1966-67 North Carolina Tar Heels Team Photo

In case you haven't noticed, I like to post about things other than commercial printing from time-to-time.

I was searching the Internet last night for Carolina baby stuff and came across this photo of the 1966-67 North Carolina basketball team.

The relevance here is that one of our owners, Tom Gauntlett (42) is kneeling down right in the front row.

I know. I thought so too. It is pretty cool.

Around the Facility Slideshow

WNEP-16 News Coverage

Here's a clip from our local news station, WNEP-16 regarding our new solar array.

Please note that this clip was supplied to us with additional "raw" footage after the news segment and I have no means to edit it at this time. So, after the news portion (about 2:12)... just go ahead and stop the video.

Our Chief Financial Officer, Frank Cunius, Jr. appears in the clip and I don't know about you guys, but I'm concerned about him leaving us for an anchor position!

Again, thanks to Brett Gauntlett, Doug Ehret and Frank as well as A.J. Bittner and the team at Keystone Energy for a smooth and quick implementation.

Payne Solar Array Near Completion

I thought that I would post a few pictures of our new solar array here at Payne.

The team from Keystone Energy has been working very closely with us to assure the system's smooth implementation.

This investment is a big step forward in offsetting our power consumption and continuing our efforts in environmental awareness.

Adding a "Printed with Solar Energy" mark along with an Eco-Audit and FSC or Eco-Ink logo will also allow our customers and partners to make environmentally responsible statements of their own.

NewPage's "Ed" is Much More than Curly Hair and Glasses

I came across this website and thought that it was worth sharing.

NewPage describes "Ed" as this:

"Ed is a continuing education series sponsored by NewPage. Ed is dedicated to delivering technical wisdom to a broad range of communication specialists, that is to say, people who spend the better part of their days designing with, specifying, buying, or printing on paper. Ed is here to help you understand the amazing things that paper can do."

In any case, it's absolutely worth checking out and you can easily do so by clicking HERE.

Printed versions of the "Ed" series are also available by request through the website.

Publish Post

NEW Postal Regulations for Soft-Folded Mailers

Above you'll see a page taken from the Domestic Mail Manual pertaining to Soft-Folded Mailers and such. This is an important change in postal regulations for a number of reasons.

For example, this change will result, in most cases, in multiple passes on tabbing equipment. This will add time and some material costs to your mailing that you would have once not had to contend with.

Also, it would appear that the days of smaller, perforated wafer-seals are over. These new regulations call for the use of multiple 1.5", non-perforated tabs.

You will likely have one of two wafer-seal options to choose from; one of which is a clear vinyl material and the other is a translucent paper material. The clear vinyl obviously looks the best, but the translucent paper will tear more easily and do less damage to the printed piece that it was stuck to.

For more information of design alternatives, please give us a call.

A Nice Note from DWS Investments

Hi John,

I just realized that we are working with Payne now since over half a year and I wanted to let you know that we are really happy with the constantly high print quality that Payne delivers. You printed a lot of big and complicated pieces for us, the outcome was always great and the delivery always on time (and I know that sometimes we have really tough deadlines).
You turned out to be a printer that we can really rely on and I wanted to thank you for that.

Regards, Anne

PS. Fact K arrived yesterday and looks great!!!!

[THANKS ANNE! WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM - PAYNE]

Payne & Superman: The Similarities are Undeniable

In our continued effort to offer more eco-friendly printing solutions, Payne, much like Superman, will soon be harnessing the power of the sun.

Well, not all of its power, but some of it at least.

We are currently in the process of designing, along with another area business whom I'll name once I've been cleared to do so, a solar energy system to help us power our facility operations.

Once completed, this project will allow us to produce YOUR project utilizing solar energy. I know, pretty cool right?

Specify FSC Certified Paper along with our standard vegetable-based inks and you're well on your way to reducing your company's environmental impact.

Payne on facebook

First of all, if you're reading this, thanks for visiting our blog. We've been working really hard to drop a Payne site around every corner of Internet.

