Newsletter
Issue No. 139 April 29, 2005

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. Accounting for Costs. My good friend and fellow CPA, Gerry Michael, hit the nail on the head with a recent publication he prepared for PIA. Imagine, a bean counter predicting where your business is headed instead of simply reporting on where you’ve been. Michael has some truly interesting, and potentially helpful, observations about cost accounting and profits - and how to get one from the other.
For more information, Click here

2. Vanity Calamity. Publishing the great American novel is getting a lot more democratic these days. Companies like iUniverse, AuthorHouse, and Xlibris are using print-on-demand publishing technology to transform the book publishing world from one in which publishers act as gatekeepers to one where Tom, Dick, or Harry can rub shoulders with Bill Faulkner, Papa Hemingway, and Al Ginsburg. For as little as $459, iUniverse will take your manuscript and create a paperback with an International Standard Book Number and access to sellers like Amazon.com. Print-on-demand is the natural tool for self-publishing. So the new wave may provide opportunity for those with digital press bandwidth.
For more information, Click here

3. Wascally Wages. The U.S. recession has been over for more than three years and the economy has been growing at more than 4% over the past two years. Unemployment is down and productivity is up. But wages haven’t kept pace with inflation. Pundits offer a number of reasons for this – from healthcare to globalization – but the reason that makes the most sense to me is the general volatility of the current market. The economy is full of mixed signals so, while profits may be up, there are few assurances the positive trends will continue. In other words, businesses may be doing better, but better isn’t necessarily the best for business.
For more information, Click here

4. Kick-backs. Printbuyers Online recently polled readers about the practice of marking up print prices with hidden kick-backs to pay designers for bringing in the work. Dishonesty, in my opinion, is always a bad business practice – plain and simple. Without trust, business falls apart – the not so distant corporate scandals are a testament to that. However, if a design firm oversees a print run and acts as a liaison with the printer, it makes perfect sense for the client to pay for that service. As long as it’s above board there’s no problem.
For more information, Click here

5. Bindery Basics. The choice between mechanical and perfect binding is more than an aesthetic one. It really hinges (pardon the pun) on end-use considerations. For instance, does the piece need a printed spine? Under what conditions will it be used? Must it fit in someone's pocket? How will it be stored? Beyond basic questions of usage, there are marketing considerations, such as whether the product should employ the same binding method as other, similar products, so that it's recognizable in its market. Or should it make use of an atypical method in order to distinguish it from competing products. We can help answer all these binding questions. Give us a call.

For past issues, please visit our website at www.seattlebindery.com

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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