PaperSpecs today announced a free webinar, sponsored by Neenah Paper, to re-introduce letterpress printing to a new generation of commercial and corporate designers, as well as print buyers. Due to its unique look and feel, Letterpress Printing is making a resurgence in demand. The one-hour webinar, titled “Impressed with Letterpress,” will explain and demonstrate how this methodical process can offer clients a renascence image. The webinar will begin on Tuesday, February 26th at 2:00 EST/11:00 PST. To attend the FREE webinar, prospective attendees can register at www.paperspecs.com/webinar/letterpress.htm.

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 GreenPrint Launches a Free Version with the Hope of Saving 100 Million Trees
With the tagline “Free to Be Green”, The World Edition will be available globally at no cost

(CSRwire) PORTLAND, OR — January 28, 2008 — GreenPrint Technologies announced today the launch of GreenPrint World, a new version of its paper-saving software available for free to home users worldwide. The company estimates that with widespread use the software could save over 100 million trees and reduce greenhouse gasses by over 300 million tons globally.

“Our goal is nothing short of ending wasteful printing worldwide,” said CEO Hayden Hamilton, “We believe that GreenPrint World provides the opportunity to do exactly that. It gives home users everywhere the ability to eliminate waste which helps the environment as well as their wallets.”

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(PaperSpecs.com)
By  Sabine Lenz

Your initial reaction is: Great. You are feeling better about the choice you made. Eighty percent fat free! Seventy percent sugar free! Your heart and waistline will thank you, and you are certain: this must be good for you.

When you stop for a moment and start thinking about it, you might wonder… what happened to the other 30 percent?

The food industry started it. And whatever works successfully in one market, others are sure to copy. Unfortunately, the paper industry is no exception.

Sooner or later marketing in all its glory takes over, and the issues get more blurry and confusing for everyone. How can a paper be elemental and process chlorine-free?

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Hello CreativeBLVD Users, 

Your colleagues and friends have been raving about the Members Only area in PaperSpecs – how easy it is to order swatchbooks, to access information on over 4,200 papers in our paper database.

But you have always been a bit skeptical. You want to know what’s behind all this hype, and here is your chance.

We are opening our virtual doors for a live tour, an “Open House” so to speak, on Thursday, December 6th at 11:00 a.m. PT.

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PAPERSPECS ANNOUNCES FREE WEBINAR TO AID GREEN DESIGNERS AND PRINT BUYERS TO APPLY SUSTAINABILITY
 
News Highlights
•       The webinar, titled “Sustainability – Hands On,” will be conducted on December 13th at 2:00 pm EST/11:00 am PST;
•       Guest speaker Brian Dougherty is a respected leader in green design and a founding partner at Celery Design Collaborative in Berkeley, California;
•       The webinar will be sponsored by Finch Paper who earlier this month announced a report detailing their own sustainability program;
•       To attend the FREE webinar, prospective attendees can register at www.paperspecs.com/webinar/handson.htm. For more information about PaperSpecs or to sign up for their free newsletter, go to www.paperspecs.com.
 
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It’s Even Easier to Specify and Sample Strathmore

Mohawk launches Strathmore specification site, www.strathmore.com.

Cohoes, NY (PRWEB) August 31, 2007 — Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. has launched a new Strathmore specification website at www.strathmore.com. Beautifully designed, with an intuitive interface, the website quickly guides the user through the specification of a complete identity system — solving that frustrating and time-consuming process of rifling through multiple lines and dozens of swatchbooks. Now printers and designers can find coordinating colors, weights and finishes in offset and digital papers in a matter of minutes, and order samples at the same time.
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By PaperSpecs.com

I love the smell of fresh ink on new paper, but most people I know prefer other scents, such as that wonderful new car smell.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the scents of summer including a whiff of suntan lotion, freshly mown grass or even cotton candy on a warm summer’s day. Provocative scents lure and powerful smells can repel, but they all grab your attention.

Imagine being able to take some of the most powerful and pleasant scents and use them in your designs. Well, you don’t have to imagine because it’s easier and less expensive than you’d expect to add scent to anything that is offset printed. All it takes is a little extra time, the right know-how and a cooperative printer.

The Methods and the Projects
One way to get scent on paper is to coat the entire sheet. That’s the option that McCormick, the company that makes spices and flavorings for food and cooking, has chosen to add some extra “spice” to its annual reports. Every year the company incorporates a different spice, such as ginger or cinnamon, in the pages of the annual report .

