Does The Type Of Printer Paper You Use Matter?

By Brad Steeves,

Copier paper is what you would use at your place of employment to mass produce originals that you may need to distribute or file. Copier paper is usually very thin and lucid.

The quality of paper is determined by how bright it is, or to put it another way, how much light passes through it. For mass production of work documents to be filed or distributed, quality is not that important. You can use recycled copier paper, which is approximately eight to ten percent of the total paper used today.

There are primarily two types of computer printer paper, matted or glossy. Matted paper has a “very bright” outside layer. Glossy paper, on the other hand, has a shiny finish. So what type of paper should you use for your inkjet or laser printers? If you are printing draft copies, quality will not matter too much, so plain copier paper is good enough. However, if you are printing a final draft or color presentations, etc., a thicker coated paper, matted paper, is recommended because it allows for sharper colors and a better resolution image. For photos, a glossy finish is desirable, or in some cases necessary. Why? Because the ink dries faster on a glossy surface which, in turn, produces sharper images. A 4x6 size is the most popular for printing photos from your computer printer.

In addition to the types of paper, it is important to know its characteristics. The first one is weight. The higher the paper weight, the thicker the sheet of paper. Higher paper weight is also stronger and has a substantial feel to it. In addition, less light will pass through it. Heavier paper should be used for presentations and final drafts, whereas standard weighted paper is used for everyday printing and copying.

The second characteristic is brightness. Most paper will have a brightness rating between 80 and 100, where 100 is the brightest. The brighter the paper, the better your printed result will be. The third is texture. The type of paper texture you use for laser printers will be different from that of an inkjet printer by nature of how the ink is distributed to the paper. A laser needs a flat paper for sharp results. Inkjet printers will require the use of a rougher surface. This will produce a clear result, as it will not scatter on the surface of the paper, but rather cling to it for a sharper image.

There you have it! The type and characteristics of paper vary, but knowing each will yield the result you want to obtain.

Brad Steeves is the Manager of Merchandising and Marketing at Beatties Basics Office Products in Saint Catharines, Ontario.

Scriptus - Toronto Pen & Writing Show

By: John Fullerton

On Sunday afternoon, I attended "Scriptus 2015" - Toronto's Pen and Writing show which was held at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, at the Toronto Reference Library on Yonge St. in the Yorkville area of Toronto.

Philip Akin - Director of Scriptus

 

"Scriptus" celebrates the art of "hand-writing" and at the show I found:

• many fine pens, including fountain pens old and new;
• several lines of luxurious stationery from all over the world;
• a wide variety of vibrant inks, in all the colours of the rainbow;
• an active community of lovers of all things INK;

The main focus of the over 60 vendor tables was fine pens - from rollerballs to fountain pens, exquisitely crafted pens were the stars of the show. This was not a show  about $0.99 stick pens. Scriptus estimates that there were 1,300 attendees for this years show. The large crowd on hand were acutely interested in fine-penmanship. In this age of smart phones and laptops, there clearly is still a segment of the marketplace who craves the hand-written word displayed on fine stationery through the use of a beautiful pen.

David Armstrong, Scriptus's communication director had this to say about this year's show: "Scriptus is a huge success not because it is converting people to the use of old-fashioned writing tools and materials. We are convinced that many people of all ages have always been interested in this vital form of communication, and will continue to be. We are just giving them a place to connect, and helping them to see that they aren't alone, or really even a minority. A vital part of the show's success is accessibility for everyone. Free admission, a central location, and a spirit of fun are the most important facets of the show for us, and will continue to be hallmarks of Scriptus in the future."

Toronto's "B. Sleuth & Statesman"

 

"Refine Mark Print Design" from Victoria

"House of Fine Writing" booth - on Queen St. West in Toronto
 

"Phidon Pens" - Cambridge Ontario

 

Pen World Magazine

Dawn of the Office "Bar"

By: John Fullerton



Last week I attended an informative COPA seminar hosted by "AB Inbev" brewers of Labatt Blue, Budweiser and Stella Artois. Josh Belliveau, Inbev Canada's Trade & Marketing Manager took us through the ins and outs of the beer industry while pointing out potential opportunities for office supply dealers.
 Inbev is interested in exploring the feasibility of distributing a countertop draught beer dispenser to the offices of Canada. They are interested in partnering with Canada's office product dealers in distributing these units.

