RESOURCES
MOHAWK
CRAFT COOPERATIVE
Q U I C K R E FE R E N C E G U I D E
TALK I N G C R AF T
AD D ITI O NAL CO NTE NT
Mohawk Live is easy to download and use, following these steps: 1 Download the free app from the Apple
App Store or Google Play.
2 Point and hover a mobile device at the
Luke Pontifell
Francis Atterbury
President & Publisher, Thornwillow Press, Ltd. Thornwillow.com
Mohawk Live
Director–Artisan Books Limited, UK Artisanbook.co.uk
“ No longer a commodity vehicle for communication, books have evolved into objects that through careful design and craftsmanship can become integral to the experience of the written word. The details are at the center of making things that matter and have soul.”
“ In an age of thoughtless mass manufacture and homogeneity, it’s attention to detail that marks the craftsman from the pack and craftsmanship that makes the difference to the user.”
3 Wait for the enhanced content to load.
Mohawk Live brings print communication to life by using augmented reality to seamlessly integrate print with dynamic interactive content. Find out more and download the free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Mohawk Printer Resource Team
Mohawk Strathmore
As part of our continuing efforts to improve customer service, we have established an account development team specifically for our printer partners. Renee Charbonneau and Jennifer Hunold are experienced Mohawk team members who are available during regular business hours to assist you in finding the best Mohawk product for your projects—digital substrates, fine papers, envelopes or details about our printer VIP program.
For over 120 years, papers bearing the Strathmore name have been a staple for printers around the world. Strathmore Writing alone has long been the world’s most widely recognized letterhead paper. Under Mohawk’s ownership the Strathmore name continues today with an extensive offering of colors and textures, basis weights and fiber mixtures designed to offer both elegance and performance on press. Whether your job calls for fine engraving, bold letterpress,
Jennifer and Renee can be reached at: +1 (800) 423-7313 leadteam@mohawkpaper.com
image that has the Mohawk Live icon.
WiFi connections are recommended for faster load times and enhanced quality.
4 The app will launch enhanced content,
seemingly bringing the printed piece to life.
traditional offset or the newest digital, there is a paper in Mohawk’s Strathmore Collection that fits. As designers and corporate clients seek new, high impact ways to communicate using print, beautifully made paper is a solution worth exploring to surprise, delight and exceed expectations. Take the time to reacquaint yourself with Strathmore Premium and Strathmore Writing Papers.
BUSINESS DETAILS THE
OF
PAPER GRADES
MOHAWK PAPER SELECTOR To make our product line simpler, easier to specify and to reduce our environmental footprint, we have streamlined our product portfolio, merging brands and eliminating redundant colors.
Loop
TH E R ES P O N S I B LE PAPE R Mohawk Loop is a complete PCW recycled paper for environmentally responsible design, with a range of print surfaces and palette of whites, pastels, jewel tones and earthy fibered shades.
Q U I C K R E FE R E N C E
Superfine
Options
TH E U LTI MATE PAPE R
TH E I NX W E LL PAPE R
Mohawk Superfine is the finest printing paper made today, with unmatched quality, consistency and uniformity. Inspiring great design with its superb formation, lush tactility, and archival, timeless appeal.
Options features Mohawk’s exclusive Inxwell surface technology, combining the tactile feel of uncoated paper with the ink density and sharp detail of coated. Now including ultra-smooth Navajo, Options features six premium white shades to complement a range of styles.
Via
Strathmore
Via is the best-selling uncoated paper in America, offering Mohawk quality at an affordable price. Featuring popular textures, colors, and highly printable white shades, Via is the everyday paper.
Setting the standard for design and innovation since 1895, the Strathmore Collection is a diverse assortment of cotton papers, colors and finishes that honor tradition while utilizing contemporary colors and surface technologies.
TH E LUXE PAPE R
TH E ECO N O M I CAL PAPE R
Carnival
Digital
TH E COVE R PAPE R
TH E I MAG I N G PAPE RS
Mohawk Carnival sets the standard for intense saturated color, especially for pocket folders and other converted items, and offers primary hues in distinctive textures with complementary whites and text weights.
Mohawk features a comprehensive collection of digital substrates including a family of reliable and economical coated and uncoated papers specially made for digital presses that help place you and your customers on the cutting edge.
LEARN MORE AT MOHAWKCONNECTS.COM
03 ISSUE
C O N TA C T 465 Saratoga Street Cohoes, NY 12047 +1 (518) 237-1740 customerservice@mohawkpaper.com mohawkconnects.com
D ES I G N Hybrid Design Hybrid-design.com T Y PE FAC ES Chalet New York Nineteen Sixty, Sentinel
PAPE R Mohawk Strathmore Premium, Super Smooth, Ultimate White, 65 cover (176 gsm)
PR I NTE R Sandy Alexander Clifton, NJ Sandyinc.com
ITE M N U M B E R 76-702621113 January 2014
I N KS 4cp, 2nd black (duotones), 3 match yellows and overall dull varnish
A
An emerging movement values quality, tactile print materials.
