The Stationers Guild

Several weeks ago Sheila and I paid a visit to Bob D’Arconte at his studio in DUMBO:  Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass in Brooklyn, NYC.  A visit with Bob is always both entertaining and educational since we are both so very opinionated.   As Sheila frequently remarks, “Rick is often wrong, but never in doubt.”

While D’Arconte’s fine engraved stationery and holiday cards  may not be as well known as Crane or William Arthur, he is a living legend in the stationery industry.  His holiday cards and stationery are unmistakable in their design simplicity and elegance.  His use of white-space and blind-embossing to frame his engraved designs create a three-dimensional feel that, in my opinion, elevates his work to an entirely different level.

I am hesitant to categorize D’Arconte’s style since under his skilled hand almost any object or landscape can easily be transformed into a work of art.  During our visit, D’Arconte was  in the process of engraving a two-colored peach motif onto a fold-over note.  Bob pointed out that the application of one color before the other created a hue that was quite different when the application of the  ink colors was reversed.  Certainly, the close registration printing and color-match required to create desired outcome: an engraved peach that looks almost eatable, is a tribute to Bob’s fine eye and mastery of his craft.

D'Arconte Engraved Christmas Card

Bob will probably slap my hand for including a sample of his new holiday card line because, quite frankly, the low-resolution internet images do not do them justice.  Bob and I had a long discussion on how the internet is destroying the public’s perception of fine stationery.  Neither Bob nor I can understand how anyone would ever consider buying stationery or a custom invitation online without the benefit of touching various papers and seeing how ink colors change depending on the paper stock and printing process.

While this sample image of D’Arconte’s holiday line give you a hint of Bob’s talent, you should make an effort to see these exceptional examples of contemporary engraving in person.  For instance, a snow globe in the  “Snowman in a Snow Globe” is blind-embossed and the outline of the globe is barely perceptible in a low-resolution internet  image.  I have purposely not reproduced the image because I felt it would detract from the elegance of the card.  In one of Bob’s vintage holiday cards, he has the New York skyline engraved in gold strategically placed inside a blind-embossed apple.  The “Big Apple has never looked so beautiful.

The D’Arconte line is not widely available owing to Bob’s desire to work only with experienced stationers who understand and appreciate his product and have the same attention to detail and customer service that he does.

It is indeed a pleasure to spend a few hours with a master craftsman.  Sheila and I were enriched by the experience.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

Halloween kicks off the holiday season for me.  I carefully store away my Mad Hatter costume and begin to formulate the complicated logistical plans for our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.  Quite frankly, celebration and stress seem to go hand-in-hand at this time of year and with each passing year I feel that there is often more stress than good cheer.   The anonymous photo below – whose source I would gratefully acknowledge – is a hilarious example of what Christmas has become.

Christmas_House_Decoration

“Ditto Christmas” is one economical way to keep up with Jones’ and relieve the stress that is often associated with finding that dysfuntional light-bulb that seems to always short-out your lighting system each year.   I suppose it is our preoccupation with gadgets and “things” that make the holidays so stressful.

I am no different.  This year my wife, Sheila, bought me David Rock’s new book Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long.  This is one of many new and exciting neuroscience books that explains the workings of the brain.  I am just now exploring the section on the prefrontal cortex, which is much like a stage where actors (thoughts) pop-up on stage and seek to trigger a reaction with the audience (memories).  To avoid wasting my limited cerebral energy -which is often strongest at 2:00 a.m. – I am now working on turning stage lights off and getting a good night’s sleep.  Sheila is most grateful.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with “making Christmas special this year.”  Quite frankly, I’m not sure myself, but if I write long enough something is bound to popup – the stage lights are now fairly dim.  I guess “Ditto Christmas” is a metaphor for the stupifying routine and mental stagnation that now seems to dominate one of our most sacred times of the year.  Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the days that immediately follow, should be full of happiness as family members share the joys of celebrating these special days with each other. 

This year many in our extended family have foresaken gifts (to avoid taxing the prefrontal cortex) in exchange for gathering at our home to share each other’s company in front of a warm fire, good food and great wines.   Who knows, I might even put a few lights on the house to celebrate the season and provide a warm welcome to our gathering family. 

