2015 Nov/Dec

Adding Value at SunDance Marketing Solutions

December 14, 2015

by Jen Clark, PostPress

The SunDance Fulfillment Department packages marketing kits for a vacation ownership client. Pictured from left are Bryan Blakley, Albert Mawad, Karen Lafler (on ladder), Katrena Bruce and Aura Leyrer.

It’s no secret the market conditions for the printing industry have changed dramatically in the last several years. Companies reacting to the changing dynamics, as well as competition from other media and service providers, have adapted by adding services that benefit their customers. Finding ways to add value to the services companies already offer not only benefits the customer, but also can mean increased revenue for the print finishing provider.

SunDance Marketing Solutions, an Orlando, Florida-based marketing services provider, commercial printer and producer of fine art lithographs, offers fulfillment and kitting services that increase innovation and efficiency to streamline its clients’ marketing efforts. Founded in 2007, SunDance has maintained a 24-percent compound annual growth rate and recently moved into a 43,500-square-foot facility – more than triple the size of its first factory.

“We’ve found that the more value-added services we offer, the longer clients stay with us,” said Brad Taylor, sales manager and partner at SunDance. “When we deliver on the value-added services, it builds trust with our client base and leads to more business from them with existing product lines, as well as new product lines. Clients seem to prefer dealing with fewer vendors, so the more we can offer them, the more business we bring in and retain. One of the biggest reasons we offer value-added services is we’ve also found the more we do in-house, the greater control we have on quality, turnaround and overall job efficiency throughout the plant.”

SunDance prides itself on always saying “Yes” to its clients, so value-added services aren’t exactly new to the multi-channel print- and marketing-solutions company. “We’ve always provided value-added services, just not to the scale we currently do,” Taylor said. “If they ask us if we can do something, as long as it’s within our wheelhouse, or even just reasonably close, we figure out how to get it done. Over the years, this has led us to develop a wide range of services that we can deliver to clients in a win-win manner. Our client gets the service they need at the price they want and we gain the immediate revenue, as well as greater control of the end product in terms of quality and turnaround – not to mention the further diversification of our offerings.”

He said value-added services really took off when SunDance purchased all of the equipment of a finishing company that was closing its doors. “Our customers asking for more has led to us perfecting many different services, including foil stamping, embossing, custom diecutting, laminating, punching, perfect binding, stitching, map folding and coil binding,” Taylor said.

In addition, the company offers fulfillment services that are “pretty popular,” he noted. SunDance provides mailing services, kitting, packaging and shipping, staging, inventory control and even web-to-print or print-on-demand storefronts for some of its larger clients. “Many have locations around the world and rely on us to ensure that their materials and brand are consistent with their standards worldwide. It really depends on what the client needs for each individual product line, project or item,” Taylor explained.

SunDance’s clients have realized the value in having the entire process – printing, finishing, kitting, fulfillment and shipping – handled with one vendor at one site, Taylor continued. This reduces cost, speeds up turnaround and reduces the potential for mistakes and delays. SunDance constantly is expanding its warehouse space to accommodate the growing desire for this convenience. “Many clients need us to store their marketing materials either short-term or long-term,” he said. “Sometimes we offer warehousing as an add-on when a client needs to free up extra space in their location(s), but most frequently warehousing is part of the fulfillment process. We have the items that we’re fulfilling here in our warehouse and we pick-and-pack as needed for our clients.”

Generally, inventory management makes the most sense for large clients, Taylor added. “Smaller clients typically manage inventory themselves as it’s manageable by anyone.” A typical inventory management project can involve SunDance either printing or producing the inventory. “Or the client sends us existing inventory,” he said. Once the inventory is documented and put into the inventory management system, the client can “access their inventory through a custom-built web-based storefront and order whatever they need to be picked and sent anywhere in the world,” Taylor explained.

Utilizing value-added services can give printers and postpress providers an advantage over the competition. For SunDance, it has been a boon to the bottom line, Taylor said. “There have been several months over the past few years that were made profitable by value-added services,” he said. “Typically, there is very little hard cost in these services. They generally are achieved by labor and often it’s slack labor being used vs. having to hire additional employees to handle the increased workload. In some cases, this makes the value-added service skip the P&L and go to straight to the bottom line!”

For those companies looking to get into or expand their value-added options, Taylor suggests having software that can track inventory, shipping and billing, along with competently trained personnel. “It’s also important to purchase equipment at a good price, maintain it well and cross train employees so slack labor can be utilized to allow for a streamlined manufacturing process,” he said. “Adding fulfillment and other value-added services can be a huge advantage.”

Association News: BIA

December 14, 2015

Letter from the chair

Have you heard the news? In 2016, your BIA membership will be FREE! We are excited to announce this new development for all binders, loose leaf providers and finishing manufacturers. Simply belong to your local PIA affiliate to get this awesome benefit. As a member, call the PIA and let the association know that you want to be an active participant of the BIA by signing up your in-house binderies. If you are a postpress provider, why is your name not on our list of members?

We still are the BIA and will deliver on everything you have come to expect from your postpress resource. Visit www.printing.org/bia for the findabindery resource, ask questions on the BIA listserv and watch in coming months for a new educational series.

In addition, the President’s Conference is coming to warm and sunny Palm Desert, California, March 6-9, 2016. Look for marketing materials in the mail and save the date. Visit the conference website at www.presidentsconference.com to watch this amazing event come together.

In 2016, the BIA will be joining the President’s Conference for all our educational needs. How will you educate your key staff? Why send them to some local commercially canned conference when they can be trained by the best, in grand style, by people that know our industry?

I look forward to seeing you as part of the BIA membership in 2016. Have a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous new year!

All the best,
Valerie Price, Coyne Graphic Finishing
BIA Chair

BIA Makes Changes to Benefit Members

Change is inevitable. How companies react to change in the market defines what kind of future we create for our industry. Over the past couple months, BIA went through some changes of its own. But, that doesn’t mean BIA is any less committed to the members it serves.

BIA transitions from a SIG to a section.
In the past, BIA operated as a special interest group (or SIG) of Printing Industries of America (PIA). This meant that its members paid dues to PIA, while still paying an extra amount to participate in BIA. Now, BIA operates as a section of PIA. As a section, members participate in an organized peer group. This group still can access the popular BIA listserv and benefit from binding and postpress educational opportunities. Only now, BIA members no longer need to pay a separate dues fee to the BIA. If you belong to PIA and you are a postpress professional, you can sign up for the BIA section at no extra cost to you.

How will you benefit?
As the group transitions to a section, BIA members can take advantage of many PIA member benefits. For example, BIA members can update themselves on hot print industry topics by reading Printing Industries of America: The Magazine. Participants of BIA also receive significant discounts through the PIA National Buying Power Program and educational opportunities such as the Integrated Learning Center, publications in the Printing Industries Press Bookstore and conferences organized by PIA. PIA also awards many additional benefits to their sections, such as free technical support through the Tech Hotline, financial benchmarking opportunities through the Ratios reports and much more. Dont forget, BIA members gain access to all of their PIA regional affiliate organization benefits as well. Also, BIA members still will receive PostPress magazine at no cost.

