OUR COVER
We’re Moving! As we celebrate our 70th year as a familyrun company, we’re excited to announce Shawmut will be moving to its forever home this summer.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2021 Commercial Postal Rate Sheet
Our new space will give us the freedom to expand our services as needed to better serve our clients. We’re moving just down the street, from Danvers to nearby Peabody, so our hometown values won’t be changing any time soon.
CELEBRATING 70 YEARS IN BUSINESS
WE’RE MOVING! VOL. 11, ISSUE 1, 2021 Shawmut Communications Group | shawmutdelivers.com
We’ll still be the same Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) certified printer you know and love, but in a whole new space! We can’t wait to show you!
RESOURCES
Here to Help On our website, you’ll find information on past and upcoming educational events as well as resources related to marketing, print, direct mail, and design. LEARN • U pdated USPS Postal Rates and Postal Promotions for 2021 • G uides to help you navigate wide format substrates, the print quote process, and designing for print • G uides for leveraging the power of variable data for fundraising campaigns CREATE • Downloadable dielines and templates to give you a jump-start on your next project • H oliday card templates to make the busy winter season a little easier • O ur equipment list, constantly updated to reflect Shawmut’s latest in-house capabilities SHOP • S hop our Events & Trade Show Catalog and our wide selection of promotional products
shawmutdelivers.com/ resources
Looking for inspiration? Check out Our Work on our website! This area features some stand-out print and marketing projects and highlights our creative community. It’s a great way to get ideas for your next project and see some of Shawmut’s award-winning production techniques.
shawmutdelivers.com/our-work
WELCOME
A Fresh Start To call 2020 a tough year would be an understatement. The global COVID-19 pandemic endangered people’s health and hurt many small businesses. While it was a trying year, it’s not without silver linings. We spent more time with family, played more board games, binged a lot of TV, and took up viral hobbies like baking sourdough bread. On the business front, small companies continued to innovate and find creative ways to help clients and drive revenue. At Shawmut, we created personalized postcards to send during quarantine, ran our wide format printers overtime to handle large-scale COVID-19 signage orders, and launched a holiday giving campaign that resulted in a $1000 donation to a local food pantry.
That’s no small feat, especially during a pandemic. But that’s what small businesses do. They fight through the hard times and become stronger in the end. In the spirit of positivity, we decided to resurrect Tactics and focus this issue on wide format printing. Wide format printing can create a variety of signage, which is obviously in high demand right now, but it can also give a brand the chance to produce something truly creative. And right now, creativity is what we all need to propel us into a better year. So, without further ado, we hope you enjoy this issue of Tactics as it makes its return from a year-long hiatus. To mark a new year, we’re featuring our new print facility on the cover and hope it inspires you to look at 2021 with a renewed sense of hope. Enjoy the issue!
While the future may feel uncertain, many companies, including our own, have great things on the horizon. This year, our family-owned company will celebrate its 70th year in business and transition into a new state-of-the-art facility.
Michael Peluso President
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WHAT’S SO AWESOME ABOUT WIDE FORMAT PRINTING? OUR IN-HOUSE GURU EXPLAINS
Wide format printing gives commercial printers the ability to print large items on cool materials. We’ve created some pretty unique items for our clients, which our in-house expert will tell you all about.
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CREATING SIGNAGE IN A COVID WORLD: HOW ONE UNIVERSITY PREPARED A local university needed 89,000 signs printed and installed in 317 buildings and it was all done in one month. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the project and how Shawmut’s wide format printers churned out all of the signage necessary.
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5 DESIGN TIPS FOR WIDE FORMAT AND DISPLAY GRAPHICS Planning to create display graphics for your brand? If so, these five tips from our Creative Director will ensure your wide format project is designed for success and is printed perfectly.