It has taken some planning to avoid having another “ditto Christmas” and I can truly say that both Sheila and I are truly looking forward to Christmas with great  joy and  cheer.  I will store my Grinch costume for another year and allow Max to be the dog he was meant to be. 

I hope that your holidays will be filled with love and joy.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

As a stationer, I am often asked whether digital Christmas photo cards are “better” than 4″x 6″ photos mounted on a personalized holiday card.  There really is no simple answer to this question, but I will share a few insights that might be useful to consider when making your choice.

While the reproduction quality of digital photos has improved significantly, photographs developed commercially still have an edge.  This should not be surprising since commercially developed photographs are produced under ideal printing conditions using papers specifically designed to create uniform quality prints.    While I have seen exceptional digital prints using high resolution ink-jet printers on archival papers, this printing technique is best left to professionals.

Digitally-reproduced holiday photo cards are generally less expensive than photographs mounted on Christmas greeting cards.   The price of digital photo cards is generally a function of the paper stock and quality of the design templates.   While some photo cards resemble commercial mailers, some leading design companies have beautiful frames to enhance the setting of your photograph.

There is a common misconception that “it is easier” to select a digital holiday card than a conventional photo-mount Christmas photo card.  This is certainly not the case.  When you print digitally you have an unlimited range of color options.   I have personally witnessed the frustration than sets-in when a buyer is faced with so many design and color options to print their digital photographs.    Pre-designed frames from leading paper companies are generally of much higher quality than the limited template selection provided by most online printers.

William Arthur, one of the leading holiday photo card designers, provides the consumer with the option of using photo-mounts or having the photo imprinted digitally on the same high quality paper stock.  The price of William Arthur’s holiday photo card is the same regardless of which printing  process is chosen.  While the quality of photo prints is better than digitally reproduced images, printing your William Arthur photo card digitally can save you time and $0.19 per photograph print.

To see all of the printing options available, we suggest that you contact a Guild member store in your neighborhood to see which printing process works best for your family photograph this holiday season.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

After much cajoling and perhaps some bribing, you have finally managed to snap a great digital photograph of the family – even the dog was smiling.  You think to yourself, this would look great on our Christmas photo card.  You do a little cropping and editing to get the photo exactly the way you want it, save it to your flash drive or CD and rush down to the photo store to print your 4″x 6″ photographs.  Painfully, you discover that the top of your husband’s head was cut off when you get your print.  What happened?

Last year, I published a Blog on some of the differences between photographs taken with a 35mm camera and a digital camera.  Except for hardened veterans that still cling to their 35mm cameras, most everyone has gone digital.  Digital cameras are simple to use and one can easily share pictures with family and friends with very little technical skill. 

Unfortunately, there is a small problem (quite easily addressed) when printing a 4″x 6″ from a digital image.  The aspect ratio of a 35mm camera is 3:2 while the aspect ratio of digital camera is 4:3.   When the photo printing equipment takes your digital image, it does a little cropping and re-sizing of its own to create the 4″x 6″ print.  This leads to some rather unpleasant surprises as the photos below demonstrate (courtesy of Ritz Photo, Greenwich, CT):

Actual Digital Photo with 4:3 aspect ratio

Cropped Photo for 4"x 6" print

Unless you are a very skilled photo editor, the best way to avoid this problem is to avoid cropping too closely to the top of the photograph.  Give the photo printing automated  ”editor” a little space to “accomodate” the necessary cropping.   In fact, it is often preferable to do a large portion of your editing at the store.  Just a little simple planning will help you avoid this common problem during the holiday season.  Always, print one photograph to make sure that you achieve the desired result before committing to print your 300 photos.

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild

When I think of Crane – actually, Crane & Co. – I think of engraving.  I have visited their printing facility in North Adams, MA a couple of times and have always been fascinated by the artisans who create beautiful engraving dies and the craftspeople who use these dies to print Crane’s distinctive engraved stationery and custom  invitations.  Each year, I look forward to their their engraved  Christmas Tree which often  introduces their personalized holiday greeting card collection.  This year’s Classic Christmas Tree is just another example of Crane’s remarkable craftmaship:

Crane's Engraved Classic Christmas Tree

I think you will agree, that this year’s Christmas Tree is an outstanding example of Crane’s superior craftsmanship.  Each color on the greeting card requires a separate die.  Crane’s skilled printers must apply each color during a separate press run, careful to make sure that each color is  closely registered  to an adjacent color(s) to produce the finished design.   In this case, four separate press runs were required to produce this year’s colorful Classic Christmas Tree.

