InfoVine Ink

New Postal Rates Announced

2011-10-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

USPS ADJUSTS MAILING SERVICES PRICES FOR 2012

PENNY INCREASE IN PRICE OF FOREVER STAMPS

Beginning early next year, customers will spend a penny more to mail letters to any location in the United States, the first price change for First-Class Mail stamps (Forever stamps) since May 2009. The new 45-cent price for Forever stamps is among price changes filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) yesterday.

Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 22, 2012, include:

Letters (1 oz.) – 1-cent increase to 45 cents
Letters additional ounces – unchanged at 20 cents
Postcards – 3-cent increase to 32 cents
Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.) – 5-cent increase to 85 cents.
Letters to other international destinations – 7-cent increase to $1.05

Learn More.

Solar Paper?

2011-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Imagine the possibilities of solar paper!

One more acronym to learn: NFC

2011-09-13T08:26:00.001-07:00

I thought it stood for National Football Conference, but you can tell where my mind is these days! NFC can also stand for Near Field Communication, which is a way to smart phones to interact with a variety of things, people and information. One of the most interesting is instant payments. Learn More.

Of football and LEGOs...two of my favorite things

2011-08-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

It started innocently with a conversation with a friend about football. We were talking about the virtual line on the field that shows where the first down is. Was there some sort of machine on the sideline that shot a laser beam (unseen by the human eye) across the field? No, it's something much more fun than that: Augmented Reality (AR). AR is adding (or augmenting) what the human eye sees with computer-generated inputs. Not to be confused with virtual reality, AR takes an everyday view and adds something to it. In football, you see the play just as someone in the stadium would, but with the addition of the yellow line. It's uses are becoming more common. In the print world, you can "hide" a code in an image and with an AR reader, generate something new. Think about it as a QR code of the next level. Check out what LEGO does in it's stores. An AR code is hidden in the box and when you take it to a kiosk, you get to see the finished product.

The 2012 stamps are coming!

2011-08-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

The post office has announced it's 2012 stamps at this link. Keep checking back as they will periodically release designs. I really like the Cherry Blossom one, what's your favorite?

Ikea Uses Every Inch of Space

2011-07-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Ikea "gets it" when it comes to printing. There is just something special about a catalog that you can touch, feel, steal (from a co-worker) and...measure. Check out the spine of this book, it incorporates a handy ruler. You can use it at home to do a quick measurement of a space and then head to the store to find something to fit it. Handy, indeed!

3D Printing. Yes, 3D!

2011-06-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a fascinating article on 3-D "printing". It is a rare thing for me to be speechless, but this is something just mind-blowing!

A Program to Remember

2011-04-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a copy of the Royal Wedding Program that will be used on the 29th for the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. It is a gorgeous piece of print work. We wish the young couple a very happy life together!

QR Codes Gone Wild

2011-03-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't a post about Spring Break, but rather on the changing face of QR (Quick Response) codes. I love to see them evolve and grow in usage. The ever "with-it man" Trevor Eade at matcor added a Microsoft tag to his business card that leads to not just a website but a video! I recently saw an ad for the Houston Symphony that featured a MS tag in color. Both are great examples of using QR codes to draw in your readers in new ways.

Touchdown in 3...2...1!

2011-03-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

I received an email the other day from Bed, Bath and Beyond. While I've subscribed to them for awhile, I admit that I subscribe to lots of emails (and delete a good portion without ever reading them). What caught my eye on this one is it told me to watch my mailbox for their next mailer -- and a special offer.

That very evening when I went home, the flyer (with a $5 coupon) was in my mailbox. And the next day, I made the 5-mile trip to the store to use it. These days it often takes a multi-pronged approach to reach consumers. And it works.

Yes You Still Need Business Cards

2011-03-04T06:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article on Yahoo! Finance on the importance of traditional business cards. What's been the most memorable card you've ever seen? Some of the best we've done have been on the Indigo 7000. For one customer (an architect) , our designer made a "marbled" card, incorporating a logo and a clean, traditional font. Simple, yet elegant.

Quick, Quick, Where Am I Going?

2011-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Quick Response (QR) codes are a growing trend. I was talking with a friend yesterday who said, "I just don't get it." A client of ours had recently designed an printed invitation to a golf tournament. On my iPhone, I used QRReader app (free one!) to take a picture of the code. Granted, I had to try twice (as my camera lens was filthy), but when it did work, it pulled up a map to the golf tournament. He was still skeptical, saying "why don't you just put a drawing of a map on the dang invite?" I then used my phone to route me there from my current location...and another QR fan was born!

QR codes - with a twist

2011-02-17T11:30:00.001-08:00

Check out these intersting QR (Quick Response) codes used as Valentine's Day stamps in the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Branding is nothing new

2011-01-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

Local Houston author and brand-specialist, David Falloure, takes a unique look at historical branding in his new blog, Brands in History. Drawing from ancient sources, he "translates" these military campaigns and looks at them through the lens of modern branding principles. Truly a good read!

