Custom Direct • Marketing Communications

Hello,

Kristen here, first blog, hopefully the first of many…

Recycled paper: do you understand what you are buying?

Recently I have been involved with researching the many facets of recycled papers to assist our clients in understanding what icons are associated with recycled paper and what each icon means. With just a little research, I was astounded to find out the range of products that are on the market and that in some cases “recycled paper” didn’t mean what I thought it meant.

With so much talk about being “Green” these days, many companies are turning towards recycled papers as one way to help the environment and possibly their bottom line. The question is, do the companies really know what they are buying? When you decide to start buying and printing on recycled papers, you really need to do some research or you might not be getting what you think.

Part of the issue is that “recycled” is a very loose term. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) controls the standards on what is and isn’t considered recycled. But the standards are so broad that a paper with a recycled logo can literally mean that a paper is being made from paper scraps left over from the paper making process. So ultimately you are buying paper with no post-consumer waste that offers little relief to the environment.

If recycled papers is your route, a better option is to look for post-consumer waste recycled or PCW labels, the higher the percentage of PCW the better. 100% PCW means that the paper pulp is derived from all post-consumer waste, no virgin forests are logged for this paper. Another option is to consider the way the paper is whitened. According to The Green Guide, processed chlorine-free or PCF is a better choice than totally chlorine-free or TCF. PCF is required to use at least 30% PCW and is a safer process than TCF. TCF can be used on virgin forest pulp and therefore is not as good of an option.

Another route altogether is to use tree-free papers, which come from agricultural refuse, bamboo, hemp, kenaf and non-tree fibers. The tree-free papers use an alternate source of pulp, rather than logging virgin forests, therefore they don’t reuse post-consumer waste. So they are a good alternative from non-recycled papers.

When you do a little research you start to see all of the options that are available. There is FSC Certified paper that follows a “chain-of custody” from a FSC-certified forest, to the paper manufacturer, merchant and finally the printer and Green Seal certification which is a third party that certifies environmentally friendly products. I think the ultimate goal is to reuse as much post-consumer waste as possible to save our landfills AND to use as little as possible of virgin forest to save the environment. Think about this the next time you look for recycled paper. 

Hi ~ Erin blessing everyone with another blog

I find myself looking at life from a creative perspective everyday. I am a visual person who would much rather look through a picture book than read a novel. That’s probably why I enjoy taking so many pictures and that’s why I’m adding a few to this blog.

I usually have my camera with me and in this digital world I figure if you have enough memory and battery power what have you got to loose? I’ll snap away, download and sometimes find some very…

interesting textures and details…

different perspectives and shapes…

or cool lighting effects…

Stop yourself on occasion and enjoy the view, wherever you are. The simplest things in life can be the most interesting when you take a minute. You don’t have to take a picture, just slow down and take a look.

Doreen here…recently I was asked to do some measuring for a “squinch” analysis for a client. Here are just a few things that I learned along the way.

 As a cataloger, effective product analysis is one of the most important tools you can use to measure your merchandising efforts.

 Sometimes buyers rely on emotions and gut feelings when choosing merchandise for their catalogs. A certain product just “feels” right. This method of choosing products may work for a while if you are just starting out and have a small catalog with a very select audience. However, most marketing experts would agree that some sort of quantitative analysis is the best way to target your winners and therefore give your audience the products they are looking for.

 One method of sorting out the top performers from the so-so sellers is to perform a square-inch analysis, also known as “squinch”. This method reveals the cold hard facts–it  evaluates each item by showing how much it cost, the actual selling price, units sold, total sales, cost of goods, gross margin, cost of catalog space and how much the product contributes to overhead, fulfillment and profit.

I found that allocating space on a fractional basis, say 1/8 of a page works out well.

 Simply stated, the productivity of each item is determined by taking the entire cost of producing the catalog divided by the number of pages, divided by the amount of space each product occupies on the page.

 By measuring the amount of space each item takes up on a page, and comparing it to other items on that page you can determine which items are the most profitable and decide to either give less profitable items less space, or to eliminate them altogether.

This information can be very valuable to merchandising staff as well as creative staff when determining product offerings and space allocations for future catalogs. 

David here…I tend to find myself looking at my work as a Designer as more of a job than a career or especially even a passion anymore. My guess is it’s from years and years of doing the same thing. I think even the most creative people feel stagnant at times. Sometimes we just go through the paces during the day to get done what needs to get done. In my experience, the stress of family and especially children really add to this creative burnout.

I’ve come to find though, that my kids can sometimes be the best inspiration for me. Really, as much as some of us might hate Hannah Montana, High School Musical or even the dreaded Barney, there is a lot to be said for the media and consumer blitz that these entities generate. In a way, it’s good to see what other designers are doing to create buzz and to get noticed with the younger generation that’s out there. Most of my work isn’t geared toward the younger set, so it can be interesting to see how others are going about reaching them. The current trends seem to be a use of vibrant colors and a flashback to the early 80s using big type and geometric shapes. I try to take it all in. You never know, being marketed to as if we were 15 again may be just what we, the older generation needs.

