Color Paper: Paper Supply Issues, Mill Closures, and the Printing and Packaging Industries

Direct Marketing, Progressive Technology

Portions of this article were published initially on PiWorld. View the original article here.

The price of paper is on the rise. Color stocks are becoming a thing of the past. That’s no real surprise to anyone in the printing and packaging industries. In 2022, we continued to see paper demand grow and supply sink, which immediately saw a continued rise in prices throughout the year—clearly the same example of the economics of supply and demand in action.

Issues from 2022 — A few North American highlights: 9 closures. Closures didn’t stop. PaperMoney’s 2022 Closures and cutbacks article is just as long as the previous year.
Issues from 2021 — A few highlights just from North America: 16 closures. Issues like raw pulp pricing increases and rising transportation costs — are also carried over into 2022. Paper and raw materials shortages were commonplace. Additionally, over the last several years, we’ve seen increasing numbers of paper mills shutter their doors, locally and worldwide. Early in 2021, PaperMoney outlined all the pulp and paper mill closures in 2021 — and it was sobering to see.

Many of these closures are also in small towns, significantly impacting local communities. Our communities! For example, in a report by WJHG/WECP in Panama City, Florida, nearly 450 employees were let go when the WestRock paper mill closed. For many Bay County residents, the Panama City Paper Mill was where many families worked for generations.

Paper companies are merging, converting to corrugated, and even closing doors. BMS has been transitioning away from these colored papers to secure supplies of paper that we must use with our print equipment to ensure we meet our client’s needs. Digital Inkjet enables the transition to all white paper stock driving efficiencies and reliability for mail service providers. It lowers client costs, allows quicker turn-times, and reduces inventory. A significant trend is that people need on-demand access to what they’re seeking. Inkjet printing allows you to quickly run personalized and targeted print campaigns at higher quantities than what would make sense for digital.

The marketplace is changing, inkjet technology continues to improve, and there are new print opportunities that can help you succeed. Here at BMS, we know how you can take advantage of inkjet.

US Postal Service Submits Filing for Price Increase to Go Into Effect January 2023

Direct Marketing, News, Postal Facts

This article was originally published on Brand United. It can be viewed here.

Late on Friday, October 7, the Postal Service submitted a filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission proposing a price increase. This would be in effect on January 22, 2023. The PRC will review the filing to ensure that USPS calculations are accurate and the proposed prices comply with the statute. The PRC is expected to approve the request in November. Yes, postage increased in July, and now there will be another increase in January. We also expect another increase in July of 2023.

Here are some of the proposed rates:

First-Class Mail:

The stamp and Meter price differential will remain at 3 cents.
Non-machinable surcharge for Letters will increase from 39 cents to 40 cents.
The additional ounce rate will remain at 24 cents.
5-Digit Automation Letters price will increase by 3.5%.
The overall increase for Flats is 6.2%.

Standard Marketing Mail:

Letter overall increase is 3.2%
The flat overall increase is 6.2%
Creation of 5 new discounts for flats on SCF pallets
EDDM retail increased by 1%
CRRT overall increased by 6.2%

Don’t let the postage rate increases scare you away from this vital marketing channel. Direct mail has the highest ROI of all marketing channels when done correctly. On average, the postage rates increased by less than a penny per piece, so they will not drastically increase your overall direct mail budget. Still, it is essential to account for the additional postage funds. It’s time to get creative and send direct mail that is interesting as well as cost-effective. Are you ready to get started?

As operating expenses continue to rise, these price adjustments provide the Postal Service with much-needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan. The prices of the U.S. Postal Service remain among the most affordable in the world.The PRC will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the PRC website under the Daily Listings section at prc.gov/dockets/daily. The Mailing Services filing is Docket No. R2023-1. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index.The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

US Postal Service (USPS) Mail Delivery Timeline Getting Better

Direct Marketing, Invoice Processing, News, Postal Facts, Press Releases, Progressive Technology

Looking ahead to the 2022 holiday peak season, the US Postal Service (USPS) announced the dates for the “Temporary Rate Adjustments.” This year, the higher price rates will be effective from October 2, 2022, through January 22, 2023. In addition, USPS National News states that the average delivery timeline is now steady at 2.5 days. For the quarter, overall mail volumes were down 3.4% over the same period last year (SPLY), while revenue was up 5.0%.

