When Ty was about four years old he did something that every parent fears. He was watching TV in the living room while I was nearby in the kitchen making dinner. Earlier I had lit a candle, and without thinking about it, left it burning when I went to the other room. So Ty, being … Continue reading »
Filed under Printing …
American Printer ~
As of September 2011, American Printer ceased publication. This is the last statement in the footnote of the It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday blog from the American Printer editor, Katherine O’Brien. The death of our industry magazine is just another slam on the printing industry and it makes me sad. Don’t misunderstand, … Continue reading »
Changes ~
Word is out on the street; things are changing at Ussery Printing. Change makes most of us uncomfortable, even when it’s for the best. The discomfort arises out of not knowing what will happen next. New people are coming on board from the recent closing of Padgett Printing and we’re full of anticipation to see … Continue reading »
Simplicity ~
At the beginning of every year I buy a new spiral bound calendar. It sits on my desk during working hours where I use it to schedule appointments, lunch dates and make note of things to do. I use it to remember anniversaries, birthdays and party plans. I schedule my doctor and dentist appointments and … Continue reading »
Rusty Nails…
Our lack of rain means the water levels at our area lakes are pretty low this year. Since the water is so low, we’ve been able to place our chairs further out on the beach that would normally be covered with water. We couldn’t help but notice an area on the beach that was darker … Continue reading »
Back to Basics…
I’ve made a decision that for the month of May I’m going to focus more on getting back to basics. I’m feeling overwhelmed again and when I feel overwhelmed I’m not that productive. I like to be productive, so when I’m not, I get frustrated and the cycle begins again. I’m feeling a bit like … Continue reading »
My Candy Store ~
When Ty & I walk into a bookstore, this is what he does: he’ll walk just inside the door, inhale a big breath of air, turn to me with a smile and say, “this is my candy store.” As a mother and a printer, I couldn’t be more proud. I know he won’t be a … Continue reading »
Winter Weather ~
A lot of people wait until the very last moment to get their important job to the printer. So, what happens when a winter storm hits and the city shuts down? Do you have contingencies built into your production schedule for things that go wrong? What if I can’t get the paper because the major … Continue reading »
Hidden Treasures
My friend Gretchen and I love to wander around estate sales looking for hidden treasures. Neither one of us qualifies as shy when it comes to pawing through stuff some folks wouldn’t think to touch. We’ve scouted through many garages and even a backyard shed on one occasion. We’re not prissy girls. We like real … Continue reading »
QR Codes
QR Codes stand for quick response codes. To make this easier to explain, think of UPC Codes in the retail and grocery stores. We’ve grown so accustomed to these codes we barely notice them anymore. The codes are created for the retail stores so they’re able to quickly and efficiently scan the product information (and … Continue reading »
3-Dimensional
We’ve had some discussion around the office lately concerning web designers versus print designers. You might think the skill set for both would be the same, but that’s not necessarily true. Printers require the 3-dimensions of width, length, and depth to accurately assess how your job will run and how much it will cost to … Continue reading »
Go Ahead…Make The Call~
I’m not a perfect wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, or printer for that matter. As I watched the World Series the last few days I noticed a few incorrect calls. What do these umpires do after the world watches them make a mistake? Unlike football where the coach can throw in a flag to … Continue reading »
Where Did The Time Go?
I can’t believe the month of October is nearly over. Where did the time go? I don’t normally write at 6am on a Saturday but I can’t sleep. I’m sitting here in a cool house with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. Everyone else is still soundly sleeping. I would rather still be sleeping too. … Continue reading »
My First…
My first CCN job printed last week and it turned out very well. CCN stands for Color Control Network that consists of proprietary software and inks. Try selling that when you don’t really know exactly what the process will produce. It took a bit of a leap of faith on the part of the end … Continue reading »
What if…
What if you could double the number of online buyers simply by using catalogs? This is the title of a brochure printed by the United States Postal Service. (lol…at first I typed United States Poster Service.) Anyway, this brochure came in the mail awhile ago, but it was so well done (design and print) and … Continue reading »
Our Changing World~
I slept 11 hours last night and I’m almost embarrassed by this admission. But I was exhausted from the stresses of this last week; knowing the owners and management team were facing decisions that keeps them up at night, keeps me up at night too. Some co-workers lost their jobs yesterday to keep company costs … Continue reading »
CCN Printing~
Ussery Printing is now equipped with the tools to print with CCN (Color Control Network) high-density 4/color inks. Our 628 Mitsubishi and 640 Heidelberg presses have gone through CCN’s software requirements to effectively and routinely print and deliver the high fidelity 4/color printing that will make your product shots pop off the page without compromising … Continue reading »
Girls Who Print…
Mary Beth Smith started Girls Who Print as a group on LinkedIn. This community has now grown to over 1100 connections, mostly women, but some men (we’re not an exclusive bunch.) Since Mary Beth is a Dallasite, the very first get-together is scheduled here in Dallas for Tuesday, June 29th. Yippee! Since I’m a Dallasite … Continue reading »
File Preparation / bleeds
Who wants to talk about file preparation…specifically bleeds? Let’s talk. The internet is full of quality information on preparing files for printing. But, we understand that it’s very difficult to decipher all the information just to find the one little piece of information you need before you release your files to the printer. I’m going … Continue reading »
What do you want?
Really. What are your objectives? Why is printing typically thought of as a commodity? Why aren’t printers ideas included in the conceptual presentation? Printing costs can be a significant part of your visual communications budget. Shouldn’t the mechanical and artistic design take into account the costs to produce the piece? We can make a difference … Continue reading »