WHY THE
DETAILS MATTER
They’ll shift the conversation from price to value. BY
BY
BART ROBINSON
THOMAS D. O’CONNOR , JR .
When was the last time you stood at the press, pulled a sheet off the line and admired the result? In a price-competitive, high-volume field like the printing industry, we often lose sight of the artistry involved in our work. You’ve spent years mastering the details of your craft. You see the smallest aspects of a printed piece that others miss. You take pride in making sure every job is perfect. That attention to detail, that stretch for perfection—it matters. It matters to your clients, who value your expertise, recommendations and service. Your customers want to know that they’re working with like-minded artisans who are partners in creating distinctive, meaningful products. They want to feel that you share their creative vision. Perhaps even more important, it matters to their customers, because a well-crafted printed communication has the power to inspire, inform and persuade. This issue of the Craft Cooperative focuses on the details. We explore the science that proves that we remember most what we can touch (undisputed support for the power of printed communication). We help you understand the details that motivate different customers, so you can tailor your service to their needs. Some of your clients understand and value these details. They want the finest materials, the most innovative solutions, the highest levels of service. Others, though, think that quick-and-cheap printing is an adequate substitute for quality and craftsmanship. We’re here to tell you that a new movement has begun, based on pride in details, refinement and skill. Companies and brands now understand that printed materials aren’t throw-aways, that physical communications can inspire stronger impressions and build loyal relationships with customers. Join the movement. Help your customers appreciate the details, and turn the conversation from lowering cost to creating value.
In today’s competitive market, printers face strong price pressure. Often, paper is the default place to cut costs. But before you recommend a less-expensive stock to your customer, consider this: By habitually offering the cheapest solution without question or conversation, you train your customers to shop solely on price. The remedy to this downward spiral is hiding in plain sight: the material you print on. By offering your client new paper choices, you position yourself as a valued, expert resource. When you recommend a textured, colored or premium stock, you shift the job from acceptable to exceptional. You need to make details the differentiator— that’s the best way to hedge against a customer finding cheaper print services. Add value by doing more than the competition, not by dropping your price to get the job.
PRINT THRIVES IN A DIGITAL AGE
Science proves print is more memorable than digital. BY
BRYN MOOTH
We live in an era dominated by virtual communication, where animated birthday cards, emailed party invitations, and digital newsletters have become the norm. But are these virtual messages as effective as their traditionally printed counterparts? Science says no. A study initiated by Britain’s Royal Mail used neuroscience to find that, unlike virtual images, tangible objects register on a physical, sensory level that triggers an emotional response and creates lasting memories. According to the study, an image shown to someone on a computer screen stimulates less brain activity than does the
OF
STRATHMORE
A
PRINT BUYER FIELD GUIDE
WHAT WILL YOU MAKE TODAY?
Give the customer more than they ask for:
PRINT BUYER FIELD GUIDE Focus your sales strategy by taking a detailed look at your clinets.
B U I LD I N G YO U R B U S I N ESS BY MASTE R I N G TH E D E TAI LS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
STORY
MMXIV
PRIDE IN THE DETAILS A
THE
B U S I N ESS FOCU S E D
KIND OF BUYER
W HAT MAT TE RS TO TH E M
H OW TO R E AC H TH E M
In-house employee responsible for buying printing and other goods and services; likely to not be particularly knowledgeable about quality printing.
Price-and schedule-driven, this buyer barely distinguishes between purchasing printing services and office furniture. His only role is to negotiate contracts; he’s typically not the primary contact for an individual print project.
Educate, educate, educate. Establish a personal relationship with the buyer; show him different types of printed materials, introduce the notion of quality. This buyer needs personal attention (meetings, lunches, incentives). Under-promise and over-deliver.
VP or high-level manager responsible for marketing, branding or communication; wears multiple hats and time-pressed, but personally invested in the business.
Whether he’s a VP in a large organization or the owner of a small company, he’s highly engaged. Presentation, image and perception matter. He’s accustomed to having his way and may be highly involved in every decision on the project (perhaps to the point of micro-managing).
Build trust; the exec needs to know you have his company’s best interests at heart, that he can rely on you. Be a consultant; guide the customer through key details so he can make decisions with confidence. Speak about printed communication as a way to drive business results.
Knowledgeable professional who sources printing for high-end brands (fashion, retail, consumer goods); experienced with printing, will likely be present during the press check.