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CREATING WIDE FORMAT PROJECTS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND Can you create large-scale projects that are eco-friendly? You might not think so. However, by choosing the right product and the right printer, brands can produce amazing pieces with a minimal VOL. eco-footprint. 11, ISSUE 1, 2021 Shawmut 1
What’s So Awesome About Wide Format Printing? Our In-House Guru Explains Wide format printing isn’t
sexy. It’s not part of any trendy TikTok challenges or going viral on social. To many people, wide format printing is about as fun as watching C-SPAN at the dentist’s office. But most people aren’t Chris Keshishian. Chris Keshishian is the Director of Wide Format Services at Shawmut. He oversees a small fleet of car-sized printers that churn out some of the most unique pieces that we print.
What is wide format printing? For those who aren’t immersed in the world of paper, print, and production, wide format printing gives commercial printers the ability to print large things like banners, posters, signs, and point-of-sale displays. Wide format printing isn’t just about printing large things that
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your office printer can’t, it’s also about printing on different substrates, or materials. Wide format machines can print on common materials like vinyl or cardboard and on less common materials with funky names like Gatorboard (ideal for point-of-sale displays) and Foamcore (great for indoor signage).
Our wide format guru explains what we can do To Keshishian, this world of wide format printing is anything but boring. He has dedicated 45 years of his life to the print industry. This is a guy who takes such pride in his work that he got up at 3am to create a list of less expensive substrates for a client.
A branded yoga mat printed in-house he said. “I tossed and turned that night and wound up out of bed in the middle of the night. I had some new substrate suggestions for the client and I wanted to write them down.” As it turned out, the client loved the suggestions and wound up saving a good chunk of change too—all because Keshishian knows his craft. This is a guy who spends hours reading War and Peace-sized manuals to learn a new machine inside and out. When Shawmut invested in a high-quality wide format printer, a swissQprint Impala 3, known simply as “The SwissQ” in our shop, it was Keshishian who learned how to print on different materials, use toy-safe ink, and how to work with its varnish channel.
“We created a quote for a client that “A lot of commercial printers have needed a large number of signs, machines that print pretty pictures, but I thought we could do better,” but the SwissQ sets us apart,” he Chris Keshishian is Shawmut’s Director of Wide Format Services and is responsible for helping clients produce large format presentation graphics, trade show displays, and other experiential graphics and signage. Chris graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Print Management and Technology.
said. Keshishian estimates just 5% of commercial printers in the US have this versatile machine. “This machine can print dimensional mailers, simulate braille, tackle short-run packaging with ease, and print prototypes,” Keshishian said. “It can even simulate dimensional brushstrokes.” The abilities of the SwissQ are impressive. Much like a sports car, this printer is fast, fancy, and efficient. But it’s not the only wide format machine under Keshishian’s watchful eye. The HP Latex L360 and Epson 9900 are also part of the fleet. Much like the family minivan, these two printers are solid and dependable. Rounding out the fleet is the Zund G3 Cutting System, which is the shop’s work truck with its ability to cut, route, and score a wide variety of materials.
Productivity and opportunity have soared The SwissQ arrived on Shawmut’s shop floor just a few months ago, but Keshishian says the shop is 5x more efficient with this machine running. The increased efficiency translates into two benefits for customers. First, turn-around time is faster. Second, clients can print things they couldn’t before.
Shawmut’s 4 Most Common Wide Format Applications • Presentation graphics • Wall and floor graphics • Murals • Short-run dimensional mailers
“When a client comes to Shawmut with an idea, we want to execute it,” Keshishian said. “This machine gives us the ability to do that. I don’t think there’s anything we can’t print.” Recently, that theory was put to the test. When a client asked if Shawmut could create branded yoga mats, the answer was yes. Before the SwissQ, this creative idea wouldn’t have been possible. With the SwissQ, and the help of a wide format sensei, the project was a success. “There’s one thing people should know about wide format printing,” Keshishian said, “We’re only limited by imagination.” Essentially, if you can dream it, Shawmut can print it. That’s what’s so awesome about wide format printing.