This is one example of creative inspiration in my life, but there are so many more. Simply observing the way light reflects off of a lake while you are fishing, the contrast of the green moss next to the stem of a mushroom, the countless number of billboards on your morning commute, maybe even the logo on the coffee cup you are drinking from. It’s all there in front of us, every day. Now, it’s up to us to see the mundane as something new, something special and maybe even an idea we use to spark some creativity in our own careers.

What inspires you?

Barb here…As Production Manager for Custom Direct, my department prides itself on delivering perfect print ready files. Every printer we have dealt with has complimented our files, even newer printers we are using on our client’s behalf praise our files. My question to them is, as applications have advanced and processes have changed, why are you still getting bad files? So to better help you prepare your files, be they for your advertising/design agency or the printer, here are some ways to get perfect print ready files.

1. Convert all images to CMYK. Most printing presses run using CMYK inks. Because RGB has a wider spectrum of color, if you convert your images early on, you won’t be surprised at color quality when the images become CMYK at the print end.
2. Convert all colors to process. Unless you are specifically printing with a pantone color, or multiple pantones, make sure you convert your colors to process to eliminate any guesswork on the print end.
3. Make sure all images are at least 300dpi. To ensure the best quality for your brochure, catalog or whatever type of printed piece you are using, Hires images are an absolute necessity.
4. If you are using InDesign and packaging the files, or Quark and collecting the files, make sure that all components are included. Double check this. Many times we have received files where fonts are missing or a linked image is missing. The same also applies to Illustrator files.
5. If you are delivering a locked PDF to your printer (either PDFX1-A or ripped specifically for the printer using their specifications) make sure that it has been set up properly.
6. Most importantly, Communicate. If you don’t understand what it is that the printer or agency wants, ask questions. If they are anything like us, they will be more than willing to help educate you, so you can set up perfect files and not incur any additional costs

Geoff here… with a recap of 4 days spent in semi-sunny southern California at BookExpo America, North America’s largest book fair, which combines the largest selection of English language titles on the planet with special industry and author events, all designed to entice the few remaining booksellers left to buy a book.

BEA is open only to booksellers, publishers, authors, illustrators and agents. As a trade show, it’s pretty good – in the swag department, with most major publishers handing out pre-release copies of their upcoming books, plus you get the chance to stand next to William Shatner at the hot dog stand or get an autograph from Dr. Ruth (Yes… THAT Dr. Ruth).

I traveled to BEA to work in the booth of Cartoonists Across America, a loose-knit organization of artists traveling the world for more than 20 years using cartoons, humor and music to promote literacy and arts advocacy.

Custom Direct’s new fine art company, The Checkered Giant, is the exclusive publisher of Giclee prints for CAA and their founder/artist, Phil Yeh. While Phil met with potential publishers for his books, Steve the Dog and The Winged Tiger and The Winged Tiger in China, I showcased several of the illustrations from the books, which The Checkered Giant had printed for a gallery show in Long Beach.

Children’s book artwork, as collectible originals and prints, is a fast-growing market. Fans of the genre include George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, an avid collector of the work. Museums such as Oakland California’s Museum of Children’s Art and The Santa Barbara Museum of Art have extremely popular exhibitions of picture book art.

In addition to promoting his art, in the context of best-selling books, Phil’s work is being exhibited in a gallery showing at Artistic Edge in Long Beach, California. The gallery opening, which took place Saturday, May 31st, was a great success; more than 150 people showed up to view, peruse and purchase Phil’s artwork and books. The Checkered Giant prints, of Phil’s original digital artwork and watercolor paintings, were very well received.

So what does Dr. Ruth have to do with children’s books and fine art? Nothing, really… but her notoriety, and that of many other artists, writers and celebrities, helps to bring awareness to Phil Yeh and his mission with Cartoonists Across America. Dr. Ruth is a long-time fan of Phil’s and made a special effort to come to the booth at the BEA show, and sign Phil’s guitar – a special guitar autographed by many famous comic book and children’s book artists and authors – which will be auctioned off in 2009 to benefit literacy. Like Dr. Ruth, others at the show were glad to help and add their autograph to the guitar, including Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong and Max Allen Collins (author of Road to Perdition).

While Phil Yeh’s artwork, books, murals and message have been met with resounding success over the years, it still takes something different to break through the clutter and get your message out there.

Erin here, one of the graphic designers at Custom Direct with my very first blog (awwww). In this business, it seems like every day brings a new challenge. With computer technology changing on a daily basis, I am constantly learning about new and effective ways to utilize the Web.

While looking into blogging, I was introduced to content management systems (CMS). I have been interested in finding out more about these and what they have to offer. We have used LearnFlash.com in the past for tutorials and training for Adobe Flash. One of the emails I received from them had a tutorial on Joomla which is said to be the leading content management system provider today. After watching a demo for Joomla, it looks like something that is very useful and easy for updating content on web sites without needing a techy developer at your beckon call. Even a designer like myself can appreciate this - don’t get me wrong, I want to learn as much as I can about web development, but let’s face it I’m a designer. I love the visual end of the deal a little more than the coding.