The USPS service performance report during the 4th quarter indicates their scores covering July 1 through August 5 are consistent.

They included:

First-Class Mail on time: 93.1 percent.
Marketing Mail on time: 94.2 percent.
Periodicals on time: 86.3 percent.

One of the goals of “Delivering for America, the Postal Service’s 10-year plan” for achieving financial sustainability and service excellence is to meet or exceed 95 percent on-time service performance for all mail and shipping products. But, of course, this is once all elemental implementations of the plan. The Postal Service defines service performance as the time it takes to deliver a mailpiece or package from its acceptance into their system through its delivery, measured against published service standards.

Source: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2022/0225-usps-mail-delivery-time-consistent.htm

Variable Data Printing (VDP)

Direct Marketing

What is Variable Data Printing (VDP)?

VDP is a method of digital printing that allows graphic or text elements to be easily and efficiently swapped out throughout a print job – making it more personal to the receiver. It is commonly used in the direct mail industry and generally yields a 42% response rate. This is a great way to cost-effectively personalize your marketing effort for specific demographics.

86% of consumers say that customizing a piece of mail, has some impact on their purchasing decision. VDP can offer to streamline efficiency – it’s easy to change out a name and address on each piece that mails. It also offers a great way to track your customer response with the use of customized codes etc.

Put yourself in the client’s shoes for a moment.

Receiving huge amounts of junk mail, ads, and other promos – that have nothing to do with their needs or interests – can get old quickly! It gets annoying pretty fast, too. Variable print can change that for you, helping you make a good impression in the long run. It makes you more memorable.

Current clients will be more likely to respond back to you or stay with you, while prospects are more likely to buy something from you the next time they make their next purchase.

How can variable printing be made – uniquely?

Other than changing out the address block, on a typical mail piece, you can also do the following:

You can change the header information, such as a name or salutation. See the example highlighted in yellow.

JustListed

Adding pertinent information, such as a savings or specific promotion – just for the client it is being sent to. See the example highlighted in yellow.

Imagewithyellowhighlight

Personalizing an image is also an option!

JustListedexample

And, remember, the address block should always include the following:

Full name
Company name (if needed)
City
State
Zip

Here at BMS Direct Inc., we are committed to helping you strive for that perfect piece of mail that will help you grow.

Print Ready?

Direct Marketing, Invoice Processing

Is Your Art File Print Ready?

Many things go into getting a file ready for print. For print, this process is called Prepress, assembling and editing a product (such as a book or newspaper) before printing. (Source: Merriam).

Creating the Perfect Printed Piece

Without the proper knowledge, it’s hard to create the perfect printed piece. It’s not just about the right design, colorful logo, flowing fonts, and excellent pictures. That’s why a prepress department is so important. Making the correct modifications will ensure that your work outputs perfectly. Below are some step-by-step measures that you, as a client, can make before sending your work to the printer.

Proofreading

Proofreading the document before sending it to the printer is essential. Catching any grammatical or spelling errors, information, or flow of the document before your printed piece is in the hands of the recipient is important.

The Prepress department will essentially check and adjust the spacing such as kerning, leading, and tracking, line breaks, uniformity of the text throughout, and make sure all the fonts are available and embedded within the document.

Image Resolution & Size

There are two different types of images used in a design – a raster or vector graphic. If using a raster image, be sure to not enlarge it more than 15-20% of the original size to avoid pixilation and make sure it is at least 300 dpi. Common file types include PNG, JPG, GIF, PSD and TIF. Vector graphics are a series of lines and curves. You can scale an image created purely as a vector file to any size without loss of resolution. However, most images will still contain at least some raster elements. (Source: BMS).