Shawmut’s newest wide format press, the swissQprint Impala 3
VOL. 11, ISSUE 1, 2021
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Creating Signage in a COVID World: How One University Prepared There is no such thing as a typical college experience this year. However, despite the pandemic, just 10% of colleges in the nation decided to go fully remote. Most universities, 83% in fact, decided to offer a mix of in-person and remote classes, according to a survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
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Boston University was part of that majority. The school decided to reopen its campus for fall semester with three big changes in place. First, the university set up an on-campus testing center where students, faculty and staff could go for rapid testing. Second, the school implemented flexible class offerings that let students decide which classes to take in-person and which to take online. And third, the school set up strict safety protocols to safeguard
the 40,000 members of the BU community, which includes mandatory masks, social distancing, submitting a daily symptom check, and full-scale safety signage across its 317 buildings.
Shawmut helps with signage and installation Jeff Hoseth, senior project manager for major projects at Boston University’s Planning, Design, and Construction Department, was part of the team tasked with creating and installing COVID signage across three different campuses.
“Like many places, we implemented new rules and regulations as a result of COVID so we needed a variety of different signs to quickly educate students and staff about those new rules.” From signage that reminds people to wear a mask to directional floor graphics that manage the flow of traffic, Hoseth and his team needed thousands of signs to inform and comfort people on campus. “The project was quite large in size and scope,” he said. “And we had about 45 days to get the signs printed and installed on campus to prepare for the arrival of students in August.” Hoseth tapped three vendors to complete the projects, one of which was Shawmut. “The entire process was seamless,” Hoseth said. “The sales team [at Shawmut] kept me in the loop every step of the way.” In total, Shawmut printed 89,000 signs on its fleet of wide-format printers, placed them in buildingspecific kits, and helped install signage on various buildings.
A cost-savings suggestion The team at Boston University had several different substrates picked out to print the signs on, includuding white acrylic and aluminum. However, Shawmut’s Director of Wide Format Services, Chris Keshishian, had some different suggestions.
“When Boston University placed their order, I couldn’t sleep that night,” Keshishian said. “I wanted to find better substrates that were durable, affordable, and could be turned around quickly.” In the middle of the night, Keshishian got out of bed to jot down some alternative substrates, which included PVC instead of acrylic and MaxMetal instead of aluminum. The next day, Keshishian spoke with the sales team and they pitched the ideas to Hoseth. “Shawmut’s new substrate suggestions saved us quite a bit of money and the material was more readily available, which kept the project on track,” Hoseth said. “That’s one of the benefits of working with an experienced commercial printer, you get to tap into—and benefit from—their years of experience.”
Looking ahead If there’s one consistent theme that stems from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that everyone must be willing to adapt. Like so many universities across the nation, Boston University has introduced a series of new safety measures and COVID signage, but there may be more changes to come. “We are all hopeful that a vaccine is coming, but right now we’re planning to keep the signs up for up to two years,” Hoseth said. “We want to be as prepared as possible, even though dealing with this virus is a very fluid situation.”
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Use vector artwork where possible
To make sure an image isn’t blurry or pixelated, it’s important to use the right kind of artwork. Vector graphics are based on mathematical formulas, not pixels, so there is no degradation of image quality when images are blown up to the large sizes used by wide format. Ideally, you’ll deliver vector files (SVG, EPS, AI) to your printer. Let’s say your boss picked out a few stock photos that he wants added to signage. You can use raster artwork (JPEG, TIFF), but you must purchase the largest image size you can to minimize pixelation.
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Watch your crossovers
While COVID-19 has paused many trade shows, now is a great time to create new displays for future events. Trade show booths often feature a series of vertical panels hung left to right. A crossover is an instance of text or other artwork that extends across multiple panels, and must therefore be precisely matched up when your booth is assembled. Artwork that extends across multiple panels can look amazing, but it can also be tedious to put in place. To save yourself some installation time, try to cut down on complicated crossovers, or eliminate them altogether.
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Consider your viewing distance
How far away are people from your graphic? Wide format artwork is sometimes viewed from a distance, like a road sign that’s viewed from a moving car. Sometimes it’s viewed in pieces, like a mural that stretches the length of a hallway. During the design process, you have to keep viewing distance in mind. If you want people to see your message from a distance, choose a larger, bolder font and be mindful of message placement. If customers have a shorter viewing distance, like at a trade show, consider placing key elements at eye level, or 60" from the center of your message to the floor.