Try out this new benefit!
With this change, BIA encourages its members to attend one of PIA’s newer conferences, the 2016 President’s Conference, taking place on March 6-9 at the JW Marriot Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, California. This is the perfect opportunity to get in front of influential decision makers in the industry. Presidents, CEOs and business owners from all across the print industry are encouraged to attend and take part in exclusive networking opportunities, learn from high-profile industry speakers and participate in three session tracks, including leadership, business development and finance. Because BIA now is a section, you qualify for PIA membership pricing during registration. Visit www.presidentsconference.com for more information.

BIA is excited about what opportunities the new change brings to its members and is certain this new route will mean continued success for the binding and postpress industry. Rest assured, BIA still strives to stand as your number-one postpress resource. For questions regarding this change or for more information about BIA, contact Chrystal Kapanyko at ckapanyko@printing.org.

Binding Options Emphasized in Standard 6

December 14, 2015

The Standard 6 from Sappi focuses on binding techniques and showcases bindery from its early beginnings to present day.

Sappi, Boston, Massachussetts, released its newest book in The Standard series, The Standard 6, which focuses on binding techniques and showcases bindery from its early beginnings to present day.

The Standard series began publication in 2005 with Volume 1 on Pre-Press techniques. Volume 2 featured color management and calibration; Volume 3 illustrated varnishes and coatings; Volume 4 highlighted Scoring and Folding; and Volume 5 dealt with Special Effects.

Patti Groh, Sappi North America’s director of marketing and communications, is the driving force behind the creative guide. “As we looked at the body of work from one to five, we felt that binding was a necessary subject matter to tie the series together,” said Groh. “This is the end of the first volume of The Standard. That’s why we ended up choosing binding.”

Starting on this project, she didn’t see how Sappi could produce a book that could match the visual impact of The Standard 5, yet a stellar book was produced that shows binding techniques in a unique and reader-friendly format.

Design and techniques

The Standard 6 has five sections: the history of binding, binding as design, binding techniques, a guide to binding materials and a glossary.Groh hired Kit Hinrichs, owner of Studio Hinrichs in San Francisco, to do the entire series of The Standard books. Hinrichs draws upon his rich background and depth of knowledge about printing and finishing for each of the books. However, this project was unique because a bindery museum is located across the street from his office. Hinrichs spent a lot of time on historical research, which then was used in creating a graphic novel within The Standard 6 to illustrate the origins of binding.

Going into the project, there were no predetermined techniques that Sappi planned to highlight in the book. To determine what techniques to feature, Groh involved the printer early on in the process. Sappi hired Classic Color out of Chicago, working specifically with Jeff Hernandez, who has a strong grasp on new binding techniques. Delphine Hirasuna wrote the text for The Standard 1-6; and Groh, Hernandez and Hinrichs worked with a consultant to fully flesh out the history of binding.

The Standard 6 has five sections: the history of binding, binding as design, binding techniques, a guide to binding materials and a glossary. Sappi also offers the binding materials guide as a separate piece.

“It’s amazing as a resource,” said Groh. “I love the techniques, embossing and how it feels. All the little details make it feel lifelike.”

Hinrichs said the entire The Standard series is an important resource for the industry. “Sappi is the only paper company that is doing educational work for the design and business community. They’ve done it for dozens of years. They are really there to help educate this next generation of designers,” he said.

The Standard 6 has many unique features, such as QR Codes that take readers to videos demonstrating techniques like perfect binding. The book doesn’t simply write about the 22 featured binding techniques – it also offers readers tactile binding samples.

Production

Stitched, sewn, folded and drilled binding samples are located throughout, and all the pieces had to fit together into one completed project.

The Standard 6 went through multiple passes on the printing press to create a unique look, utilizing a combination of UV inks and specialty coatings from Toyo. The cover had 15 registered press units and two registered coating passes.

There were several production challenges throughout the piece. The illustrations in The Standard 6 used a lot of black ink, and working a project through finishing and bindery operations on all black can be difficult. Sappi overcame challenges to avoid fingerprints by coating the inks with a matte strike through varnish, which kept the fingerprinting to a minimum. The book then went through a white cotton glove assembly process while collating and before it went through the final binding.

The book doesn’t simply write about the 22 featured binding techniques – it also offers readers tactile binding samples.

Binding the book also posed a challenge, according to Hinrichs. “How do you have books within books and different kinds of binding within each book?” Stitched, sewn, folded and drilled binding samples are located throughout, and all the pieces had to fit together into one completed project. There were a total of four bindings in the book, including saddlestitching, side sewing and perfect binding. Then all pages and sections were gathered, round hole punched, collated and assembled with a reverse gate cover with a 3/8-inch double wire-o binding lap.

A Komori LS 40-inch 8-color fully inter-decked UV press was used with a custom coating tower. A Stahl folder performed the folding, and a Bobst 106 was used for the embossing and channel scoring. A JBI BB400 in-line automatic wire-o binding machine completed the project.

Print community response

Sappi’s official launch of The Standard 6 was on October 6, 2015, at the American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco, California. Groh said the book has received an amazing response. “The people who have seen it were in love with the book and stood in line for quite a bit of time to have Kit sign it,” Groh said. “People have learned so much from reading it.”

In the finished product, Sappi produced an elegant tool that will encourage the creative community to view binding as a design element.

Common Pricing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

December 14, 2015

by Amy Fulford, enlight

CEOs often overlook the importance of pricing in generating attractive financial returns. Especially in recent years, companies have invested heavily in understanding and managing their costs. Of course, understanding and managing costs is important. However, many companies have hit – or, worse, crossed – the point of diminishing returns from cost cutting. Meanwhile, too few companies proactively manage pricing as a lever to improve profits.

The power of pricing

It only takes a quick look at the Profit Equation (Figure 1) to see that Price is the only variable that has a multiplier effect on profits. And, unlike Volume, Price can be impacted by management behavior. Another often overlooked aspect of the Profit Equation is that both aspects of Revenue – Price and Volume – are influenced by customer preferences and priorities. Yet, companies typically spend much more time understanding and cutting costs, rather than understanding customers and why they value certain products and services.

Back in 2004, research about pricing revealed that it can be the most powerful variable that impacts operating profit. The researchers evaluated the impact of a one percent improvement in four variables on operating profit. They built an “average income statement” from a composite of companies in the Global 1,200 index. Their analysis revealed that pricing can have a powerful impact on operating profit¹ (Figure 2). Even if the impact on a specific company is not as significant as this example, a small improvement in pricing is likely to unlock value because pricing rarely is used as a tool to improve financial performance. Meanwhile, many companies have already achieved the maximum benefit from cost cutting – and some have cut costs to the detriment of the business.

