BurdgeCooper...and me

I'm excited to begin a new chapter in my professional career this Monday, October 15th.  I've decided to join BurdgeCooper in Atlanta.

The L.A. & Atlanta printer does lithography and digital work but admittedly I'm most excited about the craft printing - engraving, embossing, die-cutting, letterpress, foil stamping and thermography they excel in producing.  It's what takes an ordinary sheet of paper and turns it into something EXTRAordinary!

And who couldn't use a few more beautiful printed things and a little less electronic clutter in their life these days?

If I could engrave this blog...I would.  :)

So, look for the content here to change.  While I hope to remain on top of what's new with paper, my focus shifts to what's being done with the paper!

Also, treat yourself to a delightful video, behind the scenes of the craft of engraving. 

Until next time!  Mendy

 

New Horizons...I'm no longer at Mac Atlanta.

Good morning from Seattle where I'm having a superb family vacation!  Last Friday before we left I found out Mac Papers eliminated my position.  Maybe this is good for my readers since my posts will now include news from all mills, not just the ones I represented there.

Looking forward to what the future holds....and still loving paper.
Mendy

Soft, luxurious paper Touche' Adds Four New Colors

Fibermark Touche' was one of those ground-breaking papers that brought the total luxury of soft papers you want to touch to the marketplace.

Now they've added four new colors: Pewter, Lapis, Mink and Scarlet.

Old version, outside cover.

If you specify Touche' take this (above) old swatchbook and recycle it...then call Mac Papers in Atlanta at (770) 948-9959 to request the new version which beautifully demonstrates foil-stamping and a spot gloss raised UV on the new Pewter shade of the paper.

New version, outside cover.



Inside showing new colors.



Current swatch books from International Paper.

Old Accent Opaque, Hammermill and Springhill books.

International Paper has updated all three major swatch books for specifiers.  If you have any of the ones pictured above, you can recycle them.  The ones you want are pictured below.  Call the Sample Department at Mac Papers Atlanta to get yours: (770) 948-9959.

BIG coated paper news from NewPage. Centura, Productolith and Sterling Ultra sheets retired.

I can't explain it any better than the news release Monday July 30th did, so I quote:

 "NewPage Corporation today announced that it has created a shift in the premium paper value equation with the introduction of Sterling® Premium, Sterling® Premium Digital™ and Sterling® Premium Digital™ for HP Indigo.

The company’s legendary Sterling brand has been reengineered to provide enhanced optics, an extremely smooth surface and premium shade – all at a No. 2 price.

With the introduction of the new product line, NewPage will be retiring Centura

® sheets and web, Productolith® sheets and web and Sterling® Ultra sheets. Sterling Ultra web products will remain.

Both the sheetfed and digital line ups are earth friendly; carrying three chain-of-custody certifications and containing 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber and 100 percent of our products are made in the USA by NewPage, an American-operated manufacturer."
Our Mac Papers sales team was able to see printed and unprinted samples of the new Sterling Premium in Gloss, Dull and Matte last week and they were very impressive!

I'm so pleased to see NewPage recognize customer's desire to have fewer, better choices in coated paper.  Well done!!

I'll post images of the new swatch book soon. 

NEW! Waterproof Paper for Digital Printing!

Choices for materials optimized for digital printing continue to proliferate and it's exciting!  Mac Papers has added yet another family of products, these from FUSION DIGITAL. 

We stock 12"x18" sheets of the Repositionable Woven Fabric, Peel/Seal Bumper Stickers, Peel/Stick Post Cards, soft Polyester, and more.  Many of these products are waterproof!!

Call Mac Papers Atlanta for more information and to request samples: 770-948-9959.

Buying Paper Online & the new French Paper Website

I liked the email title, "French Paper's New Website-141 Years in the Making".  Catchy, funny, and true.  What concerns me - as a paper merchant- is how many times it encourages the reader to order paper, envelopes and more from the French site.

Mac Papers hasn't been around 141 years, but I'd venture a guess we've been partners with French Papers for a long time.  And I just want to remind customers the value the merchant brings in warehousing and delivering French and all the other papers to you and your printers.  I also want to remind you, we are a wholesaler!  Our customers aren't paying the retail prices you find on the paper mill websites!

So let's imagine your purchase isn't about the service or the availability or the price...why would you buy online?  Very small quantities.  Hey, let's face it.  Sometimes you just need 50 Mod-Tone Pink A-6 envelopes, or 50 sheets of 8.5"x11" 80 lb Cover.  In that instance, you're best bet IS the mill website. 

