RESOURCES
MOHAWK
CRAFT COOPERATIVE
Q U I C K R E FE R E N C E G U I D E
TALK I N G C R AF T
AD D ITI O NAL CO NTE NT
Mohawk Live is easy to download and use, following these steps: 1 Download the free app from the Apple
D
E
Yogev Barak
Michael Bierut
Director of business management, Indigo division, HP “As our customers continue to create new and unique high value print applications, pushing the boundaries of ‘the norm,’ Mohawk has been a strong partner to enable this exploration of quality print and growth.”
2 Point and hover a mobile device at the
Mohawk Live
Partner, Pentagram Design
App Store or Google Play.
image that has the Mohawk Live icon.
3 Wait for the enhanced content to load.
“ Mohawk cares about what they make, how they make it, and why they make it. That’s made me a supporter of Mohawk and their beautiful papers for over 30 years.”
Mohawk Live brings print communication to life by using augmented reality to seamlessly integrate print with dynamic interactive content. Find out more and download the free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Working with the Mill
Mohawk Superfine i-Tone
In this day and age, a mill order doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to take forever to deliver. If the merchant doesn’t have a paper or envelope item in their inventory, your merchant may refer to the item as a “mill order.” If that merchant has access to Mohawk’s entire product line, they can order stocked items from the mill and have them shipped the same day as long as the order is placed before 4:00PM EST. With four domestic warehouses—New York, Ohio, California and Washington, Mohawk can deliver a mill order in no more than 3 days, and most are next day!
For nearly 70 years, Mohawk Superfine has been used by designers and printers for their most important projects; from fine art books to letterpress printing, executive stationery and luxury brand promotional materials. With the addition of Mohawk’s proprietary i-Tone print surface in 2008, Mohawk Superfine introduced its legendary formation, lush tactility, and archival quality to the world of digital printing. Today, Superfine i-Tone is experiencing tremendous growth as digital printers around the world
WiFi connections are recommended for faster load times and enhanced quality.
4 The app will launch enhanced content,
seemingly bringing the printed piece to life.
Mohawk Product Spotlight
realize what made it perfect for offset printing also makes it the ultimate digital print surface.
BUSINESS THE
In 2013, Mohawk expanded its Superfine i-Tone offering in all three iconic shades of white with new sizes for the newest production digital presses and eggshell finish across this indispensable product offering.
F
OF
PAPER GRADES
MOHAWK PAPER SELECTOR To make our product line simpler, easier to specify and to reduce our environmental footprint, we have streamlined our product portfolio, merging brands and eliminating redundant colors.
Superfine
Options
TH E U LTI MATE PAPE R
TH E I NX W E LL PAPE R
Mohawk Superfine is the finest printing paper made today, with unmatched quality, consistency and uniformity. Inspiring great design with its superb formation, lush tactility, and archival, timeless appeal.
Options features Mohawk’s exclusive Inxwell surface technology, combining the tactile feel of uncoated paper with the ink density and sharp detail of coated. Now including ultra-smooth Navajo, Options features six premium white shades to complement a range of styles.
Via
Strathmore
Via is the best-selling uncoated paper in America, offering Mohawk quality at an affordable price. Featuring popular textures, colors, and highly printable white shades, Via is the everyday paper.
Setting the standard for design and innovation since 1895, the Strathmore Collection is a diverse assortment of cotton papers, colors and finishes that honor tradition while utilizing contemporary colors and surface technologies.
Loop
TH E R ES P O N S I B LE PAPE R Mohawk Loop is a complete PCW recycled paper for environmentally responsible design, with a range of print surfaces and palette of whites, pastels, jewel tones and earthy fibered shades.
CRAFT
Q U I C K R E FE R E N C E
TH E LUXE PAPE R
TH E ECO N O M I CAL PAPE R
Carnival
Digital
TH E COVE R PAPE R
TH E I MAG I N G PAPE RS
Mohawk Carnival sets the standard for intense saturated color, especially for pocket folders and other converted items, and offers primary hues in distinctive textures with complementary whites and text weights.
Mohawk features a comprehensive collection of digital substrates including a family of reliable and economical coated and uncoated papers specially made for digital presses that help place you and your customers on the cutting edge.