Meanwhile, the researchers debunked a common myth espoused by CEOs: we’ll lower price and make it up in volume. The researchers looked at how much volume would have to increase to breakeven from a one percent reduction in price. They found that the “average” company needed to generate a 3.5 percent volume increase to breakeven from a one percent price reduction. Furthermore, the research revealed that the “maximum typical” volume increase resulting from a one percent price reduction is 1.7-1.8 percent – far short of the 3.5 percent increase needed to breakeven from the price reduction.²

Three levels of pricing

There are three different levels of pricing that companies should consider when evaluating their pricing opportunities:

List Price is the published price that is visible to anyone. It represents the desired selling price.
Invoice Price is the price that is negotiated with an individual customer. Often, the Invoice Price includes several negotiated discounts, and it may include upcharges for special services or accommodations, such as expedited freight or special packaging. Most often, the Invoice Price is less than the List Price.
Pocket Price is the net amount a company collects for a given product. The Pocket Price is less than the Invoice Price because it accounts for the impacts of hidden discounts that companies allow after the sale. Extended accounts receivable terms and expedited freight that is not charged to the customer are examples of the hidden discounts.

Eliminating pricing mistakes requires making sure the List Price is as high as possible, while effectively managing the negotiation to Invoice Price and minimizing (or even eliminating) the hidden discounts that reduce the Pocket Price.

Three common pricing mistakes

Given the importance of pricing, it’s helpful to understand the most common pricing mistakes that companies make. Based on research conducted by enlight, the three most common pricing mistakes include the following:

1. Targeting the wrong customers by failing to understand the market dynamics that drive customers to purchase products. When targeting the wrong customers, companies do not understand who values their product the most or why they value it. The companies also don’t appreciate differences in what’s important to end users vs. influencers vs. channel partners. Companies make this mistake most often. In fact, 57 percent of the pricing mistakes found by enlight consist of targeting the wrong customers. Examples of this mistake include

considering distributors or channel partners to be customers,
emphasizing product attributes and benefits that are not important to customers and
trying to be all things to all people instead of targeting specific customer segments.

When a company focuses on the wrong customers, its representatives often get feedback that the prices are too high because the customers don’t necessarily value what makes the products unique. However, if the company focuses on the customers that most value its products, those customers are often willing to pay higher prices because they understand the value they get in return.

2. Pricing too low by setting pricing without consideration for target customers and what they value. enlight‘s research revealed that pricing too low accounts for 33 percent of pricing mistakes. Typically, companies make this mistake because of one the following practices:

cost-based or historically-based pricing methodologies
customer-driven pricing methodologies
volume-driven management

When a company prices its products too low, it obviously erodes the company’s financial performance by leaving money on the table with every transaction. Two possible negative impacts are more subtle and can have lasting impacts:

Overinvestment: If the products are valued by customers and priced too low, the company creates a false sense of demand. Typically, when companies experience high demand, they invest in inventory and capacity (instead of simply raising price), which further erodes financial performance.
Quality Problems: Eventually, the situation will create quality problems for the company. Either demand will be so high that the company cannot maintain quality and meet the high demand or the company will be forced to cut costs to improve financial performance, which will impact quality.

3. Pricing too high by also setting prices without consideration for target customers or what they value. enlight‘s research revealed that pricing too high only accounts for 10 percent of pricing mistakes, despite the fact that companies tend to worry that their products are overpriced. Typically, when a company prices its products too high, it must attract customers by heavily discounting prices.

When companies price their products too high, they make attractive profits on every transaction. However, customers are keenly aware of the value they get for their money, and once they conclude products are overpriced, they stop buying. Customers will remember that they were taken advantage of and will be reluctant to trust the company again.

Underlying causes and how to correct them

Understanding the types of pricing mistakes is important, but it’s equally important to understand the underlying causes of the mistakes. In enlight’s experience, there are three causes of pricing mistakes.

1. Setting the wrong initial price is a “one-time” decision that relates to a company’s pricing methodology and its target margins. Most typical pricing methodologies are flawed because they do not start by understanding the most important variables in setting price.

Which customers value their products the most? Why?
How much value do the products create for those customers?

The following are typical pricing methodologies employed by companies and the pitfalls of using them:

Competitor-based pricing: based on actual or expected competitor pricing
Note: This methodology often is wrongly called market pricing.

It is a mistake to abdicate one of the most important (and potentially lucrative) decisions to a competitor.

Customer-based pricing: based on specific guidance from customers
Note: This methodology also often is wrongly called market pricing.

Customers are focused on paying the lowest possible price. Customers will volunteer unrealistically low price guidance, especially in advance of a negotiation.

Historical-based pricing: based on prior prices for similar products

Historical-based pricing is relatively arbitrary and often only continues the pricing mistakes of the past.

Cost plus pricing: based on a markup over costs

The mechanics of cost-plus pricing often are flawed in one or more of the following ways:

Using old cost standards
Not correctly assigning some costs to individual products
Ignoring some costs
Setting low margin targets

Value pricing (often called market pricing) is the ideal methodology. Unfortunately, many companies view Value Pricing as too difficult and default to one of the other methodologies. Value Pricing requires that companies understand their collective customers well enough to set list prices based on the sum of the financial, functional and emotional value the customers enjoy when using the products.

2. Not effectively managing day-to-day pricing decisions is a dynamic problem that relates to negotiations with individual customers. Day-to-day pricing decisions often are flawed for one or more of the following reasons:

inadequate value proposition
no pricing rules
no accountability
insufficient or flawed data
flawed incentives

Companies must establish the appropriate processes and polices to effectively manage day-to-day pricing decisions.

3. Allowing a disconnect between strategy and pricing is a common problem that goes unaddressed and leaves significant money on the table. Typically, strategy-pricing disconnects result when the company:

competes on price instead of focusing on the value they create for customers,
does not revamp operations to earn an attractive return at market prices or
sends mixed signals and confuses customers.

Action steps

There are three steps to correcting a strategy-pricing disconnect.

Clearly define target customers and the value they get to determine the maximum possible price products can generate on a sustained basis. This step requires that companies understand and quantify the financial, functional and emotional value customers get from using the products and focus on the customers that value the products the most.
Optimize the business model to ensure that the company can earn sufficient return at the prices that the products need to be offered. Companies must understand and optimize the factors that drive revenue and costs. Revenue drivers are the factors that cause a customer to purchase the product, influence whether the customer purchases one or 100 products at once and/or determine whether the customer is likely to be a repeat customer. Cost drivers are the costs that are necessary to successfully deliver the products that customers value.
Align and reinforce the brand image to ensure the company sends consistent signals about who they are and why customers should buy from them. Communications, brochures and sales person interactions are examples of the signals companies send to customers. Of course, any marketing activity also constitutes signals. When the signals that a company sends are not aligned with its business strategy and with customer perception, it creates confusion that can erode price.

In conclusion, pricing is an incredibly powerful lever that typically is underutilized by companies. The most common pricing mistakes are either targeting the wrong customers or simply pricing too low. To correct these mistakes, take the following actions:

Utilize a value-based pricing methodology to set the right initial price.
Establish (and enforce) effective policies for managing day-to-day pricing decisions.
Eliminate disconnects between a company’s business strategy and its product pricing.

References

Michael V. Marn, Eric V. Roegner and Craig C. Zawada, The Price Advantage (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2004) 4-6.
Michael V. Marn, Eric V. Roegner and Craig C. Zawada, The Price Advantage (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2004) 6-7.

