New Page wants you to "Shift Your Thinking"... Are you ready?

Ever have a job that would look really great on a premium coated sheet, but there's just not room in the budget? Do you wish for the option of a premium sheet with a #2 price tag? Don't we all... well, New Page has listened, and answered!

Introducing: Sterling Premium!

This is a beautiful premium sheet... 94 bright, incredible surface, flawless press performance... oh, and by the way, it has 10% post-consumer recycled fiber and is tri-certified; FSC, SFI and PEFC! Finishes include gloss, dull and matte, and weights range from 60# text to 130# cover. Add in the #2 price point and this is truly a game changer! Still not sold? How about the matching Sterling Premium Digital? Available in both traditional digital and HP treated sheets, they've really done this right!

The official press release from New Page will happen Monday July 30th, and they are taking orders beginning Monday August 6th. CMP will be first in line, and stock will arrive to us on Tuesday August 7th.

One last awesome change at New Page is their new "Three Day PressDate Service". You can now order custom-cut sizes of New Page products (including Sterling Premium, Arbor Plus, Productolith Pts, Sterling Ultra C1S and Sterling Litho C1S) packed on press ready skids and mini-skids, shipped in 3 days. What does this mean to you? If you have a job that you might traditionally plan to use a 28 x 40 sheet for, but really only need 26.5 x 37, you can order a custom size and save money. Now, faster than ever!

Both of these changes speak volumes for New Page's understanding of the world today, and we cannot wait to talk about the opportunities with you all! Any questions, please contact your sales rep or customer service and we look forward to sharing the supporting marketing material with you as soon as possible!

Big Mill, Big Changes... Meet the new Mohawk!

Was anyone else starting to feel like Mohawk had a million offerings? Well, they noticed too, and took time to make things easier for all of us... Introducing the new and improved Mohawk! They even have a new logo (get it, paper moves around cylinders in both papermaking and print) and a new website - www.mohawkconnects.com.

I'm not going to mention any names here, but some people have a tough time with change... Mohawk gets that too! They've made the transition process practically effortless with this awesome streamline tool that you can find here: http://www.mohawkconnects.com/streamline/finder. Tell it which Mohawk product you love and it will tell you which one to choose moving forward.

If that wasn't enough, wait until your CMP sales rep drops off your new swatch books. The days of eighteen inches of cabinet space are over, and you will find that simple and straightforward chip charts have taken their place. Oh, and don't worry, they didn't print the colors or anything, these chip charts are actual samples of the 'real deal' paper!

This last part isn't new to Mohawk, but it might be new to you; have you checked out the Mohawk Make Ready site? You can find all kinds of tools, articles, videos and presentations about digital print... If you haven't yet, click here: http://www.mohawkmakeready.com.

Hopefully this was helpful, and as always, suggestions are welcome!

New Blogger at CMP

Before I post our super-exciting CMP news, I want to take a second to introduce myself... As most of you know by now, Terri Spaulding is no longer with CMP. She made the jump to print sales at Diversified Data Services, and we wish her the best in her new adventure! You have all followed her for the past few years as the virtual face of CMP, and those are pretty big shoes to fill, but I will do my best!

My name is Danielle Parker, and I have been with CMP for exactly 6 years. I spent the first 5 1/2 in the sample department and I am now working in outside sales. One of my new customers summed it up pretty well by saying that professionally, CMP has raised me. One thing Terri and I definitley have in common is that like her, I am also a paper dork... From day one on the job, I have loved all things paper!

On the home front, I am a relatively new mother to an amazing 14 month old little girl :) A couple of years ago I would've had all kinds of hobbies and interests to list, but now things are a little different: Running > Jogging with a stroller; Music interests > Silly Songs & Sing Alongs; Making ceramics > Scribbling with crayons; James Patterson novels > Dr. Seuss books... You get the idea, and I couldn't be happier with my "new" life!

I look forward to keeping you in the loop about changes and news here at CMP and in the paper/print world! Suggestions for topics are always appreciated, as this is for you, so feel free to email me with ideas at DanielleP@cmpaper.com !

White Ink Technology. So What?

What is white ink technology and why do I care?

If you've ever asked yourself this question, let me make it simple for you. You care because you can now specify colored paper, as in dark, rich, beautiful, colored paper, for digital printers who have white ink technology.

Yes I said colored paper, with white ink. And you can print it digitally. See, it does matter to you.

When digital printing came into our world, those of us who love colored paper, heaved one collective sign of dismay. Gone were the days of using rich, bold colored paper to spread your message, especially if that message involved a small printed quantity. Everything digital since has been viewed by designers as having to think about putting color on white paper. Well, not any more. Not with white ink capabilities.

Times, they are a changing

With the availability of white ink technology in West Michigan, you now have the option to create an impression with colored paper.  Here is a link to a recent article in Print Magazine, explaining things from a designers point of view. For more information, and white ink technology tips, check with your local digital printer. When you are ready to choose some paper for your next digital job using white ink technology, contact us.

We would love to hook you up with the perfect colored paper for your next job!

Paper is vital.