Click here for a printable version (.pdf)

Rock … scissors … The power of paper

Michael Keene, President, The John Roberts Company

In this world of electronic communications, we still insist on putting our most valuable thoughts and messages on paper. This issue of JR Notes explores paper’s potential in helping you communicate your message most effectively. There are literally hundreds of paper choices available to you. One of the most valuable roles your JR sales rep can play is helping you select the right paper for your project. Our expertise, combined with our strong relationship with paper suppliers, ensures optimum availability, quality and affordability for your project’s paper.

In the hierarchy of material strengths, paper may seem the most fragile and disposable. But paper rules supreme when you choose the right one for your needs – when it performs its tasks and communicates a message beyond the words and images it bears. Paper itself can be a powerful design element.

The first step in choosing your paper is to consider how it will affect every aspect of your piece. Does it impart the image you desire, whether clean and technical, coarse and aggressive, soft and inviting or sophisticated and elegant? How well will it reproduce and hold type, colors and graphics? Is it sturdy enough for post-press processes, such as folding, binding, gluing or embossing? Will it withstand the rigors of mailing, handling and archiving? And of course, how do you balance your needs and desires with your budget? John Roberts will help you separate pulp fact from pulp fiction by discussing some of the features
and qualities of different types of paper.

A fine finish …is an invitation to touch your product

High-quality furniture? A fine meal? A seductive vacation spot? The products you’re showcasing should determine the type of finish you want for your paper. The right finish will help accentuate certain features of your product, and can be enhanced further with a complementary paper shade and opacity. Here is a brief description of the four main types of paper finishes, along with recommendations for products that look best with each:

• Gloss. Its high reflectance retains gleams and highlights for such products as jewelry and glassware.
• Silk/Satin. A soft finish with moderate gloss, satin-finished papers work well for textured or detailed subjects such as fabric, food, skin tones and fine art.
• Velvet. Achieving high resolution without gloss or glare, this finish performs best for portraits, leather and textiles.
• Matte. Its flat, uncoated look still maintains the tight registration quality of a coated stock and is recommended for illustrations, text and black & white images.

Paper that makes the grade

When it comes to selecting paper for your direct mail piece, you know what you want: the best overall paper for the amount of money you have to spend. There are a few aspects of paper that are requirements. For example, the weight of your paper must meet your usage and design needs. A book cover or portfolio that’s too thin may tear under even the slightest stress.

Beyond that, much of paper selection is visual and often subjective. But there are certain measurable qualities that can serve as a guide. For example, grade is largely based on a brightness scale set by the American Forest and Paper Association. Brightness is the percentage of blue light reflected off a sheet of paper at a wavelength of 457 nanometers. Blue light is important to paper grading because it is the type of light to which the human eye is most sensitive. The brighter the sheet, the more it reflects light, intensifying colors and making your photos POP!

Still, there are other characteristics of paper – such as texture, smoothness, opacity and grain – that can affect the perceived quality of the paper. A sheet may have, for example, a smoothness that heightens the gloss of the ink, enhancing a photo of your product in such a way that the paper appears superior to others within the same grade for that particular application. In some cases, you may be able to substitute a less expensive grade of paper and still achieve your goals.

When selecting paper for your project, request a printed sample that is comparable to the amount of ink coverage you’ll require so you can judge the paper on how well it performs the task you will ask of it. This is especially important if your piece includes a large number of photographs. Plus, slightly different paper colors and shades can affect the appearance of images.

Confused about whiteness vs. brightness?

Brightness and whiteness are NOT interchangeable. Brightness is a measure of a paper’s ability to reflect light; whiteness, on the other hand, refers to the color or shade of the paper. There are myriad shades of white, from blue whites to balanced whites to warm whites. Our eyes often perceive a blue white to be brighter – even if it’s rated the same on the brightness scale as a warmer white.