Not to say we can't help you out with small quantities in many cases, but consider your options.

Not too long ago the website paperspecs.com featured me in a story called The Truth About Your Paper Merchant.  I'd encourage yout to click the link, read it and call Mac Papers.  With 20+ locations in the Southeast, and 180,000 Sq. Ft. of warehouse in Atlanta alone, there's a good chance we have what you need.

Mac Papers Atlanta: 770-948-9959.

MOHAWK Streamlines...and Old Friends.

Almost 21 years ago I went for my first job interview in the paper business.  That day I had lunch with Howard Olson, who would become my boss, and Rebecca Pilgrim, who would become my colleague and mentor.  With a nod to sentiment, Rebecca - who now handles specification and business development for Mohawk* in Atlanta -and I met last week for the first time since then in the same spot! 

It was a lot of fun to catch up with her and she spent time teaching me about the newest paper specification tool from their mill.  It's pretty different from anything we've seen in the past, and does an amazing job condensing a LOT of information into manageable parts. 

Over the last number of years Mohawk has grown and expanded their product portfolio through aquisition.  Brands like Beckett, Strathmore, Bravo, Kromekote and Carnival joined specifier favorites like Options, Superfine and more recent additions like Loop to create an incredibly diverse library of paper resources.  Time had come for streamlining the brands and simplifying the products. 


3 chip charts and a guide booklet come housed in a sleeve.

 Their very powerful online paper search tool can be found here.  But I'd encourage every Atlanta area Mohawk specifier to call us here at Mac Papers' and request a copy of the Streamline Introduction Booklet and 3 Chip Charts.  This will provide a great transitional reference guide before any new swatch books become available. 

In the meantime, hang on to your Mohawk (Beckett, Strathmore, Smart, Bravo, etc.) swatch books and fear not!  Just call 770-948-9959 if we can help you track down any paper you want but are having trouble locating.  Rebecca, thanks for the memories.  I look forward to what our futures hold!

*Footnote, this is MOHAWK - formerly Mohawk Fine Papers...not to be confused with the major carpet manufacturer here in Georgia!!

The Standard #5-SPECIAL EFFECTS. New from Sappi.

One of the finest collection of printed special effects I've ever seen is demonstrated in the Standard No. 5 published earlier this year by Sappi Fine Paper.  You may register for a FREE webinar being held tomorrow 2pm EST, June 19 at www.paperspecs.com/webinar.  The host will cover:

• Varnish, aqueous and UV coating techniques
• Specialty inks and spot colors
• Strike-through techniques and lenticular printing
• Laser diecutting, foil-stamping and embossing/debossing techniques
• Engraving, thermography and flocking

If you can't make the webinar, visit the webpage here.  Of course you may contact Mac Papers' Atlanta Sample Department at 770-948-9959 to obtain your personal copy.  It's inspiring and a real treasure for any print designer!  I had a personal introduction from our local rep, then heard the designer Kit Hinrichs and one of the illustrators divulge the production process at an AIGA Atlanta event in April.  Enjoy!

Sappi HANNOART has a new swatch book.

If you like bright, smooth, well-priced coated printing paper for offset and digital printing then you must like Sappi HannoArt.  This gorgeous paper comes in Silk and Gloss finishes and measures an impressive 96 Brightness.  Basis weights up to 130lb. Cover will delight any specifier. 

Here are pictures of the latest swatch book.  If you need it, simply contact Mac Papers' Atlanta Sample Department at 770-948-9959. Once you have it, please recycle the older versions!  

Bravo. Something different from Mohawk for digital print jobs!

Bravo is the name of the line of specialty digital substrates now under the Mohawk family umbrella and the swatch book looks like this. 

The newsletter they sent me described Bravo's contents this way,

 "Synthetic Materials  Perfect for applications including menus, wrist bands, ID cards, maps, flip charts and placemats where moisture or excessive wear are of concern, these sheets are built to last, yet are flexible and lightweight like paper.

• 5-mil and 7-mil polyester
• 10-mil and 15-mil PVC

Pressure Sensitive Materials
Offered in four different adhesive types and five different face stocks, these materials fit a wide range of applications including industrial labels, novelty stickers, repositionable signage, horticultural labels, window decals and CD labels.