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Margins and bleeds
Many wide format projects require extra space around the edges for many reasons. A hanging banner needs adequate margins (clear space around your text and graphics) to allow for seams and grommets for hanging. A pop-up banner needs extra space at the top and bottom to accommodate the stand. Margins play a big role in the overall look and functionality of your design.
Bleeds play a role too. Usually, print designers will allow for 1/8 inch of bleed, but wide format printing often requires more space (1/2 inch or more) to ensure a clean cut on a variety of substrates. Without proper bleeds, the piece could have extra white space, be misaligned, or even cut incorrectly. It’s always best to speak with your printer to get the specifics so you can design accordingly.
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Simple is best
Remember, your audience may only spend seconds looking at your artwork. If you’re only given a few seconds, you need to make them count. Keep your messaging brief and memorable. Store banners, for example, aren’t full of text and images. They’re simple and to the point. Boil your message down to its simplest form and create a clear call to action. Display graphics are meant to be attention-grabbers, they’re not meant to convey an entire sales pitch.
Annalise Taber is Shawmut’s Creative Director and is responsible for turning our clients’ creative vision into reality. She is a versatile and experienced designer who works across print and digital channels to deliver exceptional visual communications. Her work includes direct mail, e-books, infographics, brochures, catalogs, websites, and more.
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Most people don’t associate wide format printing with the environment. In many cases, wide format projects are made out of durable material like plastic, which isn’t ideal for the planet.
Creating Wide Format Projects with the Environment in Mind
What many consumers don’t know is that there are eco-friendly alternatives that are strong, easy to print on, and are kind to the environment. Monadnock Paper Mills, a specialty paper mill on the banks of New Hampshire’s Contoocook River, has worked for years to create these materials. Shawmut and Monadnock have partnered to help clients use Monadnock’s eco-friendly materials and print them in a sustainable print facility. To see how wide format printing can be done with the environment in mind, we asked Al Bobst, Monadnock’s Director of New Business Development, a series of questions on the topic. What’s one of the biggest changes you’ve seen in wide format printing? We’ve seen many changes over the years, including the switch away from solvent based inks to UV and latex links. This change speaks to a larger shift in the industry, where the environment plays a more prominent role in the entire print process.
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Today’s consumers are more concerned about where a product comes from, how it’s made, and how it impacts the environment. How important has sustainability become to brands? Even during the pandemic, companies are maintaining their commitment to sustainability. These companies are marching forward with their green initiatives because it’s in their DNA to do so, and even a global pandemic can’t change that. How does Monadnock work to create eco-friendly materials? Being good stewards of the environment is at the forefront of every decision we make. It’s been that way since the Verney family purchased the mills in the ‘40s.
We work very hard to design and develop products for specific applications with the best environmental footprint possible. Plus, Monadnock is ISO 14001 certified, which is a rigorous environmental management system certification that’s earned by minimizing company-wide impacts on the environment. Can wide format printing be handled sustainably? There are durable products that we produce that are, in fact, eco-friendly. One of our renewable alternatives to vinyl or plastic signage is Envi Wallgrapics. This product, which contains 10% post consumer-waste fibers, can stick right to a wall. It’s made of water-activated adhesive so it applies directly to the surface
without any kind of pressure sensitive adhesive or release liner. It looks sharp, it’s easy to install and remove since it’s fully strippable, and it’s a better environmental choice than other wallcoverings. There are certainly ways to produce wide format projects with the environment in mind. How does the partnership with Shawmut help sustainably-minded clients? We have the resources to design and engineer eco-friendly materials and Shawmut has experience printing on our unique substrates within their Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) certified print facility. The partnership makes it easy for a client to get a project done without sacrificing their environmental principles.
