Ever wonder how CMYK ink is made?

Wonder no more! I received a newsletter from Kallima Paper and they had a video on how ink is made. “Ink making is an art form in itself”, I couldn’t say it any better. For those of you who are still wondering – sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Tags: CMYK, Creative, ink, paper, video

36,000 pieces per hour

Have you ever wondered why the post office has so many rules and regulations for creating direct mail? Well, let me explain a few things and then I have a real treat for you. When you design a postcard or any mailing package, you need to keep the post office in mind. Not only does the overall size of the piece matter but also the thickness of the paper.

The min. size for postcard rate is 5″ x 3 1/2″ and the max. is 6″ x 4 1/4″, but you can go larger, keeping in mind the ratio and you are now moving into a letter rate for postage. If you stay at the smaller size, you should use at least 9 pt. stock, anything larger you should go to 10 – 12 pt. stock. You ask why? Well, take a look at this video. This machine is literally processing 36,000 pieces per hour. If your piece is too thin, then it could cause a snag in this machine and boy, can you imagine what happens! Next time you look in your mail box and you notice that your postcard is a little beat up – now you know why.

Tags: Direct Mail, letter package, paper, post office, postcard

What?… an app for the paper industry

Neenah Paper has come up with an app for your iPhone, called Think Ink: Color Unleashed. For all you designers on the go, this app can create color palettes based on four photo options right from your phone. Then when you are all done, you can later create coordinating print options to really make your options bloom. Check it out here.

Tags: app, color, color palettes, designers, iPhone, neenah, paper, phone, Print