Consumables-Paper - Offset

A U.S. Department of Commerce proposal to impose stiff tariffs on coated free sheet paper imported from China and Indonesia would help save American jobs and allow domestic companies to compete more fairly for business, supporters say.

But the plan could launch an international tariff war, warns a Connecticut printer and other opponents, that could backfire and almost certainly would drive up the cost of printing everything from multicolored catalogs, magazines and books to advertising flyers, menus and greeting cards.

When the going gets tough, catalogers often look at changing their paper to cut costs. According to the recent MCM Outlook 2010 survey on Catalogs, 39.2% of respondents said they had decreased their paper stock/weight in the past 12 months.

Indeed, moving to a lighter weight of paper can save money, says Dan Walsh, vice president of catalog/publication papers at distributor Bradner Smith & Co. Using fewer tons of paper will generally lower your costs.

Reducing catalog paper weight could also potentially lower your postage costs, Walsh adds, depending on the class in which you mail.

We have been bombarded the past few days with price increase announcements from our North American mill partners.

Indonesia and China have been charged with illegally subsidizing and dumping coated paper during 2008 and 2009.

If you thought you were saving forests and protecting the environment by going paperless, think again. Coal-powered digital media is destructive to the environment in many ways beyond deforestation.

During our recent Alternative Papers Webinar...The bone of contention centered on what was said about the use of plastics – namely Category 3 “PVC or Vinyl” and Category 7 “Other” – for making paper.

Well, my friends, it’s a new year. In the paper industry, that means the end of the “Black Liquor” tax credits that served to subsidize the industry in 2009 to the tune of $8 billion.

The same kind of technology that brought us the customizable possibilities of digital printing has also quietly grown a world of alternative papers—substrates made of synthetics like plastic or organics like minerals.

There are several industry trends that are being directly driven by paper specifiers and their customers. From environmental benefits to new technologies to the bottom line, these bigger picture objectives will be prevalent throughout 2010

Uncoated papers have different qualities than coated sheets and require a different approach. 
Here are some tips from four paper experts to help you choose the right paper and get the best results.