We launched this new blog site and a bunch of product specific pages, we're revamping our existing corporate site and client center, and have now infiltrated the social network scene!

Okay, so I'll admit that I'm am a little addicted to facebook. In my defense, it is a great way to communicate and to get to know people. I thought that since I was logging in quite a bit anyway, I might as well put Payne in the mix.

The facebook page offers much of the same information as this site, but if you're a little addicted to facebook too, it's a great way to keep tabs on us. Check it out HERE.

YUPO Synthetic Papers

If you're looking for something truly unique, YUPO is definitely a cool option.

We've been successful in our experiences with YUPO and just recently ran a number of coating tests on the synthetic sheet to help educate ourselves on best, YUPO, production practices.

Much like a translucent, YUPO presents some challenges as it pertains to drying and needs to handled very carefully throughout the production process. This drying issue typically drives costs up as the presstime can run long in an effort to prevent marking, scuffing, and so on.

YUPO recently added Accel to their synthetic lineup which is a fast-drying version of the original YUPO. In addition to it drying nearly 80% faster than its predecessor, Accel is a much brighter, bluer, white resulting in excellent color reproduction.

We tested the Accel sheet and would absolutely recommend it over other YUPO sheets.

If you'd like to learn more about YUPO, contact a Payne sales associate or visit YUPOUSA.com.

Relationships Still Make a Difference

A note from our friends at Stiegler, Wells, Brunswick, & Roth.

Happy 40th Anniversary Guys!

Heidelberg USA Launches 'Green Printing' Web Portal

Heidelberg USA has launched a new web portal dedicated to exploring sustainable solutions for the printing industry. Given its longstanding commitment to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing, Heidelberg is uniquely positioned to provide this comprehensive resource for printers and print buyers who want to learn more about sustainable printing and the positive impact it can have on their businesses - minus the greenwashing and marketing hype.

"Our goal in launching these pages is to establish a fact-based, green resource for the printing industry to help printers and buyers sort through the competing claims and discover the best path to sustainability for their businesses," said Joerg Daehnhardt, director of product management for Heidelberg USA. "Sustainability is an ongoing issue for every printer that must be addressed on several fronts, from startup waste to energy usage to VOC emissions and more. For years, Heidelberg has taken a leadership role in helping to identify and resolve these issues for its customers, many of whom are actively pursuing environmental solutions that can help them compete more effectively. With the launch of our "Green Printing" pages, we are extending that leadership by providing key facts and resources that show as well a positive and fast return on green technology."

HEI on Green
Heidelberg's content-rich "Green Printing" pages address sustainable printing from three distinct perspectives. "Green Manufacturing" details Heidelberg's environmental policy and green manufacturing processes, and provides a list of environmental milestones achieved by Heidelberg over the past 20 years. Here users can view and download Heidelberg's Sustainability Reports from 2003/4 on, all of which detail Heidelberg's long-term commitment to environmentally responsible manufacturing. While browsing the "Green Printshop," visitors will learn which Heidelberg products can shrink their environmental footprint by reducing paper waste, energy consumption, VOC emissions and ink residues. A third section, "Green Resources", compiles third-party tools and information on green printing and sustainability. It includes links to industry associations, environmental councils – such as the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership or special programs from the EPA - carbon calculators, chain-of-custody certifications like SFI and FSC, government resources and information on green design. A special subsection on "Making Green Claims" offers guidelines for distinguishing legitimate green marketing claims from spurious competing claims.

Start raising your green IQ by visiting http://www.us.heidelberg.com/eco

Welcome Spring!

I must say that it's so nice to not see snow on the ground. Don't get me wrong, the snow is nice for a little while; but nothing beats the sunshine.

I've been meaning to post a picture of our building, but just hadn't gotten around to it. So yesterday, on my way down the driveway, I pulled the over and took a quick shot.