If there is anyone with more input on CMS or can refer another provider out there, I’d be happy to hear from you.

Hey! It’s me Doreen, just checking in.

We’ve come a long way since our pizza meeting last week.

The Checkered Giant (our venture that will produce Fine Art Reproductions) has become a reality. Once we had our name, our creative team went to work. We needed a mark that would leave an impression and show that we are committed to creativity and quality. Our team did not disappoint us. Just as they do for our clients when designing their logos, our designers David, Kristen and Erin began brainstorming and sketching to come up with that ultimate mark that would satisfy us all. Not an easy task because we are a company filled with creative and innovative thinkers! The critiques would be brutal.

Like most jobs that come through a creative house like ours, we were on a deadline. The turnaround time was quick. Each designer rose to the occasion and presented us (the rest of the Custom Direct team) with their interpretations of The Checkered Giant. Wow! This was going to be difficult. As we do for all our clients, each designer presented their design and their rationale behind those designs. It’s so fun to see firsthand, how creative minds think! As is often the case, we didn’t find the right fit at that first meeting, but we were close. After some tweaking and a few more meetings, The Checkered Giant has a mark! It will debut next week, so stay tuned…

Hey! It’s me Doreen.

Being members of large professional associations has its advantages. You can attend networking breakfasts and luncheons and sit in on informative seminars about your industry. You will keep abreast of the latest trends in technology and learn new philosophies on how to grow your business—all great ideas for the small business owner!

We at Custom Direct are members of several large marketing associations, but we are always looking for new ways to get the word out about who we are and what we do. After all, we are in the communications business.

Recently, we joined the Roselle Chamber of Commerce. Our business has been located here for nine years. I guess we never really thought about joining before now. Talk about networking opportunities! Since joining earlier this year, we’ve been attending Chamber functions and getting to know other local business owners in social settings. To our surprise, many of the “locals” weren’t even familiar with our company! Our goal is to change that.

On Wednesday, Geoff and I volunteered at the Roselle Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Outing held at the Bloomingdale Golf Club. As volunteers, it was our job to persuade golfers to pay to participate in a contest that tested their accuracy and skill as golfers. We had to “sell” them on the idea that they could help our charitable cause and have fun doing it. It was a great way for us to introduce ourselves and our company in a fun and non-threatening manner. We met some folks who could be potential clients and a few who might be future partners. The good-will that we established within the community by volunteering our time will go along way for us as a business in Roselle.

If you are looking for a way to build your reputation within your community and get your name out there, sometimes you don’t have to look any further than your own backyard. I would highly recommend joining your local chamber and get involved!

We’re a pretty close-knit group at Custom Direct. Like a lot of creative firms, we have working lunches where we eat pizza while brainstorming to solve a design or communication challenge. This week all 12 of us gathered to talk and try out a new pizza place…

So… while eating ‘garbage’ pizza (think way too many olives), we began discussing rabbits, amoebas and whether or not armadillos were cute or gross.

Armadillos aren’t most people’s idea of lunchtime conversation, but we were working to create an identity for a new start-up. Not just any start-up, but an extension of Custom Direct.

Combining our creative talent with technical expertise, equipment (and a little luck) we’re beginning a new venture into Fine Art Reproductions, and the marketing of art and artists. Our company needed a name – an identity – a logo and mark to help convey our brand…

We want to speak as artists, to artists; to convey an idea in our name, but not be too literal. Custom Direct, Marketing Communications is literal. Armadillo Editions is not. We want to build a company with a brand promise, which includes the ability to faithfully reproduce the artists’ original artwork, in a manner keeping with the quality and integrity of fine art printmakers.

So obviously we began with an armadillo - the little armor-plated mammal that rolls up into a ball when frightened.

Armadillos are homozygous. Each time they give birth, to a litter of 5 or more pups, EVERY pup in the litter has the EXACT SAME DNA. Each one is an exact reproduction of the mother and the other.

Amoebas also create exact reproductions ‘from the original’ but after some discussion, no one wanted to be thought of as a single-celled entity covered with hair. Well one person didn’t mind, but that’s another story.

“Hey”, someone said, “rabbits reproduce a lot, and they’re lucky!” Rabbit Reproductions didn’t sound right, though, because while cuddly and likable rabbits also conjure up thoughts of speed. We want to say “hand-crafted and methodical” not “quick and crappy”, but the idea of rabbits had some legs…

“How about a breed of rabbit?” one of us suggested, “maybe we can call ourselves The Dwarf Hotot or English Lop Ear. Now THAT would make a cool logo…” But then we came upon a photo of a bunny: a Holstein Cow with Big Ears and a fluffy tail… The NAME that called out to us: The Checkered Giant.