Peter Hopkins, Crane’s historian and Blogger, has made an instructional video that demonstrates the process of engraving.

Stationery, particularly fine stationery, is “touched” many times by skilled craftspeople.  The level of precision required to produce these beautiful holiday card designs is a tribute to Crane’s talented artisans and their love for fine paper.

For those of you wish to see Crane’s 2009 Holiday Card collection, please visit a stationery store in your neighborhood to discuss all of the customization features offered by Crane.

Several years ago when I was doing some research into the origins of exchanging Christmas greeting cards, I discovered that President Abraham Lincoln may have inspired the creation of the popular image of Santa Claus during the Civil War.   Famed political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, is credited with the creation of the Santa Claus by “taking a minor Central European folk saint, dimly recalled from his German childhood… coming down the chimney and shaking with joy… “   According to some long-lost hyperlink that has now faded into Internet oblivion, President Lincoln requested Thomas Nast to create a holiday figure to raise the morale of the Union troops during the Civil War. According to legend this was the birth of the now iconic Santa figure.

Recent “revisionist” history – probably closer to the truth – suggests that the image of Santa Claus evolved over time culminating in the classic Santa in a 1931  Coca Cola ad.

1931 Coca Cola Advertisement

Some have suggested that the popular Santa icon is a symbol of American materialism.  I prefer to view him as a belly-full of joy and excitement that fuels the energy of children of all ages during the holiday season.  Nevertheless, I might suggest that in this age of over-indulgence, a Diet Coke would be more appropriate for our collective waistlines.

While the popular Santa figure continues to grace many Christmas cards as this example from William Arthur’s latest holiday collection demonstrates,  I believe that holiday greeting cards featuring Santa have greatly diminished in recent years.

William Arthur Christmas Card

I have no idea if this trend is similar in other parts of the country, but clearly the celebration of Christmas and the holiday season has become distinctly less frivolous if this year’s selection of holiday greeting cards is any indication. While Santa greeting cards may not be quite as popular, the craftspeople and designers have been hard at work producing this year’s beautiful selection of Christmas cards, holiday greeting cards and stunning new photo cards.   Greeting cards and photo cards continue to be the perfect way to share your family’s news with friends this holiday season.

Visit a stationery store in your neighborhood to see this year’s selection of inspired Christmas cards and creative holiday greeting cards.  Better yet, act now and take advantage of many sales promotions for holiday cards.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

As those who have followed my Blog posts know, I have long felt that the resolution of  glossy or matte photographs developed in a photo store are generally superior to  imprinting digitally directly on card stock.    This should not be surprising, since these photographs use high-tech developing equipment under consistent printing conditions and are printed on papers that were specifically developed for this  process.  Digital photography, on the other hand,  is more complicated because of the far greater variety of monitor resolutions, printer settings, ink colors and the papers on which your photograph is printed.  Nevertheless, digital printing is quickly closing the gap and in some cases it may prove to be the best option for this year’s holiday photo card.

One firm whose printing  and designs have generated a strong response from early-bird holiday photo card shoppers  is Tag & Co.  Tag & Co. provides a variety of different design options for your photograph(s) on a simple but elegant card.  While the  size of the photograph digitally imprinted on the card is generally smaller than the standard 4″x 6″ photograph, the resolution of the photograph and the beautifully designed setting work together in great harmony.  Clearly, a lot of thought and technical precision has gone into these beautifully crafted holiday photo cards.

Tag & Co. Holiday Photo Card Sample

Tag &. Co. holiday photo cards are flat cards.  If you need to write a short message you can use the back of the card or enclose a newsletter.  In any event, the reproduction quality and Tag & Co. designs certainly make for an elegant photo card.