• permanent, removable, ultra removable, and ultra cling adhesive
• papers, polyester and vinyl

Magnetic Materials
Mohawk Magnetic Materials are a unique way to increase ROI with an expanded range of marketing materials—business cards, picture frames, save-the-dates, sports schedules, signage, and more. They are offered in semi-gloss paper and matte polyester face stocks in three different weights: 13-mil, 14-mil and 17-mil sheets.
Embedded Materials
These peel-out magnetic or pop-out synthetic cards are embedded into paper base stock that’s great for personalized direct mail campaigns. They’re available in several formats including 4-up postcards. Perfect for announcements, coupons, calendars, membership cards, etc.

• embedded magnetic cards in 1-up and 4-up formats
• embedded synthetic cards in 1-up and 1-up, 2-wide formats

Mohawk Bravo Digital Substrates are:

• uniquely designed for digital color production presses including those using dry toner as well as HP Indigo ElectroInk
• formulated with a superior print surface and reliable performance across all digital color production equipment
• engineered to run smoothly and efficiently."

And I couldn't have said it better myself!  I've seen the stuff printed up and personalized and it's SO effective! Call Mac Papers Atlanta at 770-948-9959 if this is something you need!

New Weights in Neenah Durable Packaging Paper

One of our 100% Post-Consumer Folding Board Packaging Papers has just added new heavier weights.

Neenah Paper's Environment Folding Board now offers 20, 22, and 24 point in addition to the existing 18 point.  These make excellent, high quality packaging while being extremely sustainable!

You'll find more details here. 

Direct mail grade OPUS PS now available in a DULL finish.

Sappi recently announced their direct mail paper,  Opus PS, has become available in a Dull finish in 7, 8 and 9pt. 

The Dull compliments the existing Gloss and Matte giving you the flexibility of a third finish for this high quality web product. It meets U.S. Postal Service minimum caliper requirements and opticallly matches the rest of the Opus family of papers in your orange swatch book.

Opus PS Dull is FSC^® and SFI^® certified and is available with 10% PCW upon request. 

Contact Mac Papers Atlanta for unprinted sample sheets.

PhotoTex Removable, Reusable, Repositionable Printable Fabric

I'm excited about the cool new things we have to sell in the wide format printing arena..  One of them is this product called PhotoTex.  My understanding is it's a lot like the fathead products that have become so popular.


It  is a white, reusable, printable, polyester fabric that can be mounted to virtually any flat surface and re-positioned countless times while retaining its adhesion and without leaving a residue even brick walls! It can be printed with Solvent or Aqueous/Pigment & UV inks.


Photo Tex can be used both indoors and out in any weather condition, is water resistant and instant dry, it doesn't shrink or curl, tear or wrinkle, and it can be illuminated with backlighting. The adhesive does not weaken after several position changes as long as the adhesive stays clean.  I mean, how cool is that??  


The rolls widths are 17, 36, 42, and 54.  Lengths are 55 and 100ft and need to be specified for aqueous or solvent printing. There are several competitors, but this stuff is tried and true.  I ESPECIALLY love that it is free of Formaldehyde, or Phthalates.  (If that means anything to you, follow me on Twitter @GreenPaperGal)!


!

Mohawk's MakeReady and daily Drupa coverage is superb!

If you're a digital printer or passionate about what is happening in the world of digital print production, you need to sign up for Mohawk MakeReady.

This community is absolutely jam-packed with content for anyone involved in a digital printing business. And right now they are posting LIVE coverage from Drupa the largest international printing trade show in the world.

No one else that I know of is doing this and I applaud Mohawk for doing something educational and cutting-edge for the community.  Now they just need to add MacPapers.com to their "Useful Links" page.

FiberMark...specialty paper and more!

When I helped organize physical swatch cabinets I liked to put the books in four categories: coated, uncoated, text & cover, and specialty.  FiberMark definitely belongs in Specialty!

The truth is, you probably don't need their swatch books in your cabinet, and many of their products aren't represented in traditional swatchbooks.  But when you need to specify special substrate...think latex-saturated, Tyvek, "leatherette", suede, reptile-embossed patterns,  wet-strength tags, endleaf products for bookbinding, decorative package coverings explore here.

Then call Mac Papers Atlanta for samples.  770-948-9959

Get a FREE Private Genuine Watermark for a Limited Time

If you've always dreamed of having a paper with your private watermark in it, now may be the time!  For a few more weeks, your Mac Papers Atlanta rep can help you select the right Neenah Paper for the job.  With a 5,000 lb minimum the $1,000 dandy roll manufacturing cost is waived!


