Boston Print Buyers (BPB) Now Open for Membership!

If you are a professional who purchases commercial printing, such as a production manager, print buyer, designer, purchasing agent, or publisher, you can now officially join BPB.

Please visit www.bostonprintbuyers.com for details and online application.

Benefits include discounts to our dinner programs, access to our member "Water Cooler," free job postings, and a detailed listing in our Member Directory.

Although we love printers, paper reps, mailing specialists and other suppliers, they aren't eligible for membership. We welcome your inquiries about sponsorship.

DO NOT MISS THIS BOSTON EXHIBIT! If you come to town, check out the special exhibit at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. It's called "Boston Ink: A Century of Printing, 1905 to 2005" and is presented by the Society of Printers. Exhibition hours are 9 to 9 Monday to Thursday and 9 to 5 Friday and Saturday. The exhibit runs there through June 24. Simply stunning!

Now for Something Completely Different:
Cloth Envelopes

1. How long have you been creating cloth envelopes?
   The idea of a postal-approved mailable cloth envelope came from my partner, Ray Weigel III. Ray and his wife saw handmade ones at a craft show and thought, "Why not figure out a way to machine them and produce them in large quantities?"

   He outsourced all the work but wasn't happy with the quality. Meanwhile, I was working with his nephew at an engineering firm. His nephew knew I liked to sew and dropped a couple dozen of these envelopes on my desk one day. I was hooked! I kept them in a drawer for years. One day, I decided to find Ray Weigel, and I met him in July 2001. Three meetings later, the Cloth Envelope Company was born. After much trial and error, the first cloth envelope rolled off the machine in October 2002.

2. What sizes do you manufacture?
   Currently we have dies for A-2, A-6, A-7, A-9, #10, 5-1/4" square, 6" square, 6-1/2" square, and a 9" x 12". Custom sizes are also available.

3. What are some typical uses?
   They're popular for any type of invitation or announcement, such as wedding, banquet, golf outing, fundraiser, CD mailer, product launch, seasonal greeting, birth announcement, and on and on. Some customers use them for social stationery (like thank you notes), and others use them for business correspondence and resumes. And of course, direct mail.

4. Pricewise, can you compare them to paper envelopes?
   They do cost more than conventional envelopes. But they are reusable. People tend to save them as keepsakes, so the message inside is reinforced and for direct mail purpose, they get opened

5. Are they biodegradable? Or in any way environmentally friendly?
   Did you throw yours away? Didn't think so. We only use 100% cotton so cloth envelopes are completely environmentally friendly.

6. Are these envelopes mailable?
   We are approved by the USPS for 1st class and bulk rate non-automation. Russ Cort of Maple River Direct Mail here in Traverse City is seeking bulk rate automation approval from the United States Postal Service on our behalf.

7. Are they machine insertable? Russ says auto inserting, labeling and sealing is all do-able; however, until we have the bulk rate automation approval from the USPS, it is like putting the cart in front of the horse.
   

8. What should folks/designers/direct marketers know about using cloth envelopes?
   Designers should know they can still order bulk; the minimum has been lowered due to the retail ready line, and the inventory has just about doubled. We are fully equipped to handle large volumes. Direct marketers should know our cloth envelopes cost more than paper ones, but they not only get opened, they get opened the first time.

9. Any limitations to your cloth envelopes we need to know about?
   Not any label will stick to a cloth envelope. We have developed a couple of different products with an aggressive adhesive and now are working on colored label stock. Also, you can run them through an inkjet printer but not a laser printer. I don't know of anyone who has been able to offset print them yet, but RISO makes equipment that prints both static and dynamic data.

   I have witnessed VDP on cloth envelopes with RISO's MX1200 printing and addressing system and their AR8500 envelope/card feeder. If you just want to print a return address, RISO's RN2130 works great!

10. Is that it?
    Addressing is an inherent issue, and customers always ask how to do it. There are 3 ways:

    1. Handwrite or inkjet directly on solid colored cloth envelopes.

    2. Use our label stock on prints and patterns.

    3. Use an outer envelope, be it cello, vellum or matching paper to the mail piece. Then you can address it any way you want

So when you have a minute, visit www.clothenvelope.com for a look at a unique envelope. There are lots of patterns available. I did ask Rose who supplies her fabric, but she is not at liberty to reveal her sources. The company will be debuting a line of retail ready products at the National Stationery Show in New York City in May (the largest stationery show in the world).

If any reader has used cloth envelopes already, send me your comments. If you want to get my attention--send me an unusual direct mail package! Thanks, Rose, for a peek at "envelopes with a twist." The phone number for Rose is 231-995-9515.