Want to see our partnership for yourself? Request a sample today. We’ll show our kindness by mailing you one of our most effective campaigns.
shawmutdelivers.com/mpm
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4 Eco-Friendly Materials for Wide Format Printing Monadnock Paper Mills has several responsibly-sourced, eco-conscious materials that your brand or business can use to print large projects on while minimizing your eco-footprint. Here are several materials to consider: ENVISUAL® BOARD
ENVI WALLGRAPHICS
A paperboard with a range of thicknesses that’s ideal for signage
A pasted PVC-free alternative to vinyl wallcoverings for murals or decals
ENVI ULTRAFORM® BACKLIT POSTER
ENVI ULTRAHIDE® BLOCKOUT POSTER
A drop-in replacement to styrene for backlit and frontlit signage
A 100% opaque media for two-side printed signs and window graphics
FREE RESOURCE
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Commercial postal rates have changed for 2021! Tear out this handy guide and refer to it all year long.
VOL. 11, ISSUE 1, 2021
Commercial Postal Rate Sheet Commercial postal rates can have a big impact on your marketing budget. See how commercial rates are changing in 2021 and ways you can save on postage.
Delivery in 1–3 business days (not guaranteed)
Letters: Up to 3.5 oz
Mail formats Defined Letter
SERVICE
2020
2021
Automation 5 Digit (1 oz)
.391
.398
Automation AADC
.419
.428
Automation Mixed AADC
.439
.450
Presorted (Machinable)
.460
.460
Presorted (Nonmachinable)
.610
.660
MIN.
MAX.
LENGTH
5"
11 1/2"
HEIGHT
3 1/2" 6 1/8"
THICKNESS
.007"** 1/4"
HEIGHT
FIRST-CLASS MAIL
Not sure what these terms mean? Check out our helpful definitions on the next page.
LENGTH
Thickness must be .009" or more if more than 6" long, 4 1/4" high, or both.
**
Flat MIN.*
SERVICE
2020
2021
Automation 5 Digit (1 oz)
.430
.460
Automation 3 Digit
.577
.618
Automation AADC
.620
.666
Automation Mixed AADC
.716
.774
Presorted (Non-Automation)
.810
.870
MAX.
LENGTH
11 1/2" 15"
HEIGHT
6 1/8"
12"
THICKNESS
1/4"
3/4"
HEIGHT
Flats: Up to 1 oz
Max weight for letters is 3.5 oz.
Flats exceed at least one of these dimensions.
*
Max weight for flats is 13 oz.
LENGTH
Flats are subject to flexibility standards. Can not be too flexible or too rigid. Flat-size mail pieces must be uniformly thick so that any bumps, protrusions, or other irregularities do not cause more than 1/4-inch variance in thickness.
Additional ounce: .20
Postcard
SERVICE
2020
2021
Automation 5 Digit (1 oz)
.260
.269
Automation AADC
.270
.279
Automation Mixed AADC
.276
.285
Presorted (Machinable)
.285
.293
Shawmut Communications Group 978.762.7500 | www.shawmutdelivers.com
MIN.*
MAX.
LENGTH
5"
6"
HEIGHT
3 1/2"
4 1/4"
THICKNESS
.007"
.016"
HEIGHT
Postcards: Up to 1 oz
LENGTH
Looking for ways to save on your direct mail programs? Talk with one of our mailing experts today.
