Salt Lake Mailing & Printing Blog

Reference of Paper Types Part 2

By admin - 23rd February 2012

Continuing on with the list of paper types, cardboard is one of the most often used forms of paper. Cardboard comes in a variety of thicknesses and types from Bristol board to art board. Cast coated paper is a high gloss paper with extra absorbency. Chromo paper is coated with kaolin (china clay), on one side, and is often used in posters and stickers. Cigarette slide paper is for cigarette slides. Cigarette tissue is a complex bright white paper used...

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Reference of Paper Types Part 1

By admin - 15th February 2012

Dozens of different types of paper have been developed for various uses, from Bible paper to tea bag paper. Each has its own materials, manufacturing process, and purpose. An alphabetical reference of the various forms of paper is helpful in making decisions for projects involving paper. Abrasive Kraft is for making sandpaper, while absorbent Kraft is used in making laminates. Alkaline paper actually has pH level above 7. Anti-rust paper can be used to protect metals. Antique paper is opaque,...

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Characteristics of Paper

By admin - 9th February 2012

Paper comes in a variety of surface textures, finishes, weights, and brightness. Different projects call for different characteristics in paper. But, because of the many choices, it can be confusing. It is thus recommended to view and feel the paper choices, before making a final decision on a large order. Knowing about the options available can assist in getting a printing project started. Starting with the weight of the paper, weight is determined by the thickness of the paper. Brightness...

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Digital Printing

By admin - 1st February 2012

Believe it or not, the days of using printing plates are not over. Offset printing methods may be old fashioned, but currently, they still provide less expensive products in some large printing orders. However, digital printing may soon overtake offset printing for big projects, as it has for smaller projects. Offset printing requires several steps from creating the initial image to actually printing it onto paper. This tediousness has driven the continued efforts to make digital printing somehow less expensive....

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Regulations on Addressing your Mail

By admin - 25th January 2012

The United States Postal Service processes a tremendous amount of mail each year. And as such, there are specific regulations concerning the accurate addressing of each article of mail. The amount of time dedicated to processing each letter must remain very brief to keep the postal service running smoothly and efficiently. Mail that does not meet these requirements will be returned to the sender. That is part of why the return address must be marked clearly on the left upper...

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Mailing List Regulations

By admin - 17th January 2012

Direct mail advertising is regulated by certain laws and rules. As direct mail advertising is unsolicited, it must be done in accordance with the consumer protection laws. One of these is that there must be an opt-out option. Emails are included in these regulations. All email advertisements are required to have an unsubscribe option, to allow the recipients to “unsubscribe” from the emailing list, thus avoiding more emails. In direct mail, there must be an option on the form somewhere...

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History of Direct Mail Part 6

By admin - 12th January 2012

Printing direct advertisements was challenging work, with tens of thousands of prints per order, even back in the late 1800s. Thus, inventors and printers were hard at work to come up with better ways of publishing massive orders. The linotype was invented in 1884, and put into commercial use in 1894. Only 6 years later, in 1900, the monotype was developed. Then there were improvements in engraving, and inventions for folding and binding. Each invention and change for the better...

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History of Direct Mail Part 5

By admin - 4th January 2012

In 1818, George Clymer of Philadelphia brought his invention, the Columbian printing press, to Great Britain. There he received a patent for the press, which he took back to the Americas to use for advertising. This represents the strong interest, even at that early time, in direct advertising. But direct advertising, in America, did not begin in earnest until 1865, at the close of the Civil War. At that time, the almanac became the most popular means for advertising. Additionally,...

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History of Direct Mail Part 4

By admin - 27th December 2011

Controversy still reigns in regards to when the printing press actually came to America. Surprisingly, the first printing press in the “New World” is said to have been built in Mexico City. It is clear that William Penn did his printing in England, because he had no availability to print in Philadelphia at the time, but could there have been a printing press already in Mexico? It is said that Spanish missionaries brought printing to Mexico. In Madrid, there is...

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History of Direct Mail Part 3

By admin - 21st December 2011

In 1780, George III’s oldest daughter was married. During the time of the wedding, all around London, a two-sided handbill was passed out to the public. A wedding announcement? Far from it. It was an advertisement for a portable washing machine (“washing mill”). Weddings weren’t the only target for advertising. Today, the practice of prepaid funerals is commonplace. Individuals purchase funeral plans, in advance, avoiding inflation and rising prices, by locking in today’s price for a funeral. This is not...

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