American Fact Finder

2010-09-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Around here we love printing, but working with data runs a close second. While I wouldn't consider myself a "numbers person," I really enjoy population statistics. For me, numbers mean more when I know they represent something about a group or a population subset. The ultimate tool is the American Fact Finder, which uses census data to provide amazing amounts of data. Here's a snapshot of the zip code where we work. What does your zip code look like?

What's for Lunch?

2010-09-07T12:26:00.001-07:00

Here's an amazing story of how a restaurant used targeted direct mail to entice new customers. By using digital technology, the DM piece offered special coupons to potential new lunchtime customers. If you think a 24.5% response rate is good, read the rest here.

One of the best articles I have read in awhile

2010-08-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on " 7 Reasons Print Will Make a Comeback in 2011 "by Joe Pulizzi. I was just talking with a friend about companies only sending email communications. He said, "I get so much email now, the iPhone has made it even easier for me to delete emails without even opening them." It's time to re-think print!

Our New Sign

2010-07-01T12:53:00.001-07:00

We got a new sign today which will help folks find us a bit easier. Judy plays "Vana White" and proudly shows it off!

Indigo 4-to-1 marketing

2010-06-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like most about our new Indigo 7000 is how we can print four 6" x 9" postcard on one sheet. Each card not only has variable text, but variable images as well. Customization is the key to being heard in today's crowded market place. You've heard about 1-to-1 marketing, I call this 4-to-1!

Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet commemorative postage stamps announced

2010-05-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Postmaster General John E. Potter today unveiled the Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet commemorative postage stamps and announced the Stamps to the Rescue promotional campaign.

We love stamps, we love rescue pets, so we think this is perfect! Learn More.

Mix your media for success

2010-04-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

"...even Web-savvy young consumers like his daughters enjoy the idea of getting something in the mail addressed to them and are more than happy to respond, especially digitally...."

Here's an interesting article on how mixing your media - in this case, sending a targeted direct mail postcard with a internet call to action - makes a strong impact. Too often, business may think they can send one email and the customers will flock to them. If often takes mixed media for the message to be noticed.

Time to eat your font!

2010-04-08T09:34:00.001-07:00

So being in the business, I thought I knew everything about printing, typesetting, etc.... Let's see if you can guess the origin of the word "font." We use it almost everyday, but where did it come from?

a) Appropriated from Old French, vont is the third person verb meaning "to go", inferred to mean "to go across the page."

b) Italian, fonti meaning water (from a fountain) since water was used in early printing presses

c) Old French, fonte meaning something has been melted, since molten metal was used in early printing in type foundries.

I admit I got this wrong, but it is C...think of the word "fondue"....who knew?

Welcome our newest "staff member"

2010-04-05T12:18:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to our very own Mama Marlene, who gave birth today to a wonderful baby boy! Details coming soon!

Who Says Print is Dead

2010-03-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine in the printing business found this interesting article in the New York Times on Zappos. Zappos is traditionally an online e-tailer that has embraced catalogs with more success than their traditional online store presence. Marketing across all markets requires different media to reach different audiences. Print is not dead, it’s just different than what we’ve known in the past.

A Tale of Two Fonts

2010-03-25T07:43:00.001-07:00

We love anything to do with printing and consider ourselves to be somewhat of "font-geeks." This story on how changing fonts in an email can save ink (when printing) really made us laugh!

A little fun

2010-03-11T14:03:00.001-08:00

We took a moment to have a baby shower for our very own Marlene. As usual, the guys took the baby shower games very seriously and got competitive. Check out our Facebook page for more photos.

Not-so-junk mail

2010-03-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

In her Frugal Confessions blog, author Amanda Grossman makes a case for reading and keeping direct mail she gets. "...companies in the same line of work are competing for our business. This helps us out because typically they will undercut the price of offerings of each other, making the consumer the winner in the end. But this also helps us out because I can now use these mailings and advertisements as a negotiating tool to call up our current providers and talk them into giving us a more competitive price."

She goes on to state, " If your current cable, home phone, insurance company, etc. is more expensive than a similar offering from another company, take the opportunity to call up your provider and ask them to reduce their price…or you will walk. They may ask you to prove this competitor’s price, in which case you will have the proof in your mailbox. "

Smart words indeed. Read the full post here.

Alphabets

2010-03-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Today in 1956, the NATO Phonetic Alphabet was first used by the International Civil Aviation Organization to standardize airline pilot-to-tower communications. Not sure what this alphabet is? It's the familiar Alpha-Bravo-Charlie-Delta... system where each letter is represented by a word. What you may not know is that there were several previous versions, dating back to World War I. Previous alphabets were Apples-Butter-Charlie-Duf (what IS a duf?) or even Able-Baker-Charlie-Dog. What this tells us is that languages may change, so you need to continually adapt to be understood, whether it be the airport tower or your customer....