When your father said, “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” he was… well, wrong. The cost of paper is one of the most important considerations for any print project. In fact, paper can account for 50% or more of the total project cost.

Saving paper … saving you money

A quality printer will help you find every opportunity to minimize paper usage. This not only benefits your budget, but it’s also good for our environment. Here are some of the ways John Roberts helps you make the most of your paper budget throughout the print production process:

• Planning. The job is analyzed to determine which press or presses are most efficient for the job (web, sheetfed or a combination of both), how the project should be laid out on the paper, and how it will be finished – i.e., folded, trimmed and/or stitched – with minimal waste.
• Purchasing. Economies of scale are used to maximize volume purchasing without overbuying.
• Makeready. Advances in technology enable presses to quickly achieve and hold color throughout the run, which significantly reduces the amount of material and time used on press.

In 2006, John Roberts created a task force to investigate paper waste. As a result, technological upgrades and stepped-up conservational procedures were implemented. For example, our latest presses are equipped with CIP3™ technology, which electronically transfers ink and other project settings to the press. This allows many press settings to be adjusted automatically, helping projects achieve accurate color faster and reducing make-ready paper waste. Closed loop color systems on presses monitor the color throughout the run, ensuring color consistency and further minimizing waste.

Conservation efforts are measured continually by each department. Press operators monitor each job for optimum paper usage with on-press counting devices and by weighing the finished product. With each operation, John Roberts employees take care to not overconsume paper throughout makeready and production.

“The most important achievement in our conservation efforts is heightened awareness,” says Dan Erikstrup, vice president of operations. “All employees understand the importance of saving paper, which has made a tremendous impact on our efficiencies.”

Paper can account for 50% or more of the expense of a printed project.

Should you b.y.o.p.*?

If your marketing budget is slimmer than ever, you may be tempted to buy your own paper from a paper mill or distributor as an alternative to buying it through your printer. But does buying your own paper really save you time and money? To help you make the best decision for your needs, here are a few services your paper supplier should provide:

• Act as a resource for defining paper grades beyond the basic grading structure. Your paper supplier should help you weigh the pros and cons of different types of paper in a way that’s relevant to your applications.
• Provide paper samples of various grades, preferably with images or text from your files printed on them.
• Advise you on how well certain types of paper will perform for your project’s requirements, such as withstanding the mailing process or the extended shelf life of a catalog.

Whose responsibility is it?

When you purchase your own paper, new concerns suddenly fall into your lap:

• You may run short. The basis weight of your paper order can have a 5% variance and still be within industry standards. If the basis weight is heavier – e.g., your 60# is actually 62# – you risk running short.
• You may have an overage. Most mills and distributors don’t accept returns, so any unused paper is yours to keep. That means you’ll need to pay for storage.
• Your cash-to-cash cycle is shorter. Once you place a paper purchase order, payment typically will be due within 30 days of the paper’s manufacturing date rather than being included in the printer’s invoice.
• Your paper may be “bad.” Whether the batch is substandard or was damaged in transit, it results in downtime, added expense and possible missed deadlines.

Once you’ve weighed the alternatives, you may find that purchasing paper through your printer is the wisest choice. The printer has a vested interest in ensuring your paper functions well on press, in the bindery and for your end use. Any problems that arise with the paper are the printer’s responsibility and should be transparent to you. We encourage you to partner with your JR sales rep in finding the best paper for your needs – and avoid the headaches!

Clearing up myth-understandings about Web vs. sheetfed

Years ago, printing on either a web or sheetfed press was a clear-cut choice – your project was a fit for one or the other. With today’s technology and state-of-the-art equipment, such distinction between web and sheetfed printing has been erased. Now you can glean the efficiencies and advantages of both processes – often on the same project –while enjoying optimum results.

A big reason for that is the improved paper selection available for today’s web printing presses. Following are some common “myth-understandings” about web and sheetfed printing that we’d like to clear up:

MYTH #1 Quantity restrictions.

