On this custom printing job, we're trimming the book costs to the bone. A print brokering client of mine is producing a family history from the Second World War. He needs to keep costs down since he will be paying the bill himself. However, it's his legacy. Therefore, the book has to look really good.
It's coming. You can almost set your clock by the postage rate increases. Every year, the US Postal Service can raise rates. As long as these increases do not exceed the rate of inflation, the Post Office does not need the approval of the US Congress.
I'm in a bit of a quandry.
I'm have contracted with a commercial printing supplier to print business cards for a brokering client of mine. My client wants 500 business cards on Classic Crest Eggshell cover stock. The plant manager noted that my client's digital print business cards will not be as abrasion resistant as offset-printed cards. This will be especially true if someone puts a business card in his/her wallet or if the card gets a lot of handling (i.e., abrasion from the natural skin oils on people's hands). The commercial printing plant manager said the Indigo toners will scratch more easily than offset ink because the toner does not seep into the paper. Instead, it sits up on the paper's surface.
I came upon a few articles recently that show various venues in which the printed word still flourishes.
Direct Mail Packages Just Work
The first article is a snippet from a commercial printing supplier's website. I work with this vendor as a broker. Let's call them “Printer A” so as not to give them an unfair advantage. To quote from their website, “This political season, [Printer A] printed and mailed over 24.5 million pieces in a three-month period.” To continue, this printer has noted increased spending on direct mail packages. Printer A attributes this resurgence to businesses' attempting to attract new customers by using “mail that gets noticed.”
I learned a new word today: “bespoke.” It means “to a buyer's specification” (Wikipedia), and in the most recent era of print production it means that presses are being manufactured to exactly fit the print supplier's needs. Think of it as “mass customization” for printing professionals (hardware, that is, rather than printed products).
I read an interesting article today on the PM (Promo Marketing) website referencing IBISWorld's market survey on promotional products. The good news is that revenue is increasing.