CMYK Color

The printing process uses CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). CMYK is a subtractive color model, so this adds pigment or dye to a page to subtract white from an image. (Source: BMS). Did you know that most design software use RGB as a default color mode? It’s true! Since most printers print in CMYK, a good rule is to switch the software color mode from RGB to CMYK.

A prepress technician will always check for color accuracy of the design and images before sending it off to print.

Bleed or No Bleed

A bleed is the image or color area that’s extended beyond the final trimmed product. It’s just a way to reduce misprints and provide a margin for error. The general rule of thumb allows for .125” bleed extended past the trim mark.

Cutting machines will trim the printed image to your specifications in the printing process. If you haven’t left a bleed, the cutting machines will trim 0.5mm past the edge of your graphic. If you haven’t extended the image beyond a bleed area, this cutting will leave a noticeable white line and look unprofessional.

Need more help, BMS Direct, Inc. is here for you.

Paper Industry Update – PGAMA webinar

Direct Marketing, Progressive Technology

Thank you, PGAMA, for putting this webinar update together.

We continue to monitor how markets tighten - specifically paper. We believe it is important to stay abreast of how paper mills reach their monthly reservations, as they are currently oversold - this means limits even with reservations. Mills are allocating a percentage for awarded tons. It is not in stone; it can change. The market changes daily; are you keeping up? Each mill is very different, and it involves many other variables based on supply chains other than paper, such as trucking logistics, nails, and many other surprising factors.

Watch this webinar with two guest speakers:

Domtar Paper Update - Gilbert Goodworth
Verso Corporation - Mike Robinson

Link

Political Elections

Direct Marketing, Postal Facts, Promotional Products

3 Musts for Your Election Campaign

It’s crunch time for your campaign! Due to our current environment, the election season looks a bit different than in previous years – but things are improving slowly. With this in mind here are some options to connect with your voters.

Get your name out there with a direct mail campaign

Direct mail is a great way to make a personalized touchpoint for voters. Sending a postcard with a customized name and the right target audience gives them a reminder of who you are. Make sure you have a call-to-action with a unique QR code. Keep your message focused – and create a memorable campaign.

Strengthen your campaign with customized products and apparel

Follow-up your direct mail campaign with a tee-shirt or ball cap! Tailor your promotional products to meet the needs of your target audience. These items double as great gifts to thank supporters, as well as, more exposure for the campaign. Say someone wears a campaign shirt to the grocery store. Now everyone in the store is aware of the nominee and may even ask questions or look them up to learn more.

Your message is our mission – with signage and wearable’s

You can’t be everywhere all at once – but your name can! Since larger in-person rallies are still limited a great tool to advertise your name is wearable promotional products and setting up signage! This allows voters to interact and see your name outside of the rally environment.

Prepare today – to win tomorrow!

Election Day is just around the corner, so discover what we can offer you! Contact us today at 866.816.2378. We would be happy to discuss your goals and how to achieve them.

National Nurses Week (May 6-12, 2021)

Direct Marketing, News, Promotional Products

National Nurses Week (May 6-12, 2021) and International Nurses Day (May 6)

We thank all our nurses. Who will you thank? The National Nurses Week will raise awareness of the value of nursing. It will help educate about the role nurses play in meeting healthcare needs. The World Health Organization recognized 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse” to elevate and celebrate nurses’ essential contributions everywhere. #ThanksHeathHeros

As one of the most significant healthcare professionals within the U.S., nurses play a vital role in providing health services. They’ve become heroes during the global pandemic for their selfless dedication to the patients they serve. Nurses most often are the primary healthcare professional when it comes to tending to patient needs, providing medical care and tending to personal and spiritual needs.

We can only imagine how much this work has increased in the last year.

As these frontline workers continue to care for the sick, suffering extended absences from their families and putting their lives at risk – we cannot just stand by and watch. Showing appreciation for all their strenuous efforts is a must!