Successful Soup

2010-02-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard someone say "We don't need marketing, we can't even handle the sales we have." While having a lot of business right now is indeed a blessing, your competition is doing anything but sitting still.

"Marketing must be as natural and routine as making payroll, paying taxes, and taking out the trash," says marketing guru Lauron Sonnier. "You have to keep stirring the pot."

What the heck is a Picayune?

2010-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

We love talking about football, so when the Saints won the Superbowl, I went to nola.com, the official website of the New Orleans newspaper, the Times-Picayune. It got me thinking, just what is a picayune? At first I thought it was based on pica (say pie-kah), a unit of print size measurement (which is 1/6 of one inch). It turns out to something totally else, read more after the jump to Wikipedia.

The Deck is Dead....

2010-02-03T14:43:00.001-08:00

How many presentations have you been to where the well-meaning speaker gave you a photocopy of the PowerPoint presentation? The most effective use of PowerPoint is to present visual information to a group that backs up what the speaker is saying. So many times, you get a poorly-copied black & white version (or deck) of the presentation -- often stapled in the wrong corner (what’s up with that?) Many times you would dutifully cart it back to your office or cube or recycling bin….

We met with an existing client today and created a “leave-behind” presentation book. It contained the information that we shared in the meeting, plus some extras. It was very easy – and cost effective – to do and they seemed to really appreciate it. So next time, instead of a deck, think about what you want your audience to remember and leave that behind.

So What's with the Name?

2010-01-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

Our new press is an Indigo 7000, so of course someone asks me where does the "indigo" come from? I love Wikipedia and found out that "India is believed to be the oldest center of indigo dyeing in the Old World. It was a primary supplier of indigo to Europe as early as the Greco-Roman era. The association of India with indigo is reflected in the Greek word for the "dye", which was indikon (ινδικόν). The Romans used the term indicum, which passed into Italian dialect and eventually into English as the word indigo." There is also a neat animation of the inner workings of the machine.

Meet "Baby"

2010-01-21T10:54:00.001-08:00

Some people name their cars, some name their boats, and here at InfoVine we like to name our equipment. We've christened our new Indigo 7000 as "Baby." She prints faster, brighter - and best of all - more cost effectively than any digital offset printer. Baby is up and running and we invite you to stop by and see what she can do for you. (No gifts, please).

So much for the End of Direct Mail

2010-01-20T13:56:00.001-08:00

Spending on direct mail is expected to increase $1B from 2009 to 2010. This year an estimated $45.5 billion will be spent - with impressive results. For every dollar spent in non-catalogue direct mail, companies received $15.22 in return. That added up to $445.8 billion in 2009. And email? Only $26 billion.* See you at the Post Office!

* source: "Power of Direct", Direct Marketing Association study. Deliver magazine, Dec. 2009

Guess What It Is

2010-01-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

We are excited about our new Christmas present, but can you guess what it is?

a) Do-it-yourself jet engine

b) A new, turbo-charged Wheel of Fortune

c) An awesome slot machine from Vegas

d) A new machine in the InfoVine arsenal to help our customers communicate better, quicker and more cost-effectively (hint: pick this one)

The answer is d! Meet Houston's first HP Indigo 7000, an incredible advancement in digital offset printing. Stay tuned for more!

Happy Birthday Judy

2010-01-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

Didn't it seem like a long day coming back to work after the holidays? We were happy to take a short break and wish our own Judy a very Happy Birthday. She's so special to us that she got two cakes -- hence the "2.0" on the second cake.

End of the Line for 2009

2009-12-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

Another year has passed and on behalf of all of us at InfoVine, we thank you for your business and Happy New Year. Just wait to see what we've got planned for 2010!

From Santa

2009-12-28T11:18:00.000-08:00

We got a great present from Santa...but we can't tell you about it just yet....

Santa Claws

2009-12-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

The InfoVine folk are passionate about their causes. One of our favorite charities is Frisky Paws. It's a great group that helps dogs and cats transition from the BARC facility to new homes. This weekend, InfoVine employees Frank, Judy and Steve helped raise money by taking pictures with "Santa Claws" at a local PetSmart. A good time time was had by all and most importantly, money was raised.

InfoVine Holiday Party a Great Success

2009-12-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

We gathered again to share a meal and play our infamous version of white-elephant game. We take it very, very serious around here. Some of the gifts...were just a bit different....

I Think Our Christmas Present Just Got Here

2009-12-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

A big truck showed up today with a really big box on it. I wonder if it's our Christmas present?

Big Order

2009-12-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a shot taken a few minutes ago. One of my best customers needed some custom 9" x 12" window envelopes printed quickly. Ricky and Jerry pulled out all stops (and some of their hair) to get it done. Thanks guys!