Amy Fulford is the managing partner and founder of enlight, a Seattle, Washington-based boutique consulting firm. Before starting enlight, she was employed at The Boston Consulting Group, Alcoa Inc., Procter & Gamble and Huntington Bank. Fulford has worked in many industries and sectors, including transportation, building and construction, consumer products, financial services, distribution, manufacturing, nonprofit and professional services. Contact Fulford at amy.fulford@enlightadvisors.com or www.enlightadvisors.com.

A Case for Digital Hardcover Binding

December 14, 2015

by Richard Romano, Industry Analyst, originally published by PrintPlanet

Judging a book by its cover

You’re picking out a gift for the book lover in your life. You’re browsing in your favorite bookstore, and you’ve narrowed your choice down to one of two titles: a lavish, beautifully printed and bound hardcover book and a standard, perfect-bound paperback. Which says “gift” more than the other? Even if the contents were exactly the same – think of a deluxe hardcover edition of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield vs. the corresponding Penguin Classics mass-market paperback – which would be the more highly valued edition?

Hardcover books always have been seen as more “deluxe” than paperbacks, and it’s not merely because they cost more. A hardcover always has imparted a greater quality to a title, and there is a reason why the phrase “direct-to-paperback” or “paperback original” always has (correctly or not) been used to describe a title of lesser or less literary quality than a hardback. An analogy is in the movie industry: a movie that has had a major theatrical release is deemed of greater quality than a so-called “direct-to-video” title (again, correctly or not!). A hardcover book obviously costs more to produce, thus has a larger production budget and implies to the prospective book buyer or reader that the producer or publisher of the book feels strongly enough about the title to warrant a lavish binding.

As digital book production has evolved over the past several decades, the quality of the printing has improved, but publishers and producers of digital books have tended to neglect the binding. In fact, many aren’t even aware that digital books can be casebound – or, if they can, believe that it’s a prohibitively expensive or highly complex process. Neither of these things necessarily is true; digital books can and often are casebound, and it’s easy and affordable to do so. Sure, there are best practices and techniques, but there are best practices and techniques for every other aspect of printing, too.

Casebound digital books are high-value print products and, even if they cost a bit more to produce, they also can command a higher selling price. More and more markets – and more and more opportunities – are opening up for digital hardcovers.

Moving into the digital age

Casebinding has been the general process for producing hardcover books for decades, if not centuries. It has been very much like a craft, often like printing itself, but over the years has required increasing levels of automation to boost productivity. Although “boutique” book printers and binders still do a lot of these things by hand, it’s impractical to make hand-tooled leather book covers for a 10-million copy printing of a bestselling author’s latest hit. At what the publisher would have to charge, it probably wouldn’t end up being much of a bestseller.

Oddly enough, the same dynamics apply to today’s digital book printing. As we will discuss below, digital book printing has enabled shorter runs and on demand printing, and you would think that this environment would be ideal to bring back the hands-on craft aspect of bookbinding. And yet, the reason that short-run and on demand book printing is economical is precisely because the printing and binding operations are highly automated, productive and efficient.

The markets for digital hardcover books

The advent of digital printing in general, and digital book printing in particular, has opened up entirely new opportunities and markets for publishers, printers and end users. While mainstream publishers still are dependent upon the traditional model of mass printing, warehousing, distribution, shipping and returns, some have begun exploring the potential of digital printing. At the same time, it has opened up book publishing to small and even self-publishers who had been blocked from traditional publishing markets. E-commerce, meanwhile, solved one of the last remaining barriers to entry: distribution.

Not all of digital book printing necessarily requires casebinding, just as all book publishing in general doesn’t require casebinding. But, just as digital printing is enabling high-volume print applications, digital casebinding can add even more value to that process.

Areas of growth

Again, not all book genres and niches benefit from a digital approach, and certain niches are better candidates for digital printing – and digital casebinding – than others. Let’s run through a few of them.

Textbooks
Textbooks always have been economically problematic, from both the publisher’s, as well as the buyer’s, perspective. The cost of production, a flourishing used textbook market and the need for regular revisions traditionally have made it necessary for publishers to charge very high prices for textbooks. This made things even more problematic for the student, and I can recall even in the mid-1980s that one could easily drop $200 or $300 a semester on college textbooks. Switching to digital printing won’t necessarily help with the overall economics of the textbook market; that said, however, shorter run lengths and a customization approach can make them more easily and economically updated. Digital printing has helped create new types of textbooks, such as textbooks that are specific to individual classes, instructors or even students. For instance, textbooks can be customized with personalized URLs and passcodes that give each student access to his or her own course website. The digital approach also allows instructors to compile their own “anthologies” and customized content.

Yearbooks
School yearbooks lend themselves quite well to digital book printing, as they tend to be short-run (unless you’re talking about a very large graduating class) specialty printed products. Adding a hardcover makes it even more of a keepsake.

Photo Books
If there has been one digital printing application that has been a runaway bestseller in the past decade, it has been digital photo books. Users upload their own photos of an event – a wedding, a birthday party, a holiday, you name it – and print limited editions as gifts for friends and family. Using casebinding rather than perfect binding only makes these books even more valuable and special.

Children’s Books
A growing market is digital children’s books, and many are even personalized. Take, for example, Put Me in the Story (www.putmeinthestory.com), where you can create children’s books and have your own children’s names and other details inserted into the book.

Digital Coffee Table Books
Fans of the TV series Seinfeld remember when Kramer published a coffee table book about coffee tables. As the term indicates, these are oversized, decorative, color gift books often designed more as decoration than reading matter. Indeed, they are left out on the coffee table with the aim of impressing guests. Not usually produced in large runs, digital is starting to catch on for these kinds of titles, especially as printing and binding equipment increasingly can support the oversized nature of these kinds of titles.

Recipe Books
Twenty years ago or so, a friend of mine’s sister-in-law compiled several dozen of her grandmother’s own homemade recipes, had them photocopied and spiral bound them into books that were then given as gifts to family members. It was a way to preserve the past for posterity (as well as some really good Italian recipes). Today, these types of recipe books can be produced in the same way as photo books. And, in this age of people Instagramming everything they eat, it even is easy to incorporate images for an even more high-value print application.

Digital casebound bookbinding equipment

On-demand books were one of the earliest applications for digital printing, and options for perfect-bound paperback books have been long available and affordable. Although casebound digital books have yet to achieve the volume of paper-bound books – if they ever will, which is unlikely – there are many affordable equipment options for companies looking to expand into hardcover books.

Hardcover books always have been viewed by consumers as more of a “premium” item, a high-value print application that also serves as a keepsake, which is what new digital printing applications – like photo books, yearbooks and so forth – are producing. For years, casebinding was thought to be out of reach economically and even technologically. But, today’s digital casebinding systems bring high-quality bookbinding within the reach of virtually any shop, opening up new opportunities to produce those high-value print applications.

Richard Romano is a well-respected industry analyst and originally produced this paper for PrintPlanet and On Demand Machinery (ODM). ODM, Elizabeth, New Jersey, recognized the huge growth in the on demand book market and the emerging photo book segment of the industry. ODM machines have significantly become more technologically advanced, without straying from the company’s original premise of keeping ODM machines simple and backing them with the best customer service and tech support in the industry. Experts at On Demand Machinery often find themselves doing more consultation with customers than selling and can help choose the right casebinding system, identify casebinding best practices and troubleshoot any problems. For more information, visit www.odmachinery.com.