Since we do quite a bit of business out of the area as well, I thought those of you who haven't been here to visit us yet might like to see our building.

Our facility is about 52,000 square-feet in size and houses all prepress, pressroom, finishing, mailing and fulfillment operations.

If you're interested in coming by for a facility tour, simply reach out to your sales or customer service representative or call us at 800.724.3188.

NCAA Tournament Champs!

Why is a printing company posting about North Carolina basketball? That's a good question.

As a family-owned and operated business for more 75 years, our history is rich with print craftsmanship, innovation, and yep... Carolina basketball.

That is, Tom Gauntlett, an owner and President here at Payne attended the University from 1963-1967 where he played basketball under legendary coach Dean Smith. Tom played in the Final 4 in 1967, but the Tar Heels lost to Dayton.

If you tuned in to the Final 4 or Tournament Championship this year, you might have seen Tom sitting in the 4th row; which is pretty cool. But what's even cooler is the lunch with former Carolina basketball alums like Michael Jordan on the afternoon before the big game.

Hey, I'm happy to go next year if anyone's asking!

Ed, Charlie, and a Heidelberg CD-102

It's been my experience that prospects and customers have always felt very comfortable with our company and its capacity; especially after visiting our facility.

For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to come and see us yet, our operations are housed in a 52,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

We utilize the very latest in Heidelberg technology from workflow management, to prepress, printing, and finishing.

With that, I've decided to start posting some photos and videos from throughout our facility. It should help you to get a better feel for who we are here at Payne.

Some More Customer Feedback

Here is some feedback from Diane at Schaller Anderson regarding a "comic book-like" project that we just delivered:

"I LOVE THEM!! You guys did an excellent job! I have passed them onto marketing, i am positive that they are going to love them also.

Again Great job"

Diane
Print Production Specialist
Schaller Anderson, an Aetna company

Thanks Diane! We're so glad that you liked them!

CMYK Fashion Statement

I couldn't resist posting this! A friend of mine from the 4th grade uploaded our class photo to her Facebook profile at the end of the last week.

At first, I didn't make the connection, but then another friend of mine brought this to my attention this weekend... I'm actually wearing CMYK!

I guess some people are just destined for commercial printing!

I know... the suspenders are pretty cool.

New Address Standards - NOW IN EFFECT!!!

Just a friendly reminder that the "New Postal Address Standards are now in EFFECT!!

The new changes went into motion on March 29, 2009.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

(Please review previous blog regarding new address standards posted March 20, 2009)

This is Charlie!

Here are some things from 1985:

• 1. Careless Whisper - Wham!
• 2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
• 3. I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
• 4. I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
• 5. Out Of Touch - Daryl Hall & John Oates
• 6. Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
• 7. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
• 8. Crazy For You - Madonna
• 9. Take On Me - A-Ha
• 10. Charlie Reese starts his commercial printing career at Payne Printery.

If you would have only worn your Chaka Khan shirt to work on picture day!

Taking care of my Nittany Lions

We've been working with Penn State for almost 10 years now. In fact, it was one of the first sales calls that I made when I started here at Payne.

They have a great team of designers and production managers who truly understand the value of relationships in the production of great materials.

Here's a note from PSU on project we delivered last week!

"The IST brochure looked great. The bindery work was stellar. And it looked so good that our client in IST, ran with it and made no complaints. Sometimes that is the best compliment that we can get.

No glitches is a very good thing.

Thank your crew for another job well done; it is much appreciated on my part, and Penn State Publications hold Payne in high esteem."

/ ANN

Thank you Ann! We appreciated the opportunity to produce it for you!

New Address Standards for Commercial Flat-Size Mail

The Postal Service has adopted new address placement and formatting requirements!

Effective Date: March 29, 2009

How will this affect you?

