Filed under: printing green | Tags: green printing, custom printing, estimating
Have you ever wondered what goes on in world of Estimating? Well, I will share with you the “Science of Estimating”. I will only scratch the surface here, but hopefully you will get the idea…
Before an Estimator can begin, there are 5 key elements that must be in place for Estimator to complete his/her task.
They are:
- Quantity
- Size of the piece
- Ink
- Paper
- Finishing
Other elements would be Description, Customer, and urgency of the piece to be printed. These are just as important as the 5 main, however, one can estimate with the 5 key elements, and fill in the blanks with other pertinent information afterwards.
There are many, many different sizes, ink configurations and papers. Business Cards to Large Format Maps to Booklets, and everything in between. It all just depends.
Finishing also comes in a variety of different forms. There are flat sheets, Saddle Stitched Booklets, Hand Glued & Folded pieces. It all just depends on the application. Some pieces are for long term use, some are meant to be used over a period of time, and some are meant to be read and/or used and discarded. It all just depends.
So, as you can see, the Science of Estimating has many different avenues, a plethora of different options, and lots of head scratching. It just all depends.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cary printing, certified, design, gracol7, graphic design, green printing, quality
Good printing begins with good design. Part of what makes good design is the mechanical aspect of building the print file.
One important element of building the mechanical is to make sure that the resolution of the file, including incorporated images, are at a high enough resolution.
Since printing involves making images from small dots of CMYK ink, the resolution of a file is measured in dots per inch, or dpi. 72 dpi is an example of low resolution. This means that there are only 72 dots per inch of space for that particular image. A good rule of thumb for appropriate print resolution is 300 dpi. In short, the more dots per inch, the better the image will appear. This measure will ensure that your images will appear sharp and without pixilation. Cary Printing utilizes preflight software to analyze your print files and to make sure that the images are high enough resolution and in the best possible shape to give you a great looking print job!
Filed under: printing green | Tags: booklets, brochures, business cards, certified, envelopes, flyers, FSC, green printers, green printing, instant quote, letterhead, new website, online ordering, PEFC, postcards, SFI
Fall is finally here! The leaves are beginning to turn into their vibrant oranges and reds as the temperature cools, it is just a wonderful time of year. It is so wonderful that Cary Printing decided to launch a BRAND NEW website, yes that is right. It is completely redone. Now this is not only a site redesign, but it is a new lease on life. If you want business cards, you can type in www.caryprinting.comand then look at the “Xtreme Green Printing” section and click the link for an instant quote on a set of business cards. It is that simple. You pick your quantity and easy stuff like that, upload your files and within no time you will receive professional quality business cards for an extremely affordable price. But wait, it gets even better than that! Remember that when you print with Cary Printing, ALL of our products are “green certified!” We are certified by the PEFC, FSC, and the SFI. In addition we have a handful of “green” awards. So not only do you get the product you want, at a price you can afford, you are helping the environment out by printing “green.” Check it out today!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cary printing, environmentally friendly, green printing, PEFC Certified, pefc printer, recycled
Recycled paper has taken on new meaning and vast improvements during the past couple of years. The thought of recycled paper at one time brought forth images of brown paper bags from the local grocery store. Today’s recycled paper has an entirely different image. As the demand for recycled content papers has increased, paper companies have developed higher quality and a broader selection of recycled papers. For example, the three most common paper finishes, gloss, matte, and uncoated papers all are available with varying amounts of recycled content ranging from 10% to 100% post consumer waste.
Recycled paper is made by taking consumer paper products and “cooking” them down to a cellulose, or plant pulp mixture which is then pressed through screens to remove contaminants. The next step is to clean, de-ink and bleach the pulp. Most mills no longer use chlorine to bleach the pulp but rather use oxygen or hydrogen peroxide which is safer for the environment. Once the pulp has been processed, it is ready to be made into paper once again. The pulp is either mixed with virgin fiber (to give it more strength) or it is used alone to make new paper. The mixture is sprayed on a continuous moving screen where the water drains from the pulp allowing it to form into the beginning of paper. From here the paper is run through a series of rollers which squeeze the remaining moisture from the paper. The last series of rollers is heated, which dries the paper as it is made into large rolls.
If you are a print-buyer seeking “greener” methods of producing environmentally-friendly and sustainable projects, paper is the first place we can begin to help. According to the Environmental Paper Network, 41.1% of all printing papers are recovered and made into recycled paper. This percentage is likely to increase as will the availability of more recycled variety.