FAQs

Isn’t all casebinding basically the same?
Well, is all perfect binding the same? We’ve all had books – hard- and soft-cover – that after one read started shedding pages like a long-haired cat and other well-thumbed books that even after 20 years still are tightly bound together. Best practices for casebinding exist because you’re trying to produce a book that will stay together. If it is meant to be a keepsake or even handed down from generation to generation like a photo album, good binding techniques will ensure that it lasts.

Are certain substrates better for casebinding than others?
Yes. Traditional papers and substrates tend to work best and will be more compatible with the adhesives used in casebinding equipment. Coated papers can present difficulties in getting glues to adhere properly. A more important substrate issue, perhaps, is attention to grain direction. Pages in the book block should be printed so that the grain direction is parallel to the spine. Why? As any printer, binder or finisher intimately knows, paper readily absorbs moisture. Paper fibers in printed and bound books inevitably will pick up moisture (moisture also comes from the bookbinding adhesive), which means that the pages will expand. If the pages are bound with the grain perpendicular to the spine, this natural expansion is restricted and books will warp and become damaged. The grain direction in the binder’s board also should be the same as that in the book block, so that the board and the pages expand in sync with each other.

Do adhesives matter?
Of course! Not all adhesives are the same, behave the same way or have the same effectiveness on all substrates. At the moment, polyurethane reactive (PUR) glues, introduced in the 1990s, are touted as the latest and greatest in adhesives, but they’re not perfect for every application. Other types of adhesives used in bookbinding are ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) hot-melt and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) cold-emulsion adhesives. PURs work via a chemical reaction with moisture in the substrate and, as such, can form a much stronger bond. However, PUR glues are more expensive and require longer curing times than other adhesives. Inadequate curing can lead to books falling apart or pages falling out after repeated use.

Can casebinding be automated?
There is no logical reason that it can’t be, other than the fact that it traditionally hasn’t been. Unlike perfect binding, casebinding usually has required a lot of user intervention to move book parts and pieces around the plant and physically assemble them. However, increasing demand for automated systems means that those systems are working their way to market. Automation is the next great frontier for casebinding.

Is casebinding equipment JDF-compatible?
Again, as with automation in general, there is no reason that it can’t be other than that it just generally wasn’t. Even all these years after JDF’s supposed world domination, it still has been haphazardly implemented, especially in finishing systems. Although JDF can offer end-to-end workflow automation, simple barcoding, like On Demand Machinery’s Book-Trac, can offer most of the benefits of JDF automation and is specific to bookbinding challenges, such as marrying the right cover with the right book block.

Digital book printing has almost exclusively produced perfect-bound paperback books, but new markets are opening up for high-value, hardcover digital books – books that function as gifts, keepsakes and mementos. Casebinding often has been thought to be out of reach of most digital book printers, but today’s digital casebinding systems can offer high-quality and high-value print books at an affordable cost.

A Closer Look at Electron Beam Technology

December 14, 2015

by John E. Salkeld, PCT Engineered Systems, LLC

Question: I hear my printing colleagues discussing electron beam technology. What is it?

Illustration shows a cut-away diagram of the vacuum chamber of an electron beam system.

Answer: Electron beam technology – known as EB or ebeam – is a technology that uses electrons to alter the molecular state of a targeted material or surface. In the ebeam process, clouds of electrons are generated inside a vacuum chamber, which then are accelerated through a thin, metallic foil window and are directed onto a moving printed web surface. The inks, coatings or adhesives that react to ebeam are made up of molecular elements known as monomers and oligomers. These accelerated electrons connect these molecules into longer-length polymers, instantly changing their chemical composition from a wet state into a dry or solid state.

Question: How is it applicable to the printing industry?

Answer: Ebeam continues to be a growing topic among printers and package converters because it instantly dries – or more accurately, cures – ebeam-friendly inks, coatings and laminate adhesives on paper, film, paperboard or metal. It is a growing alternative to oven (thermal) drying and ultraviolet (UV) curing for a number of reasons discussed below.

Web offset printing presses have been equipped with ebeam units for many years. EB-curable ink technologies also exist for flexographic and gravure printing. As is the case in most of the printing industry, EB-curable inkjet is generating significant interest and is very likely to grow rapidly.

Plus, in recent years, printers and package converters have discovered that ebeam can be used not only to cure inks, coatings and adhesives, but also as a useful tool to give extra “eye appeal” to packaging.

Question: How can ebeam be used for package decoration?

Answer: As the printing, label making and converting industries grow and become more versatile, so does ebeam. Beyond curing and crosslinking, a recently developed 4-in-1 converting line allows package printers to utilize ebeam systems to create innovative package designs. Visual enhancements offered by an ebeam package decorating system include overprint coating, laminating, cold foil transfer and Cast & Cure™ holographic embossing.

Ebeam provides instant curing of coatings and adhesion of laminates to a packaging surface, providing a high gloss and inherent durability that is not possible with other curing technologies. Packagers take advantage of increased package brightness and strength capabilities to give products a new visual pop, while reducing package abrasion and breakage risks.

With cold foil transfer, an ebeam-curable adhesive is applied to a substrate in registration with printed graphics and then is ebeam-cured with an overlying metalized film. The metal transfers to the cured adhesive areas, producing a strong visual metallic effect. Nearly any type of hot or cold stamping foil may be used in an ebeam cold foil process.

Finally, Cast & Cure is a decorative coating process that integrates “casting” and “curing” to provide a consistent high-quality finish. It can generate ultra-high gloss, matte and holographic images onto a variety of substrates. This environmentally friendly process helps make packages more recyclable by eliminating the laminated, metalized films used in traditional holographic processes. Additionally, this casting film is reused multiple times, achieving substantial cost savings.

Ebeam package decorating systems are designed for use with web-printed packaging materials, including flexible packaging, folding cartons, labels and multi-wall bags. These systems work at high speeds, are compatible with wide web widths and generate low substrate heating, which is important when utilizing sensitive flexible packaging materials, such as thin films.

Question: Is ebeam technology a new trend in printing?

Ebeam technology instantly cures ebeam-friendly inks, coatings and laminate adhesives on paper, film, paperboard or metal.

Answer: People unfamiliar with ebeam technology are amazed by the concept of curing surfaces by altering molecular structures instead of thermally evaporating solvents or water. They even are more shocked when they learn that this “radical” technology is more than 40 years old! The reason ebeam continues to grow in popularity is twofold: first, the systems and ink/coating/adhesive formulations necessary to achieve ebeam curing continue to fall in price as the technology gains popularity and second, ebeam offers a number of key benefits over thermal drying and UV curing.

Question: What are the ebeam advantages over thermal drying and UV curing?

Answer: In general, ebeam benefits that printers and converters have documented include improved product performance, superior product consistency, higher process throughput and greater energy savings.

