The Stationers Guild

My recent Blog post on DIY wedding invitations prompted a good bit of feedback – mostly positive.  On the negative side, several people accused me of self-promotion or worse and felt I had a bias against “people doing their own thing.”  I am sorry I gave that  impression.  Quite the contrary, I was just trying to save people time, money and, quite possibly, much aggravation and embarrassment.   For those interested in “doing their own thing,” all I can say is “Go for it!”  Hopefully, my tips may keep your blood pressure in check until after the wedding.

In a not too unusual situation of DIY invitations gone awry, I present The Case of the Crooked Envelope.    It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes too much time to determine that grievous harm has come to this very attractive envelope (certainly looks like Crane & Co. was the victim this time around).   

 ”I say Watson, who defaced this lovely celadon (light green) wedding invitation envelope?”  

 ”Elementary, my dear Holmes,” responded Dr. Watson, “this otherwise lovely creation in 100% cotton paper by Crane & Co. was mutilated by a commercial printer.”  

Holmes, evidently surprised at Watson’s astute observation asked, “How can you be so confident?”

“Only a commercial printer would print on a straight line and then try to convince the client that the envelope was crooked,” responded a confident Watson. 

“Well said,” said a particularly jovial Holmes.  “I guess we can just mail this case into Scotland Yard.”

“Lovely pun, Holmes! I do so admire your skewed sense of humor,” laughed Watson and both men chuckled as they departed the crime scene.

For the bridal couple, this is no laughing matter.  Imagine ordering lovely wedding invitations and then – trying to save some time and money - have the envelopes mangled by a  commercial printer.  The fact of the matter is that most commercial printer are simply not equipped to print on heavy paper stock and certainly not on envelopes that have been lined.  

Again, we recommend that you plan wisely and consult with a qualified stationer in your neighborhood for proper advice.  Most stationers have highly calibrated equipment to print on heavy paper stock.   In fact, most qualified stationers would have recommended that State abbreviations be spelled out.  In this case “WI” should be Wisconsin.  Proper etiquette is free at qualified stationers.  

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

If you are seeking engraved stationery, now might be a good time to drop into your neighborhood stationery store to take advantage of Crane’s signature event engraving die sale.  Order 100 or more engraved cards, notes or stationery and receive you name or monogram die and return address die for free.  This is a savings of $96 and those dies are your to keep so you continue to save money on future stationery reorders.  Personalized stationery is a great gift for this Valentine’s Day.  Alternatively,  you may receive a free return address on thermographed personalized stationery on orders of at least 100 sets.  This sale ends on April 12, 2010.

Crane & Co. has one of the most extensive lines of stationery in the industry and this 200-year privately owned company is renowned for its close-registration engraving, beautiful cotton papers and strong customer service.  When purchasing stationery, we strongly recommend visiting an experienced stationer in your neighborhood to touch and feel the paper stock and see how ink colors change depending on the printing process used.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

I heard recently from a fellow stationer that one of her clients had complained that a blind embossed store name on the underside of the envelope flap of a wedding invitation was “cheap” and “overly promotional.”  First of all, blind embossing is not cheap as it requires an additional printing pass and; secondly, while promotional, it is generally regarded within the industry as a symbol of  stationery excellence.

We were both surprised at the client’s reaction considering the fact that she was dressed from head to toe in brand-name merchandise and drives a conspicuously branded automobile.   Perhaps it was a bad hair day, but to complain about a store name blind embossed on the inner flap of an envelope is akin to complaining about a hallmark on a sterling silver frame.

I know of few companies who provide this fast-disappearing touch of stationery excellence.  Although it is not widely known, Crane & Co. still provides this lovely service.  If you are fortunate to receive a letter with a store-imprint on the envelope flap, you can be assured that the sender appreciates fine stationery.

Sheila P. May
Thérèse Saint Clair

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.

As a stationer, I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of business cards.  Most people have a pretty clear idea of what information they want displayed on a business card, but seek advice from their stationer on card stock, ink colors and how to layout the information on a business card.

There are no fixed rules when designing a business card; however, I believe that a well-crafted business card is probably one of your most important public relations investments.  The business card should create a positive first impression when you hand your card to the recipient.  The paper stock, printing process, ink colors and well-designed layout says as much about you as a person as it does your business.

While there are many online print shops that offer “free” and inexpensive business cards using pre-designed templates, I have found their offerings to be quite unappealing.  Their paper stock is of poor quality and many online companies can’t even seem to print in a straight line.  It is painfully obvious when someone presents you a business card that has been produced by one of these discount printers. 