Marketing Mail
Marketing Mail NONPROFIT
Letters: Up to 3.5 oz
Letters: Up to 3.5 oz
SERVICE
2020
2021
SERVICE
2020
2021
Automation 5 Digit
.259
.259
Automation 5 Digit
.138
.138
Automation AADC/ADC
.284
.285
Automation AADC/ADC
.163
.164
Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.299
.304
Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.178
.183
Non-Automation AADC/ADC
.295
.311
Non-Automation AADC/ADC
.174
.181
Non-Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.305
.291
Non-Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.184
.190
Flats: 4 oz or less
Flats: 4 oz or less
SERVICE
2020
2021
SERVICE
2020
2021
Automation 5 Digit
.418
.450
Automation 5 Digit
.240
.256
Automation 3 Digit
.543
.588
Automation 3 Digit
.365
.394
Automation AADC/ADC
.608
.663
Automation AADC/ADC
.430
.469
Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.666
.726
Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.488
.532
Non-Automation 5 Digit
.501
.538
Non-Automation 5 Digit
.323
.344
Non-Automation 3 Digit
.594
.640
Non-Automation 3 Digit
.416
.446
Non-Automation AADC/ADC
.650
.691
Non-Automation AADC/ADC
.472
.497
Non-Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.685
.748
Non-Automation Mixed AADC/ADC
.507
.554
Must have at least 200 pieces or 50 lbs of mail to qualify for Marketing Mail discounts. Delivery in 2–9 business days (not guaranteed). The max weight is 16 oz. Additional discounts may be available based on the mail entry point (DNDC, DSCF, DDU). Please contact us for more information.
Commercial Mailing Services Defined AADC/ADC: An Automated Area Distribution Center (AADC) or an Area Distribution Center (ADC) sorts and sends mail for the same service area to the destination delivery unit (the local post office) where mail is put into delivery sequence for each carrier. The difference between an AADC and ADC is the volume of mail that goes through each center. Mixed AADC/ADC: Mixed AADC/ADC means that the tray or sack has mail for multiple AADC or ADCs in an area. That means the USPS has to sort it and ship to the individual AADC or ADCs. This adds time and expense to the process. Automation: Mail that is prepared in such a way that allows the USPS to utilize their equipment to read and distribute mail using a barcode, which includes the delivery ZIP code.
Shawmut Communications Group 978.762.7500 | www.shawmutdelivers.com
Presort: The sorting of outgoing mail by delivery ZIP code in order to take advantage of a cheaper rate of postage. 5 Digit: The delivery address ZIP code on all pieces is the same 5 digit ZIP code. 3 Digit: The delivery address ZIP code on all pieces begins with the same three digits. Presorted (Non-Automation): Mail sorted by ZIP code which meets USPS labeling standards but does not meet postal automation criteria.
FREE SAMPLES
POPULAR SUBSTRATES FOR WALLS, FLOORS, AND BEYOND
AlumiGraphics® Smooth • R ugged aluminum foil base material conforms and holds to the texture of the surface its applied to • High durability—holds up to most weather conditions • Environmentally friendly—no PVC or hazardous ingredients, recyclable (aluminum) • Peel-off removal, typically no residue remains
ClingZ® • Adhesive free—no glue, tacks or pins required • Effortless to apply, remove and reposition on any clean, dry interior surface • Chemically inert, PVC-free, phthalate-free and recyclable (#5 plastic) • Ideal for temporary indoor marketing applications
Walk & Wall • Matte white textured vinyl with textile reinforcement • D esigned for short term floor and wall graphics on carpet, tile, wood, concrete, metal, glass, and painted surfaces • Suitable for indoor and outdoor applications • Meets ASTM D 2047 for slip resistance, R12 certified
The Color-Logic System™ • C reate a virtually unlimited array of metallic colors and decorative effects at a fraction of the cost typically associated with metallic printing • Print on a metallic substrate (as shown) or on white stock • Shawmut is certified in Offset, Digital and Wide Format Color-Logic printing
GO BEYOND PAPER: DOWNLOAD OUR SUBSTRATE GUIDE shawmutdelivers.com/substrates
Shawmut is proud to be the first certified Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) facility in Massachusetts
The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) brings together a community of printers, print buyers, suppliers, and supporting organizations that work together to drive sustainable business practices that today’s customers demand. SGP provides transparent, measurable assurance that certified facilities like Shawmut will help print buyers meet and exceed sustainability goals.
We are committed to: • Reducing waste and hazardous materials • Conserving energy • Sourcing sustainable materials • Lowering our carbon footprint • Creating a safer workplace • C onforming to all relevant environmental, health, safety & labor laws • A dopting a comprehensive annual continuous improvement project • U ndergoing a third-party recertification audit every two years
Please recycle.
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