LEARN MORE AT MOHAWKCONNECTS.COM
01 ISSUE
C O N TA C T 465 Saratoga Street Cohoes, NY 12047 +1 (518) 237-1740 customerservice@mohawkpaper.com mohawkconnects.com
D ES I G N Hybrid Design Hybrid-design.com T Y PE FAC ES Chalet New York Nineteen Sixty, Sentinel
PAPE R Mohawk Superfine, Eggshell, Ultrawhite, 65 Cover (176 gsm) PR I NTE R Shapco Printing, Inc. Minneapolis, MN
Shapco.com
PHOTO CREDITS ( T H I S PA G E ) D. Yogev Barak Unknown
I N KS 4cp, 2nd black (duotones), 3 match greens, UV inks and overall dull aqueous
E. Michael Bierut Christian Witkin
ITE M N U M B E R 76-702620113 June 2013
F. Mohawk Mill Jeff Dey
SELLING PRINT
THE
STORY OF SUPERFINE
WHAT WILL YOU MAKE TODAY?
IN A
DIGITAL WORLD
MMXIII
CRAFT AND BUSINESS
SELLING PRINT
G ROWI N G YO U R B US I N ESS TH RO U G H C R AF T
IN A
A
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR BY
TH O MAS D. O’CO N N O R , J R .
We work in a remarkable, ever-evolving industrial era. Trends and techniques are rapidly changing, sometimes without a thought about why we must break old rules of quality and craft. Of course, incredible technologies and innovations allow us to envision and develop remarkable projects and connect them to broader audiences quickly and cost-efficiently like never before, changing the way we communicate, produce, and create. Yet, our core essence, the concept of putting ink to paper, of creating physical experiences through paper and printers, continues to be pushed aside for these f leeting, superficial experiences. We see others Instagram, Tweet the news, or post updates to their social networks instead of creating meaningful, lasting relationships with their customers. Today, we see that our dedication to detail, to quality, to craftsmanship, has been challenged. But as increasingly technological as this world has become, customers are longing for a shared experience in physicality, longing for expertly constructed products with attention to detail and craft.
BUSINESS OF CRAFT
BART RO B I N SO N
The world is changing and we have to as well, but we should never forget (or let anyone else) the value and impact of what we do well.
The effect has been significant on the print industry. Printers have closed, downsized or tried to reinvent themselves. In response, many print providers are driving costs down by taking less of a profit margin on jobs, limiting production choices and using the least expensive substrates. All this is done in an effort to fight for share of marketing budgets by offering the lowest price possible.
Printers today must accept that marketing has changed forever. Embrace technology and be confident that print is not only relevant but crucial to an effective marketing campaign. Printed materials provide differentiation, permanence and an impact that digital information alone cannot replicate. What’s Next: Our next Cooperative issue will explore how to upsell your clients using the value of your craft and materials that matter.
Print in a Digital World 1
2
Differentiation
Permanence
We all want to stand out, and not by racing to the bottom faster than everyone else. Quality is a tool to differentiate yourself by taking price out of the equation. Bring your knowledge, expertise and skill to the forefront. No one can undercut that.
When something needs to be remembered we look to craft. We chisel in stone, cast in bronze or immortalize in a book. In an ephemeral world, things that last have an even greater importance. Pixels come and go, and while they serve their purpose, they don’t have the staying power of a printed piece.
3
4
Touch
Efficiency
There is a reason we shake hands. Touch is powerful, and key to a personal connection. When we make something physical, something tactile, we shake someone’s hand from afar, engaging their sense of touch. No one has ever touched an email blast.
Research has shown direct mail marketing campaigns are a remarkable 28 times more effective than email campaigns alone. That’s one effort as opposed to twenty eight. Any client will be happy generating less content that’s delivered more effectively. Who wants to write 28 email blasts?
STAN D U P AN D STAN D O UT
1
Brand
A
Craftspeople have always been faced with challenges: to make a superior, quality item that can be produced over and over with consistency and longevity. Spending time to make our products, whether it be testing paper quality or speciality processes, is a necessary part of our artform. Enhancing our techniques is not a luxury; it makes all the difference in creating meaningful, successful products. Our attention to detail and the development of our core strengths is essential in what we produce. Our advantage in the technological age is that of a physical product. Customers, as we have seen over the years, respond to things they find unique and carefully created. Perhaps it is a cliché, but the idea that it is “all in the details” rings true with other companies and individuals spending the time to forge a more unique, craft-inspired path in their business. Creating lasting experiences, building unique projects, and supplying extraordinary products that stand the test of time are all markers of the new Craft Revolution that has been born out of the Digital Age. Craftspeople evolve with the times, and make something better with it.
