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.

Tree Farming: A Look Inside

  

Image taken from down2earthonline.com

 How much do you know about tree farming?

Many of you may be thinking Christmas tree farming right now, especially if you went out and cut down a fresh one like my family did. But that isn't they type of tree farming I am referring to. I'm talking about the 11 million individual owners of private forests in the U.S., who use their land to plant and harvest trees to generate income. Over 90 percent of wood harvested to make the paper and wood products we use everyday, comes from these private landowners.

Not only does an important raw material--wood--for the forest products industry come from this land, but forests provide critical ecological and social benefits as well. Land ownership is not free, and without a positive economic balance, many land owners decide to sell their land for development. (Think strip malls instead of forests).

When we lose our forests, we lose valuable ecological and social benefits including:

• Carbon sequestration
• Wildlife habitat
• Clean water
• Scenic beauty and recreation

 So what is tree farming:

• It's a continuous cycle that takes about 35 years
• It's planting 3 trees for every one harvested
• It's private landowners planting 4 million trees per day
• It's responsibly harvesting trees for wood products
• It's managing the land for clean air and water, and for biodiversity

You can help support responsible forestry and the millions of tree farmers in the U.S. by your continued use of paper and other wood-based products, and by promoting the use of certified products. Help by educating your fellow employees, your customers, heck, even your kids, about U.S. forest ownership, the challenges of private landowners and the value of paper products made from wood


Check out the Go Paper. Grow Trees. Campaign from International Paper.

When you buy paper, you help keep forests growing. It’s true. In the next 30 years the U.S. could lose 44 million acres of forest to development. When you use paper, you help keep trees growing.

Trees are planted in greater numbers than they are harvested. Since the 1940s, annual growth of new trees has always exceeded the number cut down. By 1992, tree growth outpaced harvest by 34 percent and the volume of wood in the forest was 360 percent more than in 1920.

 

The latest Down To Earth: A practical look at environmental issues and trends Why Is Tree Farming Important for America and America's Forests is now available? Check it out online here or ask for a printed copy of the brochure from CMP.

 paper is incredible.

paper is

There are some things we think a person should never be without, paper is one of them. Paper plays a vital role in our personal and professional lives. Think about how many times a day paper impacts your life. From cereal boxes to paper towels, tissues to catalogs, “to do” lists to thank you notes, permission slips to recipes, and those are just at home! At work there are daily uses for paper like; copies, faxes, brochures, notepads, invoices and other correspondence. The list goes on and on.

Paper makes our lives easier. It provides us with the information we need to live. As long as we use it responsibly, it will continue to impact your life positively. Don’t let the greenwashing get to you. Paper is sustainable, made from renewable resources and easily recycled.

Paper is here to stay.

The "paper is" printed on our CMP notepads and other giveaway items is our way of gently reminding you that paper is vital, necessary, and essential to our lives. No to mention, it can be pretty darn inspiring.

So think about it, paper is what to you? We'd love to add your word(s) to our list.

Make your mark on paper.

Write your own story.

Paper shapes our lives.

Something About A Book

It surprises me how books still have the power to ignite great emotion. And I don't mean just from the stories they weave.

The doorbell rang on Saturday, it was our mailman, with a package. My 17-year-old came running down the stairs gleefully yelling, "It's my books. It's gotta be my books!" And indeed, it was. Now the fact that a week and a half before Christmas he ordered two books off of Amazon without my consent, does not thrill me. But knowing that it was a book, and not a video game or another electronic gadget, secretly made my heart swell.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

was my son's Christmas gift to himself.

I come from a long line of readers, so part of me is super excited that I grew a couple of my own. Even in this world of so many electronic forms of communication, so many ways to get information, my kids love going to the library and checking out actual books. And as Nancy Drew long ago did for me, when you find a series of books that draw you in and take hold of your heart and imagination, you not only want to read them, you want to own them. With all the other available distractions out there, there is still something about a book that is good for the soul. Kind of like an old friend that you can pull off the shelf, settle down with, and lose track of time.

Beautiful words, well painted stories, and printed on actual paper, now that's a combo that will always draw me in!

How about you? What is your favorite book or series?

Paper is powerful.

Here is a link to the history of book publishing courtesy of  Brainpickings.