What are some things you can do to show your appreciation or say thank you?

Donate what you can

Donations are a great way to show your support. Monetary donations or giving supplies – and we all probably know a local hospital or two that need help.

Could you provide them with the necessities they need?

Since nurses are risking their lives every day, it is essential to keep them safe and comfortable – supplying them with PPE kits, masks, gloves, sanitizer, lip balm, and more.

If you are looking for any help in finding items to donate or gift – to say thank you – we are here to help you in any way. Customizing is always an option.

Call Marisa Banke today with any questions – 866.816.7823 ext.7752.

Earth Day – Looking for Ways to Protect Yourself & the Planet?

Direct Marketing, Going Green, Promotional Products

People are living in an ever-changing world – and just one year ago, the pandemic was a big one.

How has it affected us as a society? How has it affected our lives personally? The daily adjustments every one of us had to make to cope and live amongst one another was a definitive change – let’s all think about this during Earth Day. In this case, we adjust to three new practices – wearing masks, sanitizing our hands, and practicing social distance. Each item protects yourself and the Planet.

The pandemic has not only affected the population but the environment too. Improvements in the air and water quality – due to quarantining – occurred in the latter half of 2020. Although significant, the haphazard disposal practices of organizations and society have created a negative impact. It makes one think, though.

What part can we play to lessen that negative impact?

A fundamental question as a person or business you should be asking yourself. In short, we can start with how the pandemic has worked its way into our daily living, as stated above.

For one, you are wearing a mask.

Choosing to use a reusable mask, such as fabric, is a start. Disposable masking offers a quick and easy solution to protect oneself – if not correctly disposed of, and it later can have negative impacts. Reusable masks will not be just safe for you and your community but the environment as well. You cannot only choose unique styles that suit you, but you can also relax in the knowledge that you won’t be adding unnecessary risk to the planet (source: Kalopsia).

Sanitizing is and will always be important going forward.

Hand sanitizers are green because most of the active ingredients are natural sources. A majority of hand sanitizers do not contain fragrances or dyes, which adds to the “environmentally-friendly” position (source: Clean link). Using eco-friendly brands is a must – and of course, if you do not have hand sanitizer at your reach – wash your hands!

Lastly, practicing social distance has been difficult for most of us, but it is necessary and doable.

If you are a small-business owner or work for a large organization – it can be not easy. The right signage – floor decals, wall graphics, window signs, or flags – can make this enforcement easier. Eco-friendly options are out there – and with the use of the graphics, it would not only protect your patrons but the environment too.

BMS prides itself on working hard and safely throughout this year.

During this last year, BMS worked tirelessly to keep employees safe and client projects going. We did this by following the key points listed above. If you need any products to help with your struggle, take a look at what we have to offer here: https://bit.ly/38uiMJX.

Vaccine Rollout – Are You Ready?

Direct Marketing, Promotional Products

Have you reopened your business and are having trouble communicating that to your customers?

The last year has been one for the history books. Many states are phasing in or out of their reopening plans, and customers require factual and frequent business information. The digital aspect, including email and social media—can get you only so far. Signage is the way to go these days. A creative, attractive sign can help your business stand apart from the competition.

Exterior signs can draw attention to your business and aid in differentiating it from others in the area.

While interior signs help customers locate merchandise and lead them to impulse buy. Signs serve as a type of silent salesperson for your business.

Do you have limited marketing funds?

Signs can be cost-effective and a great way to advertise. Its potential to reach a large audience is very high—mostly local clientele. They are versatile and can also be useful for off-premises use. The pandemic has changed our day-to-day lives, and informational signs and graphics can help your business grow and get your message out—the opportunity to think creatively on how to deliver your message.

For example, will you or a business you know be providing COVID-19 vaccinations soon or just preparing for the new day-to-day? Get your location ready sooner rather than later. Help provide assurance and confidence with temporary wall graphics, window clings, posters, and banner stands that display helpful tips and vaccine information.