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There is a wide variety of printing papers available; coated, uncoated, 100% cotton, recycled, FSC certified—the varieties can seem endless. Here are some “Paper Basics” you should know to better understand paper specifications on your next printing quote.

Paper weight is complicated. Basis weight is the weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of a paper at its basic size. The basic size is the size of the uncut sheet supplied to the printer. For example, the basic size of book paper is 25 x 38 inches, and a ream weighing 70 pounds would be called 70-lb. book paper. (Not all paper grades have the same basic size, but as a print buyer you don’t have to know them all.) Sometimes the metric system is used: 70-lb. book paper is equivalent to 104 g/m². Occasionally, paper is specified in thousand-sheet increments: a 70-lb. book paper might be listed as 25 x 38—140M. “M” means “1,000,” so 1,000 sheets of book paper at this basic size weigh 140 pounds. Since a ream is half that, it’s 70-lb. paper.

Cover, card, and other thick stocks are often specified by thickness, measured in “points,” abbreviated “pt.”— for example, “8-pt. cover.” One point is 1/1000th of an inch, so this means that the stock is 0.008 in. thick. By law, postcards need to be at least 7 pt for up to a 4¼ x 6″ card and 9 pt for larger postcards.

Paper grade refers to the end use of that paper. Bond paper is used for letters and documents, book paper for books, offset for offset printing, and so on. Thicker grades include cover, bristol, tag, and index. Digital papers have been optimized to perform on digital presses, and digital press manufacturers offer or recommend specific grades for their equipment.

Paper is often coated during manufacture, which improves the reproduction of fine halftone screens and color fidelity, as coatings keep ink from getting absorbed into the paper, unlike uncoated paper. C1S means “coated one-side,” which is useful for labels, packaging, and other materials designed to be printed on only one side. C2S means “coated two-side” and is preferred for two-sided commercial printing.

Brightness refers to the percentage of light that is reflected from the sheet’s surface. Basic white copy paper has a 92 brightness. Brightness by component wavelength (red, green, or blue) is also determined for papers, as papers can reflect different amounts of certain colors, imparting a color cast to a printed piece if you’re not careful. This is extremely important thing to consider since inks are transparent.

There are many other characteristics of paper, but these are some of the ones you are likely to encounter. Design magazines such as Communication Arts and HOW usually bind in paper samples. While this can make these magazines hard to flip through, they can help with the paper specification process. PaperSpecs is also a very good online resource for all things paper.

“The Experience that a website design produces for visitors is critically important to the success of any business, whether the end goal is to sell product, market services, build a brand or all of the above. If the desired path toward conversion is in any way obscured, today’s users will not hesitate to abandon the site and find what they need elsewhere.” Linc Wonham, Associate Editor Website Magazine.

But how do you get users to your site in the first place? Search Engine Optimization!

There are two forms of search engine optimization: organic and paid.

Paid would be your keywords that you buy form say Google AdWords. It is important to note though that these keywords buy you ads, and not an actual spot in search results.

Organic SEO is probably the most used form of SEO, mainly because it’s free. But it requires quite a bit of work and preparation. It is also important to understand that SEO takes months, it’s not an overnight process. A good place to start is an analysis of your site, and where your traffic is currently coming from. Google Analytics is a great free tool to do this. Once you know which search engine is used most, which I usually find is Google, you can start optimizing your site.

Some Organic SEO tactics are:

1. Keyword rich content
   When writing your content, keep in mind which phrases people would use to search for your site.  Make sure your text is very descriptive. For example, here at Willow, we will us the phrase “Willow Marketing offers….” Instead of “We offer….” when describing our services.
2. Inbound links
   This can be as quick and easy as dropping your site url into your social media platforms. Tweet a link to the new product you added. Twitter is crawled by search engines constantly, so the link will be discovered quickly. Use a site like ping.fm, which allows you to post a message and link to dozens of social media sites simultaneously to increase your chances of being found.
   Offer testimonials to business vendors you work with. It’s an easy way to get a link to your site in return for writing something favorable and sincere about a vendor.
3. Blog
   If you have a blog, make use of the category and tag systems to better organize and label your content. Actively tagging posts is the most effective way to enhance “searchability” and usability.  Plus, the more user friendly your site is, the more likely users are to return or recommend your website and services.