This applies for normal artwork on an 8.5"x11" sheet.  For you?  A client?  Have some fun and get some fabulous letterhead!!!

Van Son Inks

Mac is a distributor of the famous inks from Dutch manufacturer Van Son.  If you're interested in their products, look here.  Recently they entered the wide format ink market.  Ask your Mac Papers rep if you'd like more information.

Find a designer-friendly printer.

Our partner French Paper Co. made me aware of a neat online resource.  InkerLinker.com is a growing database of designer-friendly printers, searchable by specialty, and categorized by letterpress, offset, digital, screen printing, and engraving. There is also an extremely helpful map so you can pinpoint a printer in your neighborhood by clicking here.  I hope lots of Mac Papers customers are using this great tool!

New Crane's Lettra, 100% Cotton Swatch Book from Neenah

There's a great looking new swatch book for Crane's Lettra from Neenah Paper and it shows off the new 90 pound Cover available in all three colors: Fluorescent White, Pearl White, and Ecru White.  Though this grade is suitable for offset printing, it is optimized with letterpress, em/debossing, foil stamping and engraving and samples of some of those processes are included.  What's also interesting is they've added a 18"x12", 90pound Cover product for digital printing! 

Add this to your existing Crane's Crest & Bond swatch book from Neenah Paper which is also 100% Cotton (or tree-free as they say) and your Crane swatch books are complete.

Brand new website and what's new at Mac Papers

My employer Mac Papers has diversified quite a bit recently.  Thoughtful additions have been made to our core business of web & sheet-fed  printing & publishing paper distribution and envelope manufacturing/distribution.  With all those changes, an updated website was a must.  Visit www.macpapers.com to check it our for yourself!

While we sell throughout the U.S. and internationally, our real estate footprint remains in the Southeastern U.S.  A fresh expansion, May 2012, into Nashville, TN with a new branch only further solidifies Mac Papers Southeast presence.

Besides the new geography, Mac now has a whole Digital Papers segment dedicated to products made for printing on digital production equipment such as the HP Indigo, Kodak Nexpress, Xerox iGen equipment and much more.

There is a Packaging Solutions Division with every imaginable type of box, bag, sealer, protection and equipment to work with such things.

There is a Wide Format Division through which we sell aqueous & solvent based solutions.  Canon, Epson & Seiko printers as well as ALL the ink & media used to output prints from vinyl to board, to (of course) photo paper, fine art paper, adhesive backed products, cling products, floor/wall/auto materials and so much more.  (I think this stuff is interesting and a lot of fun!)

Many people may not realize we have had a viable and growing Business Products Division.  With an account you can order from Mac Papers just as you would any "big box" retailer.  Sharpies?  Yes.  Rubber bands?  Sure!  Furniture?  Indeed.  School supplies?  Yes, those too!

Our Mac Graphics Division handles the sale of all our press room products.  The things that every printer needs!

Mac National, which I work with, helps customers put together comprehensive paper purchasing solutions for their business.  Each one is customized to the particular needs of the customers business, whether its to reach Corporate Social Responsibility goals, logistics goals, budgetary goals or all of the above.

And let's not forget our retail stores - seventeen Mini-Macs!  Four of them are in Atlanta and they provide a great resource to anyone looking to shop for ready-to-print quantities of many papers and above mentioned items.  Visit the Atlanta-area stores in Marietta, College Park, Norcross and Midtown (14th Street behind the Silver Skillet!)

Enjoy the new website which offers greater details on all these fantastic products and services and as always, call your Mac Papers rep with help on any questions!

Mohawk Gets even more Exciting

The absence of any earlier posts about Mohawk Fine Papers was just because a little birdie told me change was in the wind.  I'm glad I waited because now I can get the information to you and get it right!  First, the new company name is Mohawk and above - the new logo designed by Pentagram. 

More details soon...many more, but if you want to get started without me, check out their fabulous new website here.  Enjoy!!

Colors, Textures, Heavy Weights oh how we love French Paper!

Once your company celebrates its 141st birthday, you're entitled to legendary status.  At least in American Papermaking.  And  that's exactly the story for French Paper Company another of Mac Papers fine paper mill partners.  Read more about their history here.

The brands/grades we currently represent are: Pop-Tone, Mod-Tone, Glo-Tone, Speckle-Tone, Parch-Tone, Dur-O-Tone, Muscle-Tone, Smart White and Construction.  Back before flecks in your paper were cool, French introduced Speckle-Tone, this and their longstanding collaboration with the brilliant designer Charles S. Anderson are just a few of the reasons I love French papers.