From my perspective, three things are important for a well-designed business card.  First, and most importantly, is the card stock.  The standard paper weight for most business cards is 64# (sixty-four pounds weight).   While I believe that 96# makes for a far more substantial business card, many people prefer the standard weight.  Crane & Co. offers many different card stock weights and paper colors to choose from and is often a very good choice for business cards.   I strongly recommend that you contact a Stationers Guild store in your neighborhood to see and feel the various options in person. 

Secondly, use a consistent layout for your business card incorporating no more than two font styles.  For instance, if your business letterhead is “right-adjusted” try to maintain that symmetry in your business card.  A consistent image promotes brand recognition.  

Finally, print your card using engraving or thermography.  While engraving is considerably more expensive, colors are opaque and crisp.  Thermography is a resin-based ink which is baked on the business card to simulate engraving.  It is a less expensive alternative to engraving, but still creates raised-print.  Letterpress is also emerging as a very appealing alternative to the traditional engraved business card.  

The Stationers Guild website has a Frequently Asked Questions on Business Stationery section that contains much useful information to help you design your business stationery.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

A recent Blog article called my attention to some advice given by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette Expert for Martha Stewart, on whether bridal couples should send E-Vites for a Wedding.   Ms. Hohlfeld, blindly jumping on the “save-a-tree” bandwagon, acknowledged that she was “firmly against using e-mail for something as momentous as a wedding invitation.”  Nevertheless, she added that “putting a website URL on the lower left corner of your invitation would . . . save paper on your end.”  As an etiquette adviser to Martha Stewart, Ms. Hohlfeld should know that putting a website URL on an invitation is not only improper etiquette but is also quite TACKY.

Look, I have no issue with people sending out email invitations to save money.  Nevertheless, to justify sending an e-Vite on ecological grounds is either stupid, deceptive or simply dishonest.   First and foremost, many quality wedding invitations are printed on paper made from cotton and not wood fiber.    In fact, Crane & Co. has been printing paper from cotton (a renewable crop) and cotton rag from textile mills (recycled cotton) for over 200 years.  Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why Ms. Stewart decided to partner with Crane & Co. to launch her new line of Martha Stewart wedding invitations.  Perhaps, Ms. Hohlfeld should consult Ms. Stewart and ask her whether she would like to see a URL at the bottom of her invitation.

Secondly, the “save-the-tree” war cry of environmental righteousness is simply a banal sound-bite probably concocted by online email advocates like AOL and eVite to justify their services as “green.”  I think we all know the expression that if you repeat the same sales pitch or lie and nobody questions it, overtime people will believe it to be true.  Wake up wantabe environmentalists, it’s a hoax!  Most serious paper companies like William Arthur and many others source and produce papers made from wood fibers using the highest “green” standards.  In fact, harvesting wood may be beneficial rather than detrimental to the environment, according to  David Foster director of the Harvard Forest Project.

Martha Stewart Weddings

Thirdly, if Ms. Hohlfeld honesty believed what she was saying, she would most certainly recommend to Ms. Stewart that she immediately cease the publication of Martha Stewart Weddings in the interests of saving a forest, not simply a tree.  Or how about the fact that the average PC user consumes 28 pieces of paper a day.  Should we simply abolish PCs to save a tree?   Ms. Hohlfeld and others who promote themselves as experts should take the time to seriously research issues before simply repeating self-serving slogans that have little basis in fact.  Civility and good taste would be far better served by “Etiquette Editors” who understood the difference between etiquette and a sales pitch.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) in conjuction with Crane & Co. introduced a new wedding invitation line at last week’s National Stationery Show.  A suite of 24 invitation suites together with a brochure were distributed to Crane and Co.’s dealers late last week.   The new line was officially launched by Martha Stewart and Charles Kittredge, CEO of Crane & Co. on May 18th at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center in New York.

Martha Stewart & Charles Kittredge

The new line was prominently displayed at the Crane & Co. booth at the National Stationery Show.  The 24 invitation suites are comprised on invitations, save-the-date cards, response cards and supporting pieces in a range of attractive styles.  The collection is made from all-cotton tree-free and certified recycled papers. 

Martha Stewart at Crane & Co. Display

Crane dealers now have samples of the 24 invitation suites together with a brochure describing each style in more detail.  In a marked departure from previous releases by Crane & Co., prospective bridal couples may also download the Martha Stewart Wedding brochure (a pdf file, which requires a free download from Adobe Acrobat Reader) from the Crane & Co. website.

This attractive new line reaffirms Crane & Co.’s stylish design capabilities coupled with Martha Stewart’s characteristic good taste.  Found below are a couple of samples that may be found in Martha Stewart Stationery Weddings brochure:

Baluster Edge Wedding Suite

Crown Ecru Wedding Invitation Suite

Paper is a tactile experience and we encourage bridal couples to see the Martha Stewart Stationery Weddings samples at a Guild member store in your neighborhood.