This buyer understands printing down to the last detail. As a representative of a high-end brand, she seeks design and printing that will elevate her clients, so she values quality over price throughout the process. She wants to be a hero to her clients.
Get to know her client’s brand and image, so you can help her hit those standards. Deliver the best service, materials and print quality. Her customers rely on her to provide f lawless results; she relies on you to do the same. Make her look good, and you’ll look good.
CO M M U N I CATI O N S D I R ECTO R
Brand steward within a company, responsible (and under pressure) for consistency and quality of a wide range of communication campaigns across media.
She’s charged with managing a company’s brand and messaging across all channels, so she’s a stickler for consistency. Brand standards—color palettes, font systems and templates—matter. She knows that if her brand’s messaging is inconsistent, business will suffer.
She’s under pressure to do things the right way, so position yourself as her quality-control partner. Show that you anticipate problems, catch inconsistencies, prevent mistakes. Know her company’s brand standards inside out. If she’s confident in your work, you’ll become her go-to printer.
TH E AG E N CY
Produces work for a range of clients, possibly in a number of different market niches. Offers a full array of services, including print, digital, video, social media, etc. May have offices in different states or countries.
The agency’s needs are completely client-driven, and vary by project and individual. The agency includes multiple client archetypes. Agency staffers thrive on creative work and are beholden to clients’ business needs. Can be great sources for information on business and creative trends.
Build in-person relationships at all levels. Be a resource: Host presentations to showcase new techniques, bring swatchbooks and samples (and donuts). Identify a core group of agencies to develop; it takes time and energy. When a contact leaves, keep and touch and see where they land.
C R E ATIVE D I R ECTO R
Veteran creative professional; draws on a deep well of experience to set the vision for a project and lead the design team.
The creative director is a storyteller who assembles visual and verbal details. He focuses on the big picture, overall message and impression a project makes. He’s spent a lengthy career in the field, he’s seen a lot and he wants to find new and unexpected solutions.
Help him tell a story, using the details inherent in a printed piece to support the message. Show him innovative solutions, be a source for creative ideas. If he’s a long-timer, he may be unfamiliar with the quality that digital printing now offers, so show him.
D ES I G N E R
Early or mid-career, in a studio or corporate creative department; responsible for hands-on execution of a design project.
The designer thrives on details: font, color palette, paper. Younger designers especially want to make things that are functional and beautiful; they want the piece to be special (foils, varnishes, embossing). She may be new to printing and may need education on how to produce a quality piece.
Be a guide, educator, resource. Help the designer figure out what she wants to accomplish with a project. Get her excited about the details: suggest a special finish or unusual binding technique that will elevate her project. Show her the possibilities that print can offer.
CO R P O R ATE PR I NT B U Y E R
• Quote what they want but then offer an upgrade—a textured, colored or 100% cotton sheet—to amplify the design. •
Show them a premium paper at the proofing stage and have the estimate ready for the upgrade so they don’t have to wait for the dollar comparison.
•
If they choose not to upgrade, tail in a premium paper so you can show them how it would change the look and feel of the piece.
C - SU ITE E XECUTIVE
• Add a specialty process for demonstration. • Suggest that a portion of the run be printed on premium stock to test the efficacy of the change.
PR I NT B RO K E R
None of these solutions involves lowering your margin. When customers experience the difference, they’ll consider those details for the next project—and in turn, see the improvement in business results that come from more effective, memorable printed communication. This circle of positive results will lead to a stronger relationship and business for both you and your customer.
same image printed on a card. Millward Brown, the research agency that conducted the study, explains how providing the experience of touch— known as haptic perception—can be used to help marketing efforts succeed: “Greater emotional involvement leads to more positive brand associations along with easier brand recall.” Haptic perception is the process of recognizing and identifying an object through touch. That perception, and the emotions and memories it triggers, elevates a printed message over a digital one. And it’s why paper plays an important role in communication. Help your customers choose the right highquality paper for their projects by sharing one of Mohawk’s most impactful teaching tools: The Blindfold Experiment. Ask everyone in the room to close their eyes. Give them several sheets of paper ranging from newsprint to a glossy magazine page to a sheet from Mohawk’s Strathmore collection. They’ll discover the difference themselves. Once they’ve opened their eyes, help your clients notice the details: watermark, texture, weight, color. Give them paper and pens and invite them to take notes during your discussion. Let them experience how the tactile quality of ink on paper creates a deeper impression. In turn, they’ll appreciate the value of physical communication in conveying a message that matters.
C R E ATIVE FOCU S E D
IT’S
ATTENTION TO
DETAIL
T H AT M A K E S T H E
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AV E R AG E A N D
STUNNING. —Francis Atterbury, Hurtwood Press, London, UK
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MMXIV