Specific to thermal drying, ebeam curing offers several significant benefits, including the following:

Ebeam systems take up much less space than ovens, which can, in some cases, be hundreds of cubic feet in size. Some converters that have replaced ovens with an ebeam system find enough floor space has been freed up to put in a new line.
Ebeam systems generate very little heat in the substrate being targeted, making it a solid choice for printers and converters over thermal and UV curing (and, it sometimes is the only option) for treating heat-sensitive materials like thin films (such as those found in shrink sleeve labels).
Ovens require an enormous amount of energy and are staggeringly expensive to operate and maintain. There have been studies that have shown that, in some cases, an ebeam system requires up to 95 percent less energy than the oven it replaces.
Finally, ebeam systems help contribute to workplace safety and comfort. With no need to remove solvents from inks and coatings, ebeam curing eliminates the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are associated with thermal drying.

Specific to UV curing, ebeam curing also offers several significant, but different, advantages. These include the following:

By definition, UV curing requires photoinitiators to complete the curing process. Photoinitiators are toxic and run a slight, but nonetheless real, risk of migrating into food. Ebeam curing does not need photoinitiators to work and thus poses no potential for migration. This makes ebeam extremely popular among food package printers and converters.
Ebeam curing has proven to work particularly well when curing thick, opaque and/or high-density ink and coating layers vs. more conventional UV curing methods.
Like thermal drying, UV curing produces a significant amount of heat. In certain cases, ebeam curing has been shown to require up to 80 percent less energy than UV curing.
Unlike UV bulbs, whose power declines over time, ebeam curing offers extremely precise processing, with a stable energy output that does not drift over time.

Question: Is ebeam technology always the best choice for curing?

Answer: No, not always. As has been mentioned, ebeam is the “go-to technology” if there is food packaging involved; sensitive substrates that might be damaged by heat; or thick and/or opaque inks, coatings or adhesives that need to be cured. But, not every printing process benefits by using ebeam curing. For instance, PostPress magazine – and most other commercial printing jobs – wouldn’t benefit by having its inks cured using ebeam technology.

Question: What is the takeaway?

During the EB-curing process, electrons are generated in a vacuum chamber and then propelled through a thick foil onto the target substrate to effect curing.

Answer: Ebeam systems have grown increasingly popular in the converting industry, both as an alternative to traditional curing methods and in their newest role of applying innovative package decoration. Package converting continues to put up powerful numbers in an economy that many still consider in recovery, and analysts predict that strong growth will continue for quite a while.

Printers and package converters who arm themselves with versatile technologies like ebeam to help differentiate their new products and evolve their production techniques promise to see some very exciting times in the print and converting industry in the years ahead.

John E. Salkeld is the marketing manager for PCT Engineered Systems, LLC (PCT), an American multinational engineering services provider, automation systems integrator and custom machine builder headquartered in Davenport, Iowa. PCT designs, builds and implements the most innovative and reliable industrial electron beam system available today – the BroadBeam™ ebeam system. PCT’s equipment is used globally on printing presses, coating and laminating lines, coil coating lines and a variety of specialty applications. For more information, visit www.teampct.com.

Association News: FSEA

December 14, 2015

Call for Entries Now Open for FSEA Gold Leaf Awards

Does your work have what it takes to bring home the Gold? Start collecting your best work for the 23rd Annual Gold Leaf Awards Competition. The Call for Entries has been made. Simply visit www.fsea.com to download the form (a separate form is needed for each entry).

The FSEA Gold Leaf Awards program provides FSEA members an opportunity to be recognized for their outstanding work, as well as provides FSEA the opportunity to further promote the industry. Gold Leaf winners have been recognized with full spreads in magazines such as Package Design, Folding Carton and FSEA’s own PostPress. In addition, award winners are on full display in the Innovation section at PACK EXPO and during the Gold Leaf Awards event at either the FSEA National Conference or IADD·FSEA Odyssey. This year’s winners will be announced and displayed at the upcoming FSEA National Conference in Orlando, Florida, April 3-5, 2016.

Thank You to the Gold Leaf Award Sponsors:

Platinum Sponsors

API Foils
Bobst North America Inc.
Crown Roll Leaf
h+m USA, L.P.
Infinity Foils, Inc. – a UEI Group Co.
Kurz Transfer Products
Metal Magic
Univacco Technology Inc.
Universal Engraving, Inc. – a UEI Group Co.

Gold Sponsors

Brandtjen & Kluge, Inc.
Brausse Group
Eagle Systems
Matik, Inc./Gietz
Owosso Graphic Arts, Inc.
Sakurai USA
Sun Chemical

Help FSEA break yet another record with the number of entries for this next competition. Entries are due Feb. 15, 2016. Download the entry form and rules at www.fsea.com. For questions, contact the FSEA at 785.271.5816.

FSEA Welcomes New Board Member

Jim Rutt has joined the FSEA Board of Directors. Rutt is the president of Keystone Paper & Box Company, located in South Windsor, Connecticut. He is a third-generation owner of Keystone, having started work with the company on a part-time basis at the age of 12 and then working full-time after his graduation from Boston University. Rutt has been the president of Keystone since 1980. He resides in Suffield, Connecticut, with his wife, Debbie, and two children.

Get Relief from Rising Shipping Rates through PartnerShip Discounts

Every year, small package carriers FedEx and UPS evaluate their shipping rates and make adjustments that can have a substantial effect on FSEA member businesses. The UPS rate increases will be effective December 28, 2015, while the new FedEx rates take effect on January 4, 2016. As always, how much more expensive each companys particular small package shipments will be in the new year largely depends on many factors, including shipment volumes, sizes, weights and modes.

Now is the time to take full advantage of the benefits available through the FSEA Shipping Program, such as

Savings up to 29 percent on select FedEx® small package services;
Savings of at least 70 percent on LTL freight shipments with UPS Freight, YRC Freight and others; and
Discounted pricing on shipments to and from tradeshows and events

Visit PartnerShip.com/12fsea to enroll in this free program and receive significant discounts on select FedEx® services – helping to offset these new rate increases. For additional information, call PartnerShip at 800.599.2902 or email sales@PartnerShip.com.

Make a Statement with Your Company Holiday Card

December 14, 2015

by Trish Witkowski, Foldfactory

Admit it, you’ve done it. We all have. You’ve waited until the last minute and bought boxed holiday cards for your customers. At the time, it probably didn’t seem like a big deal, but as an industry that prints beautiful things every day, how can we possibly ignore this opportunity to show off and stand out?

I think, for many printers, binders and finishers, the speed bump is in the creativity. We might be great at making other people’s work look amazing, but we seldom turn the focus onto ourselves – and when we do, we come up dry. It’s a common problem. So, I’m going to give you some great ideas (and the tools to create them).

Inspired holiday card formats

Creating a stunning holiday card can be a piece of (fruit)cake with purchased dielines.

3-Panel Cascading Accordion. The 3-Panel Cascading Accordion format features the classic zig-zag format of an accordion fold, with a stylish angled trim across the top. The trim creates a waterfall effect that can be used for endless dimensional concepts. The file also includes a perforated section that can be detached and used as a bookmark, or simply removed from the dieline.