A. Taylor S t it ch Mik e Ar m e nta
BY
Many of you would say technology is your number one competitor in the market today. Marketers are using email blasts, social media to build brand and webinars to communicate information, provide education and even inspiration. These marketing channels are low cost, can reach broad audiences and offer quick access to market.
A Direct Marketing Association study found that direct mail averages 4.4% response rate compared to emails 0.12% response rate. The use of tangible printed materials adds haptic perception (engaging the sense of touch) that cannot be provided through electronic communications.
TH E P OW E R O F M E M O RY
S HAK E O N IT (FRO M AN Y W H E R E)
E VAN PR I CCO
Intelligent elegance and craft-focus can make the difference between a good product and the best product. It’s time we create something memorable.
We have a common cause. We are part of a greater revolution that needs to make innovation, detail, quality, and heritage part of our everyday language. We want to elevate our community to create lasting products that showcase our talents and desire to make better things in the world. That is why we advocate for the Craft Cooperative, a group of like-minded creators who share ideas, business success, and a heritage of making the highest quality goods for our customers. Most importantly, we hold the torch for others to follow, to advocate for the craft, to show that business can set a standard of detail and enduring character in a world of diminishing quality. We are the Craft Cooperative, and we advocate for quality.
DIGITAL WORLD
The Business of Craft Fast Facts
THE
BY
And here we stand, traditional craftsmen, once again holding the key to change the way the world thinks about design, innovation, quality, and heritage. We as makers are in the midst of a new Craft Revolution.
Who is your biggest competition?
For Mohawk, our papers have perfected the job of transforming the most complex digital designs that demand unprecedented printer and paper quality. That begins with hands-on, challenging explorations of paper strength, construction, and materials. While focusing on the details, craft can make a better product… the best.
Perception is important in a crowded, competitive industry. Quality, heritage, and attention to detail will make you stand out and create memorable experiences.
BY TH E N U M B E RS
2
Community
As a community, we can support each other and give greater voice to things we care about. The new wave of craftspeople adhere to the Arts and Crafts philosophy—that products should be a source of pleasure for the maker and the user.
3
Emotion
We are specialists who care about the profound experience of making things better. Beautiful objects enhance our memories, and change the way we feel about products.
4
Innovation
By its very nature, paying attention to detail and mastering your craft is innovation; it leads to tremendous leaps in product construction.
THE
STORY OF SUPERFINE BY
E VAN PR I CCO
How a legendary paper shaped 20th Century Graphic Design and redefined the Digital Age.
5
Reliability
We know reliability is always the goal when working with customers. That’s why we push for attention to detail and consistent, high-quality production that earns our customers’ trust.
B - C. Moh awk M i l l & L a b Jef f D e y
Widely known as the finest printing paper in the world today, Mohawk Superfine is the signature paper of Mohawk. Created originally with an unusual pulp due to fiber shortages during WWII, Superfine’s breakthrough developed with Alvin Eisenman, one of the 20th century’s leading graphic design educators and founder of Yale University’s graduate program in graphic design. Through his nurturing at Yale, Superfine became a staple in the tool kit of aspiring graphic designers for decades. Since, Superfine has been used on projects as diverse as annual reports, collectable posters, as well as fine art books ranging from photography to pop-culture. Yet with the industry’s move to digital printing— a shift so paramount that Mohawk has called it the “most significant watershed shift since offset lithography replaced letterpress”—Mohawk was still an innovator in its field and a leader in its craft. In the early 2000s, Mohawk turned Superfine into the ultimate digital sheet. “Superfine has beautiful formation, legendary feel, and unmatched variety of white shades. Businesses have selected Superfine because of its tactile elegance,” says Mohawk’s VP of Business Development, Chris Harrold. And, as we can see, the proof is in the legacy. Mohawk Superfine is the world’s defining sheet of paper.
B
C
CRAFT IS
REMEMBERING T HAT ART I S
SEEN, HEARD & FELT AS W E LL AS U N DE R STOOD, KNOWING THAT NOT ALL IDEAS START WITH WORDS, THINKING WITH HANDS AS WELL AS HEAD.
— Mark Jones, Director, Victoria & Albert Museum
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MMXIII