SEO is constantly evolving, and search engines are becoming more strict about what is allowed. It is vital to them to provide accurate search results to maintain their credibility, and when you don’t play by the rules, your site might be penalized for banned tactics.

The top 5 outdated tactics are:

1. Keyword stuffing
   Using popular keywords that don’t even relate to your site, but position them off the page so the user does not see them.
2. Blog Comment spamming
   Aggressively dropping links in comment sections on blogs.
3. Search engine submission
   Paying a company to submit your site to a search engine.
4. Meta Tag Optimization
   Using popular keywords that don’t even relate to your site, in the <HEAD> area of your site’s code.
5. Link Exchange programs
   Aggressive link exchange schemes to intentionally influence rankings.

SEO takes time and effort, but it will definitely pay off in the long run.

Sources: www.websitemagazine.com

1992 was a great year…all kinds of exciting things were happening – like:

• Songs like All 4 Love, Jump, End of the Road and I’m Too Sexy were jamming on the radio.
• Bill Clinton was elected President (he ran against George Bush and Ross Perot – remember that guy!).
• The Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI.
• Cartoon Network launched in the US as well as Barney & Friends.
• Compact discs surpassed cassette tapes as the preferred medium for recorded music.
• Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for the last time. He had ruled late-night television for 20 years.
• The Silence of the Lambs won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

…and Miley Ray Cyrus was born!

But…yours truly, Willow Marketing was also just getting its start! On March 1^st, 1992, we opened our doors…and 19 wonderful years later we’re still having fun and Partying in the USA!

1. Star Sand
Acquired: 1997
Previous Home: My bookshelf at home
Backstory: My neighbor & babysitter growing up took a trip to Japan and brought me back this very unique gift. Star sand is actually the shell of a small organism and only found on two islands in Japan.  (A simple google search should suffice your appetite for more star sand details.)

2. Ralph the Rubber Ducky
Acquired: 2010
Previous Home: Some kid’s bathtub
Backstory: I found this guy here on the first floor at Willow. He sparked my interest in bringing in other fun things to add some flare at my workspace.

3. Painted Boomerang
Acquired: 2008
Previous Home: In a drawer at home
Backstory: I studied abroad in New Zealand and traveled to Australia while I was in the region.  Naturally, I wanted a solid souvenir and I bought this at an outdoor market in Melbourne – (I’m guessing it was made in China).

4. Starfish with Shells
Acquired: 1999
Previous Home: On my dresser at my parents house
Backstory: This was my mother’s and she gave it to me back when I was switching rooms at my childhood home. Also, I am the chair of the aquarium committee here at Willow. This is currently our only one, but we’re always exploring our options to add more aquatic life. Unfortunately Warm Cookie, our Beta, did not survive Thanksgiving break and took the royal flush.

5. Gary the Gargoyle
Acquired: 2000
Previous Home: Bookshelf at home.
Backstory: My friend Zach traveled to Europe and brought this back for me. He was also kind enough to give me the following that all sat next to each other for 10+ years in my room:
A. Black Lab figurine. I had two black labs growing up that both died young (named Cricket I & Cricket II). After that we got Max, a beagle mix from the pound that was a loyal dog who enjoyed sleeping either on my bed or on my chair.
B. Jim Harbaugh & Marshal Faulk figurines. Zach had two of each so he gave me a set.
All four of these items were prominently displayed in my room until recently when I made the hard decisions on what stayed and what got boxed up with other juvenile like objects.

Any items that you would like considered for my flare shelf can be sent to Willow Marketing c/o Doug Fredbeck.