the second week of May.

“It’s awesome to make it as far as we have, but we have no doubt that Matt’s work is worthy of going all the way,” says Jacki Semerau of Tonic Photo Studios.

Tonic Photo Studios is an award winning, compelling, and top photography studio in the industry.  They are the Cure for the Common Image!

R and R Images, Inc., located in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately owned, digital communications company. Operating for over 21 years, R and R Images strives for success through a forward-thinking philosophy that includes environmentally friendly policies in our operations. We print a variety of online automated workflows, including custom books, marketing materials, personalized print products, and direct mail. Like our customers, R and R Images has an industry proven reputation for quality and customer focus. For more information on R and R Images, Inc. head over to www.randrimages.com.


R and R Images Demonstrates HP SmartStream Director

April 6, 2009

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Last week HP was here to shoot a Sales and Marketing video about R and R Images and how we utilize their new HP SmartStream Director workflow software. The video will include background info about R and R Images from Rod Key, owner and CEO of R and R Images, Inc. It will showcase some of the general features and functions of the Smartstream workflow.

Also in the video Drew Swankie demonstrates how this workflow includes integration between the SmartStream Designer plug in for Adobe In-design, SmartStream Director storefront and job manager, the Production Pro RIP system and the HP Indigo 7000 press.

R and R Images is proud to be a part of HP’s implementation process, sales strategy and the “live” software demonstration. Look for the video in the coming months.

Check out the photos on R and R Images flickr page.


R and R Images Makes News Once Again

April 2, 2009

rod-keyWhat do professional golf and Web-to-print have in common? Both make reference to a skins game, where a lot of money is at stake for something that, at first blush, doesn’t seem all that difficult to accomplish. The skill and effort involved are often easily overlooked.

On the printing end, the skins game is all about charging print buyers for the design, setup and maintenance of customer branded Web-to-print sites, along with the hosting and service fees that printers absorb. It’s about validating (and justifying) the work salespeople put into peddling the technology. It’s about fostering the notion that an investment of dollars must realize an investment of mind and heart—if you really want clients to buy into it, well, make them buy into it.

“Printers seem to think that you have to give everything away,” bemoans Rod Key, founder and CEO of R and R Images in Phoenix, and a veteran at providing customers Web-to-print solutions. “You have to look at its value to clients from a marketing standpoint. The printing part is really easy, but the message and creative may be very important. It’s a solution and, whether you paid $10,000 or $200,000 for it, you need to ask yourself if it makes sense to just give it away.”

To read the full article go to Printing Impressions Web-to-Print — Get Clients Invested


Tonic takes the Gold

March 19, 2009

tonic-addyAt this year’s ADDY Awards in Phoenix, Tonic Photo Studios entered Matt Baldwin’s Smoke and Water series. We were excited to learn that Matt won, even more so when we found out that Tonic took the Gold ADDY award!

The ADDY’s are the advertising industry’s version of the Oscars. It was a fun event! We can’t wait to see what happens in the next round. Of course, we knew all along that Matt’s work was worthy, but it sure is great to get industry recognition.


Speaking Engagement with Drew Swankie, Web To Print Manager

March 18, 2009

Drew Swankie, Web To Print Manager is speaking at ASU’s Graphic Information Technology student club on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 12:00 pm in the technology center room 180. He is sharing his expertise on web to print, direct mail marketing, digital printing, large format, commercial photography and lenticular printing.

The GIT Club will also be coming to R and R Images, Inc. for an onsite tour of the facility and Tonic Photo Studios.

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