Here are a couple of photos showing the outside covers of current swatchbooks and the amazing array of colors found inside (including a rare shade of orange).  French's swatchbooks are slightly smaller in height than most and most are wire-O bound.

Another thing I like about French is we stock a fair number of their products so even customers in a hurry can often get what they need.  Envelopes are available in a wide assortment and custom textures!  Yes it's true.

For a 2,000 lb manufacturing minimum French will make a custom paper in the textures shown (sorry for the resolution) such as: Burlap, Cordtone, Fabrique, Linen, Broadcloth, Leather and more.  They can match PMS colors and test to make papers with added organic materials.  Just contact your Atlanta Mac Papers rep for current swatch books or more information: (770) 948-9959.

The latest, beautiful papers from Reich

Hello paper lovers, it's time for some more posts with images of current swatch books.  First, I want to show what is current from Reich Paper.  Five lines: CT, Digital, Odeon, Savoy and Shine.  I can't overstate how beautiful these papers are.  In an earlier post I told you about Kyle who has a letterpress truck that is cruising across America promoting the art.  She's a much better blogger than me.  Check out her account of letterpressing Savoy from Reich here.

Reich CT offers a wide array of naturally translucent papers in Clear and Colors.  It's offered in ink-jet and digitally compatible 30 lb.  There's a 30 lb. Recycled product as well.  My favorite is the 24 lb. Iridescent which is clear but for some lovely circular flecks.  There are loads of envelopes stocked too - guaranteed to grab anyone's attention.

Savoy is a leading 100% Cotton grade with 3 shades of white perfect for letterpress, as mentioned earlier.  There are many envelopes stocked and this makes it perfect for wedding stationery or any elegant invitation.  It has the natural tooth of a cotton paper but if you're looking for more texture, try Odeon.  Only out for three years, this elegant true-feltmarked paper comes in two uncoated white felts and four pearlized colored felt finishes.  I love it! 

Reich Paper's Shine is probably their best-known product and the pearlescent color palette is exquisite.  The newest swatch books shows the five new "Satin" colors which still give the pearlescent effect but in a more dense way.  Guess you have to see it to understand!  The great thing is, even though it may appear otherwise, these sparkly paper are also recyclable, biodegradable, acid free and FSC-Certified.  Offset printing requires special inks, but this stuff can be laser prined, ink jet printed, AND the Pearl, Champagne, and Silver colors are compatible with toner-based Digital presses! 

Pull out your Reich Paper Digital swatch book to find those details and see the Digital Groove, Digital Felt and Savoy products also certified for HP Indigo and Kodak Nexpress.

Mac Papers is a wholesale distributor for all Reich papers and envelopes in standard carton quantities which typically range from 100-1000 sheets each depending on size and basis weight.  Contact your Atlanta Mac Papers representative for more swatch books or more information.

Mac Papers is a wholesale distributor for many things now but our company began with paper.  Special papers are loved by graphic designers, because they know, the right paper selection can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of the finished piece.

We represent CTI Paper USA and their specialty paper and envelope brands: Aspire Petallics, Bindakote, Constellation Jade, Currency, Glama Natural, Spendorlux and their newest grade Tube.  These are the kind of products that have to be seen and touched to be understood and appreciated.

Here are some photos of the swatch books currently representing the brands.  (Hint: if you specify product from old ones it probably will not be available!) 

You can't miss the Aspire Petallics used on the cover.

Three brands inside: Aspire Petallics AND Glama Natural AND Currency .

Constellation Jade - Printing & handling tips included.

Splendorlux. Printing & handling tips included.

Bindakote and NEW Tube inside.

Nice, new Classic swatch books from Neenah Paper.

Hey, the rest of this week it's all about swatch books and today I'm posting some of the most beautiful and effective ones I've ever seen. They're Neenah Paper's current set for their brands Classic Crest, Classic Linen, Classic Laid and Classic Columns.  Not only do they come in a tidy, beautifully printed, paper box, but the brands now share 10 common colors.  My favorite part is they've printed weight information right upon the colors.

Full Classics Box

Classic Crest

Classic Linen

Classic Laid

Classic Columns

Your swatch will show representations of the colors, textures, weights, environmental benefits, available within the grade as well as information on press sheet sizes and matching envelopes.  It's about $80 worth of reference materials, so if that's more than you need or you prefer a digital reference, Neenah has also produced a virtual swatch cabinet for these and their other paper grades.  Check it out for FREE here.  For the paper version, just contact your Mac Papers rep or our 

Sample Department at (770) 948-9959.  Trust me, you're going to want to specify some fantastic paper.