9-Panel Pop-Out Accordion. The 9-Panel Pop-Out Accordion is a fascinating and dimensional format that expands and surprises the recipient. The four pop-out boxes create a focal point for a message, a date, fun photos and pops of color. For the holidays or a save the date card, celebrate with each box featuring a number (For example, 2-0-1-6).

Broadside Box Star Pop-Up. The Broadside Box Star Pop-Up is a standout format that opens to feature a dimensional surprise. This version features a star theme, with a laser-cut star shape as the focal point to the shadow-box effect. The format can be attached at the bottom or left open so that it can unfold to a large poster spread.

Locked Gate. The Locked Gate holiday series takes the classic gate fold format and embellishes it with a locking mechanism in a custom shape. The locking cover is dimensional and makes the format fun to open. Try the snowflake, circle, tree or star themes.

Swinger Circle with Snowflake. Swinger Folds swing into motion when opened, and this circular-shaped swinger features a classic snowflake in the center accordion panel. Once opened, the Swinger Circle creates a self-standing, almost sculptural appearance.

Tri-Fold with Layered Circle Die. The Tri-Fold with Layered Circle Die holiday format adds a lot of pizzazz to the classic Tri-Fold, while leaving plenty of opportunity for creative expression. When closed, the circles layer together for a dimensional cover and a central focal point for a holiday image or message. Inside, theres plenty of room for everyone in the office to sign.

Vertical Wrapped Accordion Mailer. The Vertical Wrapped Accordion Mailer is a fabulous, self-mailing format that offers tremendous real estate for creativity in a compact and stylish presentation. To open, lift the flap and pull down to reveal six interior panels. For a holiday greeting, take fun photos of your team and showcase them photobook-style in this clever and memorable format.

Dimensional and high-tech card ideas

Pop-Up Holiday Greeting Cards from redpaperplane.com

My friends at redpaperplane.com have an exciting line of pop-up holiday greeting cards that you can design yourself. And, if you’re short on time, they have pre-designed layouts to choose from, too.

If you’re feeling like splurging this holiday season or if you’d like to send something extra special to a targeted list of VIP customers, you can send them the UvideoBase from UviaUs.com. It’s a stylish little video player, wrapped in a full-color sleeve. Just create your layout, load your video and send some serious holiday “wow.”

No excuses. Send something special.

Video player wrapped in a sleeve from UviaUs.com

And, there you have it – lots of great ideas to consider. I challenge you to try something new and send something special to your customers to make a lasting impression.

Foldfactory creates fabulous folded formats. Currently, there are over 40 in the collection, including the 2015 Holiday line. Dielines and folded paper samples are available for all of the layouts mentioned above in the Inspired Holiday Card Formats section. Visit www.foldfactory.com/shop/holiday-collection-2015.

Trish Witkowski is president of Foldfactory.com/Rock the Mailbox. An educator, author, designer and presenter, Witkowski specializes in creative solutions and engagement strategies for direct mail and marketing – and she uses her expertise to help companies find solutions that can meet, or exceed, their marketing goals. For more information, visit www.foldfactory.com.

Options in Book Cloth Add Style and Durability

December 14, 2015

by Rob Mauritz, LBS

It’s important to work very closely with customers as they determine which material to use when covering their book.

Bookbinders know that the interior pages of a book add a tactile element to the reading experience, but it’s the cover material and design that attracts attention on the shelf. The book cloth of today adds color and texture to everything from photo books and menu covers to the classics that will remain in libraries for centuries to come.

A brief history of book cloth

As book production increased near the close of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century, bookbinders turned to fabric cover material rather than leather. It was cheaper, more colorful and easier to embellish. Book cloth, coated or impregnated with pigmented starch, readily accepted elaborate embossing and metallic stamping foils.

Although paper also was used for binding, it was not as durable as starch-filled fabric. The artistry of famous book designers, such as Margaret Armstrong and Frederic Remington, survives today because it was created for books bound in starch-coated cloth.

Innovative bookbinders continued to look for ways to increase the durability of covers and make them waterproof. At the same time, two other innovators – Orville and Wilber Wright – were searching for a better fabric to cover the wings of the Wright Flyer. They had tested almost every cloth they could to cover the wings of the world’s first successful flying machine.

Meanwhile in New England, a group of bookbinders gathered at a seaside inn. Conversation about cover cloth drifted out to the water and to the nearby sailing ships. According to legend, one of the binders commented, “If only we had a fabric as strong as cotton sail cloth.” All agreed that would be ideal.

At that time, DuPont was producing nitro-cellulose lacquer for use on the fabric wings of the emerging aviation industry… and the Wright brothers were interested. The conversation led to a solution for the bookbinders. They challenged textile manufacturers in New England to produce a heavy sail-like fabric and coat it with DuPont’s nitro-cellulose lacquer.

Within a few years, the industry was producing a new durable book cloth, produced in several grades and hundreds of colors. Even today, US passports are covered in a dark blue material that can trace its construction to the early days of book cloth coatings.

Book cloth produced today is much more durable and protective than the original standard established in the 1950s and 1960s. Hundreds of fashionable colors are available in the popular grades, and book cloths are offered in natural cloth texture and embossed with attractive grains. Today’s weaving and coating techniques produce excellent, attractive and durable bookbinding and packaging fabrics.

Finding the right cover material

The old adage says, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” In the print industry, however, providers WANT customers’ books to be judged by their covers! Therefore, it’s important to work very closely with customers as they determine which material to use when covering their book.

One of the factors going into this decision is how the book will be used. For example, a book that is going to get heavy use will need a material that can withstand both constant handling and the potential for liquid spills or stains. This material typically is a coated cloth that offers both strength and stain resistance. Heavy books with pages printed on coated paper or extremely thick books with a high-page count also are candidates for a sturdy coated cloth to help withstand heavy use.

When elegance or beauty is the desired result, uncoated cloth often is the material of choice. Both uncoated cotton and rayon provide a rich appearance and offer a tactile feel that is pleasant to touch. The benefit of rayon is that it is more moisture-absorbent than cotton, which allows it to be dyed in more vibrant colors than cotton. Photo books, coffee table books and art books often use these materials for their covers.

For variety, nothing compares with vinyl-coated paper. This style of cover material is offered in most every color available and can be embossed in a wide variety of interesting designs. Journals, books, photo albums and menus are the typical end uses for this material.

All of the aforementioned materials can be decorated using foil stamping, blind embossing and screen printing. It often is wise to test a material when decorating to ensure it meets the needs of the project. For example, very intricate designs should be avoided when foil stamping on uncoated cloth. When printing, vinyl-coated paper or coated cloth will provide the sharpest image. All of these materials are excellent choices for luxury packaging. The design, function and decorating method of the package will dictate the material.

Rob Mauritz serves as president of LBS. LBS manufacturers and converts materials for use in all types of binding. Included are endpapers, book cloth, buckram, printed covers, book reinforcing materials and Prime One® binders board. Regardless of the project, contact LBS to discuss the best materials for any book, journal, binder or box. To learn more about LBS cover materials, visit www.lbsbind.com.

Paper Choices Abundant for Binding and Finishing Work

December 14, 2015

by Jen Clark, PostPress

Neenah swatchbooks incorporate printed samples into the front of each booklet to show various inspiring images and print techniques.