Happy Birthday Dena!

2009-12-07T14:39:00.001-08:00

Our Dena Joy celebrated her birthday last week while she was on vacation. We never forget to clelebrate one of our own - especially if it involves food. The top photo shows a "Molly Cake," which looks like her dog. Happy Birthday Dena and thanks for all that you do for our customers and for us. Let's Eat!

It's just a business card, right?

2009-12-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

The business card as we know it has been around for so long, we sometimes take it for granted. It's small, portable, has a lot of information...and represents your brand. I admit, I'm a collector of business cards. I'll flip through my collection looking for someone, and I tend to notice that certain cards stand out more than others. Here are some things you might want to consider:

1) Size: ever thought about doing a size slightly smaller? Standard size is 2" x 3.5", but I've seen slightly smaller sizes such as 1 5/8" x 3". I've even seen one from a green-friendly company that was 2 1/4 x 2" (yes that's right). It says right on it "This card uses 35% less paper than the average business card."

2) Paper: You are proud of your business, show it. Why not use a heavier paper, maybe a 111# glossy cardstock. It'll sure last longer and it gives a good impression.

3) Orientation: maybe try a portrait (vertical) orientation rather than the traditional landscape one.

4) The back: I'm a big fan on white backs when I have something to write on them (where DID I meet this person, who do they know, etc.) However you could also argue that a white background is 50% wasted real estate...so the choice is yours. If you've got something compelling to say on the back, go for it.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. With the Christmas rush here, the dedicated InfoVine folks are here on Black Friday with the presses running full steam. Thanks guys and gals for working today, you are the best in the business.

Targeted marketing versus....

2009-11-19T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's a tendency to think if I print 5,000 direct mail pieces, 10,000 will get me twice the sales. That's not necessarily true. We find it's better to use targeted marketing and narrow your audience. Through cleaning up your mailing list to acquiring the right new prospects, you can actually print fewer pieces and get better results versus "spray and pray" innudation.

Postal Holiday

2009-11-11T07:19:00.000-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day, when we salute our heroes for service to their country. It's also a US Post Office Holiday, and it sometimes catches people off guard. Obviously Thanksgiving and Christmas will be mail-free as well (with some exceptions). Get ready for 2010 by knowing these postal holidays:

New Year’s Day – Friday, January 1st
Martin Luther King Day – Monday, January 18th
President’s Day – Monday, February 15th
Memorial Day – Monday, May 31st
Independence Day – Monday, July 5th (Since the 4th is a Sunday)
Labor Day – Monday, September 6th
Columbus Day – Monday, October 11th
Veterans Day – Thursday, November 11th
Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 25th
Christmas Day – Friday, December 24th

The Holidays Are Approaching...

2009-11-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Here in Houston, TX it is 76 degrees and sunny and the holidays seem far away. Looking at the calendar gives a different story. A little bit of planning goes a long way in ensuring that your direct mail and customer communications not only mail on-time, but stand out from the barrage of mail we all get during the holidays. Several of our customers are ahead of the pack in preparing holiday mailings, so let us help you spread good cheer - in a timely and effective manner!

Happy Birthday Frank!

2009-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Our great boss celebrates a birthday today. The team got together and threw him a party at lunch. We had some great Mexican food followed by cake, of course. Thanks for everything you do for us Frank, and Happy Birthday!

Stretch for a Good Cause

2009-10-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

We partnered with the good (and flexible) folks at Washington Pilates to produce a new calendar. Titled "Passions and Pilates 2010", a portion of each sale will go to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Each page features a striking photo of staff members, and each calendar page is prepopulated with holidays and other helpful information. This year, give a gift that helps others! Calendars are $20 each and are available at Washington Pilates, 2203 Washington Avenue, east of Sawyer Ave. (281) 352-5791.

Our Home

2009-10-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

We've been in the Heights for about five years now, on 23rd Street, west of Shepherd. Just like the rest of the neighborhood, it's seen a lot of change over the years, but still has a unique feel to it. We share our building with the good folks at Pennebaker. They have the top floor and we have most of the bottom, about 100,000 square feet.

From Whence We Came

2009-10-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

The name InfoVine marries two thoughts. One obviously is "information" and the second (vine) is how we connect not only to our customers, but how we help them connect. I didn't know that vine is also the name of the street where our first office was located. It's a huge old warehouse north of downtown Houston. It's now home to FotoFest and next to the new UH Downtown building. The new metro light rail North Line will run past it.

All About Us

2009-10-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the InfoVine blog! Our company helps organizations grow by providing communication services, techniques and tools. We do traditional and digital printing, with expertise in variable data and mail services (yes, "we speak postal...fluently!")

Thanks for visiting and stop by from time to time and see what we do!

Thanks, Steve.