BEAUTIFUL HUES INSIDE AND OUT
June 2009
While a palette of more than 1,100 different Pantone colors are rolling off the presses inside our building, there is no shortage of stunning color on the outside.  Adorning both sides of our front entrance is our flower garden; which includes pink and white impatiens, red begonias, green hostas and blue forget-me-nots.  We’re doing our part to beautify Long Island City.

A STOCK THAT IS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
May 2009
The folks at the Smart Paper Division of Mohawk Paper put their thinking caps on to create a paper stock that marries two important paper traits:  a matte coating to enhance images and produce vibrant colors coupled with a textured, tactile finish.  The stock is called KnightKote Matte.  The textured finishes include canvas/pebble embossed and vertical lines, in bright white and crème.  As an added bonus, this stock has also earned FSC certification.  Let us know if you would like to see printed samples of KnightKote.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
March 2009
Jeff Goldblum and other cast and crew members of "Law & Order Criminal Intent" just completed a day of filming in our parking lot. We suggested that they do a future episode on counterfeiting; and, actually shoot inside our building, specifically in our prepress department and pressroom!

BLEED THE DESIGN, NOT THE BUDGET
January 2009
Yes, Virginia, you can bleed a project without any additional cost.  Bleed is the term used for images or other design elements that extend to the edge of the paper. This often necessitates purchasing and running a larger size press sheet.  To accommodate a bleed, .125” (1/8”) must be added beyond the final trim size of the piece.  For example, an 8.5” x 11” sheet bleeding four sides is set up in a page layout program as 8.75” x 11.25”, adding .125” to each side.  HOWEVER, slightly scanting the final project size eliminates the need to purchase larger size paper stock.  Design a booklet with a final trim size of 8.25” x 10.75” and you can bleed to your heart’s content without any penalty cost to do so.

NEXT HUDSON U SEMINAR
October 2008
We’re excited to announce that our next paper seminar is scheduled for October 29 (9:15-12:15). Joining us will be Lynn McCarthy of Mohawk Fine Paper, LaTascha Foster of Appleton Coated Paper and Dan Glickenhaus of Marquardt & Company. There will be on-press demonstrations of how ink interacts with different paper surfaces and colors; excellent handouts; and, no shortage of useful paper education. For further information or to register … ab@hudsonprints.com.

PROPER PAPER WEIGHT
October 2008
We recently completed an invitation package for a Hamptons Tea Dance fundraiser.  The client needed guidance on the “proper” stock (paper) weight for the six-page, three-panel invitation, itself.  As is so often the case, “proper” had to be determined through a combination of aesthetic and practical considerations.  Aesthetically, the goal was to select a heavy enough weight to give the invitation some bulk and substance, so that it didn’t feel cheap.  Practically speaking, the weight could not be so heavy as to risk possible cracking on the folds, or so heavy that it would increase the postage cost.  The winner?  The perfect choice was 100# (silk) coated cover.

WHERE DID THEY GO?
September 2008
While the palette of metallic inks has increased (see entry below), the number of text paper mills has greatly diminished.  Those of us who have been in the industry for several decades have witnessed the disappearance of so many mills that manufactured text stocks (linen finish, vellum, felt, laid, etc.).  Among the missing-in-action:  Hopper Paper; James River Corporation and its Curtis Paper division; Simpson Paper; Fraser Paper; Cross-Pointe Paper; Gilbert Paper; Champion Paper; and more.  Some of these have been acquired by other mills, while others we just don’t know.

AND IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE THREE
September 2008
Not so very long ago, metallic ink choices were limited to gold, silver and copper.  But, alas, a new age has dawned!  By mixing those three metallic ink colors with conventional printing inks, metallics are achievable in a wide assortment of hues . . . from metallic violet to chartreuse to raspberry to robin’s egg blue, etc.  The metallic sheen is optimized by printing these inks on coated surfaces; and, often a varnish or other coating is necessary to prevent scuffing.  For optimum results, these inks should be mixed shortly before printing.

SHORT-FOLDS DEFINITELY NOT A SHORT CONCEPT
August 2008
We’ve just completed production of a not-for-profit’s annual report with a short-folded outside front cover.  A short-fold, in place of a flush fold, can make a printed piece sooooooo much more visually pleasing and interesting.  It provides a sneak-preview of what is to come, invites the recipient to look inside.  For those who are totally wild and crazy, a brochure/folder can also be designed and produced with a series of short-folds, rather than just a single short-fold.