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August 2009 |
Vol
2, Issue 8 |
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Welcome
to the August Issue
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Eco-Corner:
Think Ink |
 "Green"
Ink Isn't Just a PMS
Color!
There's
more to making your direct mail piece more eco-friendly
than just the type of paper you choose. Don't
forget to think about the ink! Inks have varying
levels of VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds. The
higher the VOC level, the more it contributes to health
problems and air pollution.
Petroleum
based inks have much higher VOC levels than soy, water
or other vegetable-based inks. There are, however,
pros and cons to each. Soy or vegetable-based inks
are available in brighter colors and can be easier to
recycle than petroleum inks. But because of the
lack of solvents in vegetable based inks, they tend to
take longer to dry.
Given
the choice between soy-based inks, vegetable-based inks,
water-based inks ... is one better than the
other? Well, it can depend on who you ask.
The use of soybeans has been up for debate - is it
the most sustainable option?
Vegetable-based inks are at times said to be
"more" environmentally friendly because they are
not restricted to one particular crop.
Because
the vast majority of our supplier partners already use
environmentally friendly inks, you can utilize this
option at no additional cost! A safe claim to
make when pointing out this sustainable
fact on your direct mail pieces would be to refer
to the inks as being "eco-friendly", which covers
all bases.
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Postal
Updates |
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USPS
Rolls Out New Specs for Letter-Sized Booklet
Mail!
The
USPS is establishing new requirements for letter-sized
booklet mail that will go into effect on September
8, 2009. Booklets that do not meet the following
guidelines will not be eligible for machineable or
automation letter rates.
- Maximum
height is 6" with the maximum length varying between
9" - 10.5".
- Maximum
booklet weight is 3.0 ounces with a thickness between
.009" - .25".
- Booklet
mailers must be sealed with either 3 non-perforated
tabs that are 1.5" wide, by glue spots or glue lines.
- Non-perforated
tabs can be made of plastic, vinyl or paper
substrates.
- Minimum
paper weight is 40# book weight but can be as high as
80# book weight, depending on the design.
- For
more details on tab placement locations and paper
requirements, please click here.
There
were over 900 comments sent to the USPS in response to
these guidelines when they were first suggested.
The top 2 concerns were the tab placement and
the usage of tabs without perforations.
Studies and tests were performed on these and other
industry concerns and the USPS found no
appreciable change in response rate when non-perf tabs
were used. However, for continuing process
improvement, it will continue to monitor
performance once these guidelines are set.
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In
Other News |
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Cumulative
client savings since January 2009 from commingling is
now over $1,230,000!
__________________
July Trivia
Question:
What
percentage of the world's forests are certified through
organizations such as FSC, SFI, PEFC or CSA?
Answer:
B) 10%
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Production
Solutions is being proactive in preparing for an IMB
discount! Is your direct mail campaign
ready? Ask your account manager for
details!
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Which
is it? The PS August Trivia Question
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There
are different lengths of bar codes that represent a
total number of digits used by the USPS for automation
purposes. Which of the following is NOT an
acceptable length?
A. 9 digits
B. 31
digits
C. 11
digits
D. 29
digits
The
first person to e-mail the correct answer to Marie
Kosanovich at mariek@psmail.com will win a restaurant
gift
card. |
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Get
to Know the PS Staff |
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 Adam
Glantz
Tenure
at PS:
4 years, 4 months
Education:
BA in Political Science from Rutgers College 1993, MA in
International Relations and Comparative Politics from
CUNY - Graduate Center
2005
Favorite
Restaurants:
Lebanese Taverna, Moby Dick's, Five Guys, TurCuisine,
Thai Old Town of Alexandria, Isabella's in NYC (for
brunch), and when in lovely northern NJ:
Baumgart's.
Favorite
Movies:
Saving Private
Ryan, Goodfellas,
The Thin Red
Line, The
Matrix, Cold Dog
Soup (which, alas, is apparently
not available on
DVD)
Must
Tivo TV:
Royal Pains
... I'm so hooked! Other
than that, I'm a documentary and news
junky.
Favorite
Music:
Everything, with rock, rap, reggae and country jockeying
for the top of the
list
Leisure
Interests:
Being with my family, being with animals (especially
dogs, cats and horses), reading, jogging, learning other
languages (though I'm still basically monolingual), and
Facebook ... I'll see you
online!
Most
Memorable Direct Mail
Adventure:
While I was working at a mail shop, a large client
radically changed its monthly renewal format one month,
suddenly requiring an unbelievable amount of work.
I was checking dumps and setups literally all weekend
long, from sunup til sundown each day, then I started
work at 3 AM the next week. My boss bought me
breakfast, the client was grateful and I felt like I had
won the Direct Mail
Triathlon. |
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Thank
you again for choosing Production Solutions as the
partner for your direct marketing
needs! |
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