Mac Papers has Sappi's current swatch books

One of the first mills I learned much about (through a woman whom I'm grateful became a friend for life) was the venerated S.D. Warren.  Now that company is a part of a phenomenal multi-national corporation Sappi Ltd. which demonstrates great leadership in matters of Sustainability. Please click here to visit the Sappi Fine Paper website.

At Mac Papers Atlanta we offer local inventory and delivery of  their coated papers for digital, offset, and web printing.  As of today's date, the following product swatches belong in your cabinet. McCoy, Opus (including the Opus 30 supplement), HannoArt, Somerset, and Flo.


The photos below show which swatch books are current:



*Note, more recent blog post shows this swatch is now outdated.



Note: This grade is only for web printing.

Any of these resources can be supplied by your Mac Papers' rep or our Sample Department (770) 948-9959.

Domtar products for digital/offset/web printing are at Mac Papers

If you want to specify good quality, sustainably-manufactured, reasonably priced, uncoated paper, then Domtar makes a lot of products you'll like to print on.

At Mac Atlanta we carry the commercial printing grades: Cougar, Lynx Opaque Offset, and Husky Offset.  We also have many of their business papers including my favorite EarthChoice which offers FSC-Chain-of-Custody certified product for regular office copiers.

To make sure you're using the most current swatches see my pictures below of the covers and first spread. Swatch books are dated on the back cover: Cougar- 06/10, Lynx Opaque Offset- 07/11, Husky Offset- 07/09. You may also click here to visit the mill's website.

For Domtar Colors & Hots, you'll want to reference the following brochure, dated 10/11, in lieu of a swatch book.  Mac will provide easy access in particular to the 20/50 lb. Domtar Colors.

Feel free to contact our Sample Department if you need any of these resources: (770) 948-9959.

A paper alternative for plastic cards!? Say goodbye to PVC, hello to paper!

I'm all about Creation Care.  I mean it!  We've got one planet to live on and pass on as a home to our children and I think we should do our best to take care of it!  If you agree you'll really love the Envi Card stock in the link below.

Without going off on much of a tangent, I'll say this. Ten or so years ago when I helped introduce one of the first FSC what's this? certified printing papers in the U.S. marketplace, I wanted to understand the buzz it was a part of: Corporate Social Responsibility, "Going Green", global warming/climate change and so on.  So I read a lot, listened a lot and learned a lot.  Not long after,  I became a mother, my interest piqued altogether.

About then my clients, who had buttered the paper mills' bread by printing beautiful marketing pieces disguised as financial documents called annual reports, were told by the SEC they no longer had to print & physically distribute them as long as they were available on the website.  Blah.

Now there was talk of annual reports being replaced by sustainability reports, and granted I have seen and worked on a number of interesting ones, but it's not the same.  At all.

I digress.  My point was, during the course of my self-education it became evident that my beloved paper WAS after all ever so "green" click here for these secret paper factoids and the real bad guys were those tyrannical monsters making plastic.  Whoever they are.  

But seriously, if we're talking about what happens in a landfill, our dear friend plastic is nowhere near as biodegradable as paper.  SO, if you ask me "paper or plastic?" well......

With that may I bring to your attention a totally recyclable paper substitute for PVC gift or loyalty cards we have just launched called Envi Card Stock.  This product is FSC-Certified, manufactured carbon-neutral AND prints beautifully.  What more could you want?  Contact me for samples or see more here. This is very exciting!

About two weeks ago we co-hosted an event for digital printers with Mohawk Fine Paper at the HP Education & Training facility in Alpharetta, GA.  I was really wowed!

Not only was it fun to see the entire range of commercial printing equipment manufactured by HP, (think GIANT large format printers and Inkjet web presses), but it was great to hear the mill talk about their Mohawk MakeReady initiative.  See the website

Any digital printer in the world would benefit from subscribing to this community today!!  Besides, Mohawk has been involved with OEMs from the earliest days of digital printing and has a TON of great products for digital printing.  Not just on HP Indigos but all types of digital equipment.

The most recent, and unique, addition to their product lineup is specifically for digital printing and we showed it off that day.  It's called Bravo Digital Substrates.  One can think of embedded postcards, magnets, and other VDP custom solutions.  Swatch books are extremely limited but LMK and I can bring you samples.  This stuff gets those creative gears turning!