Choosing the right paper stock to convey a message is an important part of the design process. The wrong paper can send the wrong message; and the wrong message can end up being costly in the long-run. Paper not only is there to give the ink a foundation, but to enhance the design of the image designers – and their clients – want to portray.

The tactile nature of paper gives a printed piece its personality. That personality should fit with the piece’s intended purpose – whether it be low-cost, luxury or somewhere in between. Postpress companies play an important role in paper selection. An understanding of the different types of paper that are available and how these stocks fold, crease or work in packaging design, as well as adapt to foiling, embossing, engraving, thermography, trimming, diecutting and binding, is critical to the ultimate success of the project. The latest developments from two paper companies in the US include specialty coatings and finishes, as well as new colors, textures and weights.

New developments bring personality

With its recent acquisition of FiberMark, the customers of Neenah Paper, Alpharetta, Georgia, now have immediate access to thousands of colors, textures, finishes and weights in premium papers, box wraps, folding boards and labels. “Our already expansive portfolio includes a large selection of color and texture in certified digital papers,” said Jamie Saunders, marketing communications, fine paper and packaging, “and we’re adding more all the time to meet market demand.” Neenah also has increased its envelope offering to feature 33 standard styles and sizes. “That makes it super easy to find the perfect match to the majority of our papers,” she said. “Newly expanded capabilities to Neenah include specialty coatings and finishing with a focus on customization.”

The Strathmore fine paper brand from Mohawk represents 123 years of American craftsmanship.

In celebration of the Strathmore fine paper brand, which represents 123 years of American craftsmanship, Mohawk, Cohoes, New York, recently introduced four new Heritage Colors within the Strathmore line: Golden Olive, Pyro Brown, Dusk Blue and Riviera Rose, said Diane O’Connor, director of public relations. “This carefully curated palette is inspired by four colors discovered in The Strathmore Archives and represents four distinct periods in the history of Strathmore papermaking.”

Mohawk also recently introduced new shades and weights of Strathmore Pure Cotton Letterpress papers that have been designed to emulate the look and feel of handmade papers, with a luxurious surface that allows for a beautiful contrast between the sheet and the printed impression. It is available in two vintage shades of white – Ultimate White and Soft White – and two rich colors – Smoke Gray and Chino – carefully selected to meet the creative needs of traditional social stationers and new letterpress printers. The papers come in various weights and calipers for digital printing and for letterpress printing and matching envelopes are available.

Swatchbooks not only tool to aid decision making

Paper companies offer many resources to help designers not only to choose the perfect paper for a project but to help them through the entire design and print process. Officials from Neenah and Mohawk agree utilizing swatchbooks are one key to getting the right paper for a project. Swatchbooks showcase the paper offerings currently available and can give ideas on real-world use of specific kinds of paper.

“Swatchbooks are important for customers to be able to see the entire offering for a brand in one place,” Saunders explained. “We work to make our swatchbooks special by incorporating printed samples into the front of each one that show various inspiring images and print techniques. This allows the designer or printer to be able to really see what our papers are capable of. Seeing a swatch online is nice so that you can do an initial color check, but having a swatchbook or paper samples allows engagement with the paper on another level. Confirming weight, color and caliper is important to the overall outcome of the printed piece.”

In an effort make it easier for designers and printers to be more creative, productive and efficient with digital printing, Neenah released a series of three print demonstrations. EXPLORE is about inspiring a city, with printed samples designed to cultivate awareness and encourage action. From a creative brochure using three different papers cut to three different sizes to promote a local art space, to a unique triangle box used to create community interest by housing a small surprise, EXPLORE 2 showcases seven different printed pieces of inspiration that are practical, quick, strategic, tangible and printed digitally. EXPLORE 3 is about making events in both work and life more memorable, personal and thoughtful. The folder includes an eclectic mix of creatively designed pieces including an ingenious way to celebrate the purchase of a new home, a birth announcement, a save the date, custom bottle labels and a versioned seasonal menu for a food truck event.

Over the last year, Mohawk has redesigned its series of swatchbooks to make the paper specification process clearer, easier and more inspirational for designers, printers and paper enthusiasts. “The new Mohawk swatchbook series was designed for beauty and utility to help designers and printers discover the impact of paper, color and texture,” O’Connor said. The nine swatchbooks were developed by Hybrid Design of San Francisco, California. The swatchbooks measure 9×6″ and feature a Quick Spec section to provide a quick, organized overview of all colors, finishes and weights available within the paper grade. Waterfall features allows users to easily search by color, finish, weight or printing technique, including helpful tips on choosing finish and basis weight.

Beyond swatchbooks, Mohawk’s and Neenah’s websites provide in-depth information on paper styles, as well as best practices for each paper grade. An extensive resources library with an array of information, tips, templates and information about how to select the best paper for print projects is available at www.mohawkconnects.com, O’Connor said. In addition, Mohawk offers two blogs – Felt & Wire and MohawkMakeReady – that provide “practical information, tips, templates, industry resources, videos and inspirational case studies to demonstrate how Mohawk fine paper has successfully been used for print, design and packaging projects,” she said.

Mohawk produces and makes available a number of free resources, downloads and publications to printers, designers and students, as well as binding and finishing companies to educate these communities about choosing and suitable use of a fine paper for their printed projects. Publications include Paper Basics, Printing Basics and Envelope Basics. It also assists educators with free paper information for their students to help educate students about how to select paper for their print projects. “We also publish various print samples on our papers, including the award-winning Mohawk Maker Quarterly, which serves as a print sample to demonstrate the beauty of projects printed on Mohawk fine papers,” O’Connor said. “The Mohawk Maker Quarterly was designed to communicate experiences that are unique to paper, to elevate print communications and to highlight the beauty and tactility of fine paper. Thousands of free samples of the Mohawk Maker Quarterly are distributed to designers, printers, merchants and paper enthusiasts each year.”

Neenah offers www.neenahpaper.com and www.neenahpackaging.com to provide the resources needed not only to choose the perfect paper for a project, but to help designers through the entire design, print and finishing process. “We have Personal Proof® which lets you order three printed samples using your own artwork or artwork we’ve provided for you,” Saunders said. “We have created dielines for envelopes, packaging and various end use applications. Our calculators are mathematically engineered to help you figure out how many pounds of paper you need for your job or the recycled content of the paper you choose.” For printers, Neenah created printing tips that detail best practices of how to use specific Neenah brands, posted conversion charts and an entire section of the site dedicated to USPS guidelines. “With our Neenah Cabinet™ app for Mac OSX, iPhone, iPad and Android we have created the quickest, most efficient way to find paper,” she added. “Search papers, envelopes and packaging. Browse by color family, category or gradeline. View colors by waterfall and save favorites. Compare colors, Neenah brands and forward your selections to your printer.”

In addition, these websites offer information on how projects can be enhanced through postpress techniques such as foil stamping, embossing and diecutting, among others, and then bound into the final product using techniques like saddlestitching or perfect binding – or collated into envelopes or folders – to name a few examples.

PostPress would like to thank Neenah and Mohawk for contributing to this article. For more information, please visit www.neenahpaper.com and www.mohawkconnects.com.