The dividing line between sheetfed and web is no longer 20,000 impressions. In fact, depending on your project’s specifications, you may find significant cost savings by printing 15,000 pieces or less on a full- or half-web.

MYTH #2 Paper limitations.

Web paper quality has vastly improved, blurring the distinction between what is produced in rolls versus sheets. Many premium-grade stocks are now available for web presses, letting you take advantage of both press formats without compromising in stock selection. Web paper is specially designed to ensure quality is maintained on press and in the bindery – e.g., the moisture content is 7%-10% higher to withstand drying needed for high-speed runs, and the paper’s grain runs along the length of the press for better folding results.

MYTH #3 All or nothing.

In many cases, both web and sheetfed presses can be used to produce one project. The best printers house both types of presses under one roof, giving you greater flexibility in finding high-quality yet cost-effective solutions. For example, catalog covers requiring spot colors, UV coatings or other premium processes can be printed on a sheetfed press, while a half-web or full-web press can be employed
for printing the inside pages.

For top-notch printers, craftsmanship and state-of-the-art equipment allow you to enjoy the type of high-quality results you would expect from a sheetfed process while gaining the economies of the web. Discuss your printing needs with us at the early stage of your project design. Your JR sales rep has the expertise to determine the best options for your needs.

JR Expert: Account teamwork ensures service excellence

What’s the best way for your project to take flight and arrive at its destination on time? The team approach is John Roberts’ tried and true solution. Your sales rep, account coordinator, estimator and planner work together to ensure your product is delivered on time, according to your specifications and in the most cost-effective manner possible.

“We operate like a pilot, co-pilot and flight crew,” explains sales rep Mike Nordberg, who works directly with account coordinator Mike Holen on each client project. “I’ll get the project ready by gathering all the information and understanding the client’s needs, then submit that to the estimator. Once the bid is presented and approved, I put the project in Mike H.’s hands – he’s my co-pilot. From there, he inputs the specs for the planner, who determines the most efficient way to ‘lay down’ the project, then moves the project through production.”

“I’ll enter the specs into our automated electronic scheduling system,” Mike H. says. “The system estimates how much time the project will take in each of the different stages of prep, printing, bindery and shipping.” The coordinator then will know whether the total estimated time is doable in meeting the deadline, and will investigate alternatives if necessary. If the due date changes, adjustments in each stage are automatically made. Mike N. adds, “Mike H. keeps me in the loop about the job’s progress and any changes that would affect the outcome.”

The team approach gives clients the added assurance that the desired results are achieved. For example, if a bid doesn’t fit a client’s budget, the estimator may suggest cost-saving options by, say, moving a borderline job from a sheetfed press to a web. “The more my client base grows, the more I rely on Mike H. and the others to make sure every project hits its mark,” says Mike N. “Their attention to detail and constant interaction allow me to spend more time with customers, meeting their needs upfront. This teamwork is critical to a project’s success – and my client’s peace of mind.”

Involve your rep in the planning stage

To help ensure the greatest success for your project, John Roberts takes a proactive approach to planning. When choosing paper, for example, customers are encouraged to discuss the project as early in the design stage as possible. That gives their sales rep the opportunity to help determine the best paper options by discussing their budget and end use. Sales rep Mike Nordberg explains what this discussion may entail:

“I try to learn as much about the project as possible by asking plenty of questions. For example, is the customer discussing a high-profile piece that will be used to attract and retain customers? If so, it will likely require a premium stock. On the other hand, an internal project with a short shelf life is a good candidate for a No. 2 or 3 grade paper. Is the project photo-intensive, calling for a paper with a coated finish, or artsy enough to demand the more tactile quality of an uncoated paper? Is opacity an issue, or can you save dollars with a thinner sheet?”

The more information that is gathered, the more accurate a paper selection the rep can make. Then a mockup can be created on a selected stock to ensure functionality and, in many cases, alternative papers can be recommended.

Show & Tell