Newsletter
Issue No. 130 December 17, 2004

Bindery
Folding
- Miniature to Map
- Closed Gate
- Glue in-line 8 Page
- Fugitive glue closure
Presentation Folder Gluing
Stitching
- 10 pockets
- Loop Stitching
Trimming
Rotary Perf & Score
Gathering & Collating
Perfect Binding
Wire-O™
Plastic Spiral
- Autospin 30mm elements
- 2.5:1 Oval Hole Pattern
Kleensticking
Drilling
Round Cornering
Shrink Wrapping
Eyeleting
Laminating

Tabbing
Custom Index Tabs
Copier Tabs
Tab Reinforcing
Spine Reinforcing
Patch Edge Reinforcing
5 Hole Drilling

Finishing
Autoplaten Diecutting
Diecutting to 41"
Scoring & Perfing
Embossing
Foiling
Numbering

1. Overseas Printers a Threat… Again? In the mid-nineties, American printers faced new competition from overseas, and from China in particular. The U.S. print industry weathered that storm, however roughly, and has survived. Now, according to the Business Ledger, Chinese printers are at it again, offering similar quality for 30 cents on the dollar. Of course, the time constraints of shipping from Asia means that Chinese printers can only compete for long lead-time jobs. But, with the dollar performing so weakly on the foreign exchange, those low prices may not remain such a bargain.

2. The Rigors of Regulation. An interesting opinion piece ran in the Seattle Times on Monday concerning Washington State’s economic outlook. The op-ed, written by James J. Na, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, claims that a central cause of the sluggish State economy are the State’s extensive regulations. States with less paternalistic governments showed far greater growth over the past four years than states with highly regulatory laws. Washington came in at 48th in the Fraser Institute’s “Economic Freedom of North America 2004 Annual Report,” an index that measures government interference with commerce. While I recognize the necessity for government oversight of the private sector, too much control can lead to a stagnant marketplace. Let’s hope our new governor (whoever it is) will acknowledge that. The op-ed, though partisan, is an interesting read,

3. Who You Know. In the “Off the Shelf“ column of the Dec. 3 Sunday New York Times, Paul Brown reviews four books on marketing and comes to one conclusion: Dance with the ones that brung you. As an economy reinvigorates itself, businesses usually look to land new accounts. But maybe the best bet for increasing revenue is to see what more you can do for existing customers. After all, they already know who you are and believe in your products and services. In other words, marketing campaigns shouldn’t just target prospects, they should target existing customers as well.

4. Website Plug. We don’t like to brag, but we really do believe our website has some real value. In the last newsletter, we mentioned its upgraded search capabilities. This week we’d like to direct you to the web resources we’ve compiled. The resource section offers everything from material safety data to area traffic maps. It really is a helpful tool. Check it out at: www.seattlebindery.com/HTML/links.html#Book%20Restoration%20Sources

5. Win One For The Gripper. A reminder that when you are laying out letterpress jobs with particularly tight registration requirements, it’s important to keep the critical part of the image close to the gripper. Also, try to use the widest side of the sheet. Of course, we’ll do everything we can to make your letterpress jobs look their best. But, as we all know, planning ahead keeps the doctor away. Or something like that.
 

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email at miltvine@seattlebindery.com
6540 South Glacier Street, Suite 120, Seattle, Wa 98188
Phone 425-656-8210
Fax 425-656-4400