Address Placement:
* The new placement standards apply to all Periodicals, Standard Mail and Package Services flats mailed at presort, carrier route, and automation prices. (they DO NOT APPLY to First-Class Mail)

* The delivery address must be entirely within the top half of the mailpiece -
The "Top" is:
A) the shorter edges on enveloped or polywrapped pieces, and on the Carrier Route (or ECR) saturation pieces.
B) The upper edge when the spine is placed on the right-hand side of an unenclosed piece.

For further examples please visit:
http://pe.usps.com/Flats_Addressing_Requirements.pdf

Address Placement - Step-by-Step:
Identify the "top" of the mailpiece...
* Front or back of the mailpiece
* Either of the shorter edges, or the upper edge with the spine on the right
* The "top" has nothing to do with the printing on the piece or how it is constructed. Pretend the mailpiece is a blank object
* Define the "top half." Fold and crease the piece, or measure with a ruler
*Place the delivery address entirely in the top half. It can be parallel or perpendicular to the top edge, but not upside-down
* Now place the postage and return address in relation to delivery address as it is read (postage to the right or upper right, return address to the upper left)

Implementation materials:
1. MailPro Articles
2. New Quick Service Guide
3. New fact sheets and posters

In less than two weeks this new standard will be implemented...Effective March 29,2009!

Here are a few other useful resources for your review...
http://www.pe.usps.com/
www.usps.com/mail

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Information

I thought that this was pretty informative:

"Corporate social responsibility issues are becoming a core component of corporate brands. Dealing responsibly with your company’s footprint cannot only reduce risk, but can enhance your brand if you walk the walk and know how to talk about it. Carrying the FSC-certification logo on your print products tells the world that you support the highest social and environmental standards in the market where you use paper. Your purchase of FSC-certified paper and print products contribute to conservation, responsible management, and community level benefits for people near the forests that provide your paper."

"While recycled fiber is a key element of the traditional model for responsible consumption, it is becoming increasingly clear that forest management in the production of the wood used in paper manufacturing, has more fundamental importance than even recycled fiber."

If you visit www.fscus.org/paper, you can download a PDF of all paper mills, brands, grades, etc. that are currently FSC Certified. It'll come in handy when your trying to select the stock for your next project.

Direct Mail Still Delivers

Now more than ever, you need serious smarts and meticulous planning to develop a successful direct-mail campaign.

There are compelling reasons to rely on direct mail. To name a few reasons for using direct mail, you might want to:

Drive foot traffic into a retail shop

Generate traffic for a Web site

Target customers who distrust the Web or aren't online

Showcase products and services in ways e-mail cannot, such as via a catalog

Improve customer service

Send content or news, such as an informational brochure

Shift consumer perception of your brand

And that's just a start.

Payne has a full service in house mail facility capable of insertion, list management, and addressing to ensure seamless project delivery to target markets on time and within budget. To learn more, contact us today.

Payne: A Passionate Printer

"A Passionate Printer"! These three little words says it all about Payne! I've worked for Payne for the past five years! It's an experience that I would never give up. Payne is a great company that will always be there for you. We continue to move forward and provide our clients with the highest quality possible.

With that said, times are currently tough for everyone. I believe if you give Payne a chance you will see the "Passion" that keeps us moving forward.

I took a chance five years ago and I'm asking you to take a chance and consider Payne today.

I would love to hear back from you.

Jeremy Fleeger
Payne Prinery, Inc.
www.payneinc.net/jeremy

A Little Humor to Start off the Day

I found this on YouTube last night and thought it was hysterical.

If you're a graphic designer or involved in the design / production process in any way, you're bound to find this entertaining.

If it makes you laugh, please post a comment. I was a bit unsure about this one.

Enjoy.

What's up with MetalFX?

There are a few important notables pertaining to Metal FX that I thought I should share.

First things first... If you're not familiar with Metal FX, it is a new technology that allows designers and print providers to produce a virtually unlimited number of metallic colors and effects by utilizing one additional press ink and plate and applied in a single press pass.

That is, Metal FX produces gold and silver "base" metallic inks that react with any process screen or photo that is printed over the top of it. Now, it's obviously not that simple. There is, of course, a certification process involved to assure that suppliers are capable of utilizing MFX technology.