Sarah Schwartz, the talented editor of Stationery Trends magazine, gave two standing-room only presentations at the National Stationery Show last week.  The topic was Stationery Trends for 2009.  There was so much useful and practical information crammed into Sarah’s colorful presentation that it was sometimes difficult to keep pace with her rapid-fire overview of 2009 stationery trends.  With apologies to Sarah for missing something significant, I would like to comment briefly on the six key themes highlighted in her presentation.  I am doing so without graphics since I don’t want to overload the server.

Trend 1 - The Value Proposition:  Clearly, the economic recession has had a marked impact on consumer purchasing decisions.  There were numerous examples of companies offering different printing alternatives (flat-printing or lithography vs. letterpress) to provide more affordable options for the consumer.  Along that same line, several companies were offering less expensive substitutes.  For instance, Demby and Solomon have an attractive line of return address stickers rather than the generally more expensive printed envelope.

Trend 2 – Colors to Covet:  Purple is emerging as a “hot” new color.  Orange and yellow have been around for several years and both remain popular choices for today’s young consumer.  Gray features in many upscale designs.

Trend 3 – New vs. Old Patterns:  Several companies have created a modern twist on old patterns.  For instance, Elum Designs has created some truly contemporary stationery letterpress designs using old patterns.  Lucky Onion is another company that comes to mind that is producing some “hip” invitations using traditional designs.

Trend 4 – The Perfect Green Storm:  Many companies are offering Eco-friendly stationery or invitation papers.  Playing the “green” card has become quite fashionable.  I did give the papers made from elephant dung a pass, but Night Owl Paper Goods has some attractive greeting cards and invitations made from wood.

Trend 5 – Designer Cachet:  A number of fashion trend-setters have added their name to stationery and invitation lines.  Vera Wang branches into new territory with the debut of Wedding Invitations II in June.  This follows Vera’s very successful Wedding Invitations I with William Arthur in 2005.  Martha Stewart has partnered with Crane & Co. to produced a line of 24 wedding invitation styles.  Lilly Pulitzer, MOMA and several others are adding their own distinctive touch to new stationery and invitation lines.

Trend 6 – Design Trends:  Sarah cited so many design trends that I will only highlight a few.  Animal prints (particularly wild animals), birds and butterflies are popular across many invitation lines.  Cityscape patterns found in Lallie and Faux Designs are also proving to be quite popular.  For me, the most distinctive trend was the introduction of texture into the design process.  Lattice, lace, damask and toile were evident across may lines and in some cases, like the new Vera Wang wedding invitation line, were the most riveting feature of the stationery ensemble.   Personalization, through monograms or names, continues to a growing trend in stationery.

Sarah seminar is clearly a must-see for those who are looking for something new and distinctive.  While the National Stationery Show was somewhat smaller this year, I did manage to discover 10 new companies that were not on my initial target list.  Thanks Sarah for a great introduction to this year’s National Stationery Show.

Sheila May, the owner of Therese Saint Clair, writes that “business stationery is the simplest, most obvious and  cost-efficient advertising, marketing and public relations vehicle your business will ever use.”  Sheila goes on to say “Hand someone your business card and you are handing someone your brand, your identity and your professional credibility.  What you are on paper is what you are instantly perceived to be in business.”

In his book, The Etiquette Advantage in Business, Peter Post writes “business stationery is a form of public relations.”  We often say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and many business relationships begin with the simple exchange of business cards.  Says Sheila, “it’s surprising to see how little time business people spend on designing a proper suite of stationery.  They are often shocked to see the difference that fine stationery can make:  it’s like giving your business a fresh coat of paint.”

While Crane & Co. remains a popular choice for business stationery, many fine paper companies have greatly expanded their business offerings.  In particular, we have noted that a number of fashionable invitation designers now have now expanded their calling card and business card lines.  We recently received samples of letterpress business cards from Oblation that are simply stunning and quite well-priced.

If your business stationery could use a facelift, we strongly recommend contacting a Stationers Guild store in your neighborhood.  Also, we would encourge you to consult the Stationers Guild website which has some excellent advice on designing your business stationery.

Now through June 1, 2009, Crane & Co. will be offering customers who purchase 75 or more personalized invitations, announcements, or stationery, 25 additional pieces free of charge.  This promotion is good on all personalized purchases from any of the Crane customization albums. 

Personalized stationery is a great gift for graduations, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.  Contact an experienced Guild member store in your neighborhood and take advantage of this great promotional offer from Crane.