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The updated line is showcased in a new free swatchbook, which doubles as a print demonstration.

Passport is one of the earliest recycled and fiber-added printing paper lines in the U.S, containing 30% post-consumer waste fiber and 50% recycled content. Fiber-enhanced papers, such as those in the Passport line, can be used by designers to create work that has depth and visual texture, as well as a “color-in-color” look. Typical applications include reports, brochures, packaging, cards, folders and stationery, with matching envelopes available.

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Mohawk Launches New Carbon Neutral Beckett Expression and Beckett Concept

Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. announces the relaunch of Beckett Expression and Beckett Concept – the industry’s first premium paper brands made carbon neutral.

With fresh new shades, expanded basis weights including new extra-heavy cover weights, and new Beckett Digital papers with i-Tone, Expression and Concept offer a range of products that designers and printers can specify with the confidence of quality and performance.

In addition to enhancing the look and performance of the papers, Mohawk has made Beckett Concept and Beckett Expression the most environmentally responsible premium papers available.  The entire Expression and Concept product lines are now FSC certified, manufactured with wind-generated electricity and made carbon neutral – which means that they are made entirely with renewable energy.

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E-commerce site SMARTPaperStore.com speeds access, delivery of high-end, specialty printing papers — for any size order.

SMART Papers said it has opened a new online retail store at www.smartpapersstore.com to provide quick ordering and delivery of specialty printing papers in any quantity.

Kromekote and the SMART Line
The store offers new convenience for North American printers, designers, businesses and consumers. The respected Kromekote® ultra-glossy paper line and all other SMART Papers matte and uncoated offset and digital printing papers are now available in any order size—direct from the manufacturer.

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New Products in Flagship Kromekote and Pegasus Lines, Giving Printers New Ways to Grow Their Digital Print Business.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Newly expanded Pegasus Digital Color Copy line in full range of weights and sizes is guaranteed for all toner-based digital presses and color copiers—new swatchbook and print demo now available from SMART Papers’ franchised merchants.
• New sheeted and roll papers in flagship Kromekote line for HP Indigo, plus new Kromekote weights and textures.
• Papermaker continues drive to help North American printers grow their digital printing sales.
• Forest Stewardship Council-certified, 100% post-consumer waste content papers for digital printing.

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Curious Collection has some of the most exceptional printing stocks anywhere. Translucent stocks include Iridescents in 8 colors, Dentelle (frosted) with optional watermarked patterns, Cromtica (jewel tones), Clear, Metallics in 24 colors, Textures such as Particles and Canevas (deep herringbone felt mark), and Plastics.

Check them out at www.curiouscollection.com.

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Several online stores will make large prints of your photos or other artwork. Ben Long tested several and preferred http://www.largeformatposters.com/. They can print as large as 59 x 100 inches on a vast selection of papers at a reasonable price, such as $29 for a 20×30-inch poster. Other services are also available, such as http://www.snapfish.com/ and http://www.shutterfly.com/. Or to get it locally, try a FedEx Kinko’s store: $30 for a 16×24-inch print.

Tips for resolution: photo-size prints need at least 240 ppi, but posters are viewed from farther away and so need only 150Ð180 ppi. That’s 10.3 megapixels for a 16×20-inch print. If you need to upsample an image more than about 150%, you can preserve detail and clarity by doing it in several smaller steps of about 110%.

Macworld 02/07, pg.84

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It’s estimated that we consume an average of 800 pounds of paper per person per year (totaling more than 100 million tons of paper a year in the U.S. alone). Of this, a substantial amount ends up in landfills. In fact, paper accounts for 40% of all municipal waste. Recycled paper means less trash and lowered disposal costs. Most people want to be socially and ecologically responsible, designers and print buyers are no different. But finding and matching recycled and sustainable papers within a project can be time-consuming and complicated. PaperSpecs has developed a new feature in our database which helps paper specifiers to find the perfect green paper in less than 10 seconds. I look forward to your input and feedback — Sabine Lenz

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When the owner of Bushtracks Expeditions wanted to advertise her African safari tours, she got an enthusiastic response for her bold choice in stationery. 

Instead of the standard white paper envelope, she chose a cloth jungle scene of lions, zebras and monkeys. 

The ”Out of Africa” jungle design is one of the thousands of different patterns available from the Cloth Envelope Company, based in Traverse City, Michigan. Their fabric envelopes, approved by the U.S. Postal Service for mailing, are an attention-grabbing mailer for that special product or event.  

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