Some of you may have heard that Ciba Coating Effects, the company that produces Metal FX, is closing down the MFX division. That is true. Jim Walker, Business Manager at MFX, states the main reason for this decision was that MFX simply didn't fit into their core business.

What does that mean to you? Not that much really. Companies such as ours that have already been certified are still able to offer the product. Though, the software and applicable training is no longer being offered, Metal FX base inks are still available.

Please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions pertaining to Metal FX or anything else for that matter. We'd love to hear from you.

Soft-Touch Aqueous Coating is, well... Pretty Cool

So, we're all familiar with satin, matte, gloss, uncoated, and non-curl aqueous coatings right?

What you may or may not be familiar with is soft-touch aqueous coating. As far as its application is concerned, it's exactly the same as the others. But, it feels completely different to the touch.

The truth is, I don't really know how to describe it. It almost has a rubbery feel to it... if that makes any sense.

The PROS to this coating is that is seals and protects press sheets as the other coatings do, it is completely ink-jet addressable so it's ideal for direct mail, and it looks awesome when you combine it with a dry-trap spot gloss varnish.

Actually, the dry-trap varnish effect works best on darker backgrounds; black for example. You'll get excellent contrast between the soft-touch, muted area and the gloss varnished sections.

We obviously have samples we can send to you if you'd like to see them. Or you can jump right in the pool and give it a try. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Union Printing Gaining More Support

It seems that now more than ever, customers and prospects are showing support for union suppliers by adding union bugs to their projects.

Everyday I hear someone refer to printing as a commodity, but that's just not the case. Our pressmen are true craftsmen and they approach each and every project with the same level of care and attention to detail. That's something that I think we can all agree, makes a difference.

As you may or may not know, a printer's union bug is a unique identifier that can be traced right back to the company who printed a particular piece.

That being said, you won't often find poor quality printing associated with a union supplier.

Oh yeah, did I mention that we're union?

Postal Flat Change

Here's something that you might find interesting. New postal regulations pertaining to flats will take place on March 29th of this year. You may already know this, but here's something that I hadn't thought about.

As it pertains to "flats" (items greater than or equal to 6.125 x 11.5), the address area must be located on the top half of the mailer. The definition of the "top half" is essentially the short side.

If you are creating a self-mailer or envelope, please note that the address area will no longer be in the center of the piece. The envelope above would no longer be acceptable under these new regulations. The address area would have to be located to the left or the right of the dotted line.

If you have any inventoried items that were designed within the old regulations, you might want to check in with your USPS Entry Point Facility (bulk mail) to see if any exceptions will be made.

Deliver Your Message with ClingZ

As stated at www.clingz.com:

"Versatile, moveable advertising media - put anywhere!

ClingZ is a patented, electrically charged, printable polypropylene film. The benefit of ClingZ is its ability to cling to virtually any clean, dry indoor surface without leaving a residue.

This unique ability creates many different applications including point of purchase advertising, pharmaceutical or educational signage, banners, direct mail promotions, temporary wall decor and more.

ClingZ offers an effective alternative to static cling vinyl, pressure sensitive media and other self adhesive products."

For more information, contact a Payne sales associate today.

Eco Audits Becoming More Popular

With initiatives like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), environmentally friendly printing has become a large part of our business.

More and more of our customers are showing their support for the environment by utilizing "GREEN" print logos such as that of the FSC or parallel schemes such as Rainforest Alliance and SFI.

These certifications all essentially say the same thing. That is, that certified suppliers or those who utilize certified suppliers support sustainability.

Organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund have taken it a step further by allowing users to quantify their impact or lack thereof for that matter.

By comparing your recycled sheet against a non-recycled sheet of the same quality and weight, you can illustrate exactly how your decision to print "GREEN" has helped the environment.

Eco Audits are fast, easy to calculate, and compliment other eco-friendly logos very well.