Tag &. Co. Holiday Photo Card

If you are looking for a quality Christmas photo card,  I would certainly recommend giving taking a look at Tag & Co.’s new holiday album.  As with all fine stationery and custom greeting cards, a visit to at Guild member store in your neighborhood is encouraged.

I have been closely following the evolution of digital photography and its impact on the holiday photo card industry.  For the most part, I have been quite disappointed with the poor resolution of digital images, particularly those that are mass-produced by commercial printers.   Furthermore, the holiday designs and motifs that often frame the holiday photograph are generally quite pedestrian.  The end result is a holiday photo card that often resembles a business flyer that does little justice to your family photograph.

At this year’s National Stationery Show, I had the opportunity to chat with David Evans of William Arthur, a leading designer of holiday photo cards.  David explained that William Arthur planned to extend the options available to its loyal clients by offering the same classy designs regardless of whether one uses photo mounts or digital imprinting.  As the image below suggests, William Arthur has been remarkably successful in maintaining their traditional high design standards while providing their clients with an exciting new array of printing options.

Digital Holiday Photo Card and Card with Photo Mounts

William Arthur’s Holiday 2009 photo album is broken down into three broad sections:  Digital, Transitional and Traditional.  Sample designs in the Traditional section use photo mount adhesives to mount a 4″x 6″ photograph directly on the card stock.  Clients can choose from a variety of holiday greetings and personalize the photo card with their family names. 

Sample photo cards from the Transitional Section can be printed digitally or with photo adhesives to mount your photographs directly on the personalized greeting card.  William Arthur has done a remarkable job maintaining the elegance of the photo frame to showcase your photograph regardless of which printing method you select.  From a casual glance, it is often difficult to determine whether you are looking at a digital image or the actual photograph.  Clearly, William Arthur has invested a considerable amount of time and energy to maintain this high standard of excellence.

William Arthur Digital Holiday Photo Card

While William Arthur makes it rather easy to work with both printing options, digital printing is far more complex.  Specifically, most digital photographs need to be cropped and often need some minor editing (i.e. “red eye”).  Furthermore, since you are printing digitally, you are no longer restricted to a limited number of ink colors.  While the end result may be easier since you don’t need to mount the photos on the greeting card, the design options require careful consideration and a not insignifcant investment of your time.

William Arthur holiday photo cards are definitely worth a look if you value excellence in design and execution.  We strongly encourage you to visit a qualified stationer in your neighborhood who can walk you many design options available from William Arthur’s delightful 2009 holiday photo album.

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild

Known for its distinctive style and playful designs, Lallie is one of the most sought after holiday card lines.  In fact, Lallie generally turns away all new orders well before the end of November.  This year, you can get a leg up on holiday stress for next year and save 20% by ordering now from their stunning 2008 Holiday Card Album.  This special promotion qualifies for all orders submitted by February 1st, 2009.  In addition, Lallie is also providing a free return address on all stationery orders in January.  Contact a Guild member store in your neighborhood who carries the Lallie line for more details.

This has been one of those “short” holiday seasons with only 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  With the downward spiral in the economy and the usual holiday stress, many of us have been hard-pressed to get our Christmas cards and holiday photo cards out on time.  As stationers, we are frequently asked ”when is the appropriate time to send out Christmas cards?”

I am not sure that there is a hard rule-of-thumb, but we generally recommend that you purchase your Christmas cards or holiday cards before the end of November.  Ideally, you should buy your personalized holiday cards in August and September when most Guild member stores offer promotional discounts.   While many believe that your card should arrive before Christmas, we have found that cards arriving after Christmas and well into the New Year have just as much significance.  In fact, the three Kings arrived 12 days after the birth of Jesus.

Three Kings from William Arthur

While this might strike some as over-rationalization, I maintain that it makes perfect sense.  Epiphany is celebrated as the “gifting holiday” in many parts of the world.  Furthermore, who has time to read the cards until after Christmas?  Why create additional stress for yourself on this most holy of holidays?   Sending Christmas cards and photo cards of your family should be a joyful occasion.  Give yourself an extra week or so to get your cards out and use the extra time to spend some meaningful time with your family.

Richard May
Founding Member