The countertop draught unit is an all-in-one-plug-and-play, self refrigerated solution created by Inbev for their "Stella Artois" brand. The countertop unit was developed as a solution for smaller, more intimate bars and restaurants that wish to serve proper draught beer without investing in a full-scale tap system. The Unit uses 12 L keg w/ bottle-in-bottle technology, which means the unit does not require gas. It is essentially the Keurig machine for beer!

Josh Belliveau of AB Inbev

Inbev believes that there may be an application for offices that may want to host "celebration" events in their offices. Thus they are exploring the possibility of opening up distribution of these units to an office environment. Their studies show that "millennials" are interested in more than just the traditional opportunities that a regular job may entail - things like good pay, benefits, increased vacation time - they also want to work in an environment that contributes to their social being. So things like an office celebration for a job well done or a finished project is an important feature on where millennials choose to work. This is where the countertop draught unit may be of interest in an office environment.



Inbev demonstrates the draught countertop unit to interested COPA members.

Inbev is interested in piloting the Stella Artois countertop draught beer dispenser in selected urban markets. They are looking for potential partners in the Office Supply industry who are interested in leveraging their network of clients in selling these units.

If this is something that your firm might be interested in, contact COPA for more information on the program. They will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Basics Show a "Down-Home" Hit

By John Fullerton
 
Basics Office Products held it's annual show last weekend in St. John's, Newfoundland and the consensus opinion from attendees was that it was a big success.
 

 
It really was a great atmosphere. Basics and our Newfoundland hosts, Dicks & Company, went to great lengths to ensure that the show was a success. The show itself was super busy from start to finish - the busiest show in recent memory as the dealers really took the time to get out to the show and visit the vendors. For myself, I can't ever remember being so busy at a Basics Trade show. I had 3 booths at the show, Vision Global Media, Genuine Supply Source and American Tombow.
 

 

...with Marnie Stone at the Tombow booth.

 

 
 

Shane Murtagh and Tracey Turnbull-Avey talking Ink & Toner at the Genuine Supply Source booth.
 

 

Exhibiting LED Desklamps at the Vision Global Media Booth

 The highlight of the show was the banquet that followed the show where we learned about the history of Newfoundland and then were entertained by Shaun Majumder of CBC's "This Hour has 22 Minutes". Shaun was in a word - HILARIOUS!!!! He had us rolling in the aisles with his tales of growing up in Newfoundland.

Dave Read of "Dick's & Co." and John Fullerton of "Fullerton Sales & Marketing" flank Shaun Majumder of "This Hour has 22 Minutes".

Congratulations Basics Office Products on a great event.

Why Your Company Won't Survive The Change That's Coming

By: Shaun Browne

It Really is the Economy... Stupid

Many organizations will not survive the transition to the new economy, in part because they are paralyzed by this one.
Most organizations aren't ready to manage the change that's coming. They are stuck in an old model of doing business, one that, while trusted and traditional, hamstrings them for future growth, in part because they are ignoring their responsibilities to train, develop, and coach their employees.

Three Reasons

Ronald Hirshhorn, in his 2013 research summary, "Impacts of Structural Changes in the Canadian Economy," states that there are three issues that will impact growth:

• Decomposition of productivity growth  - the Canadian economy now has a dominant sector with a weak capacity for innovation and multifactor productivity growth,
• Changes in employment  - the increasing number of service jobs, the rise in temporary, short-term, and part-time positions (the so-called 'giging culture'),
• Declining wages - the lack of full-time positions and paid overtime, reduce the willingness of employees to make major financial commitments. 

Hirshhorn goes on to say that the lack of investment, roadblocks to the expansion of service producers due to difficulties in innovating, and the lack of output measurement in the service sector, and the challenging task of reallocating labour, all contribute to the lack of organizational readiness.

What's Past is Prologue

Peter Drucker, even back in 1986, said that the economy was not on the verge of a change, it had already changed. In his landmark article in Foreign Affairs, Drucker writes of a massive, permanent de-coupling of the industrial economy, employment, and trade. And, like the past, our economy today is suffering from a collapse in raw material prices, oil revenue, and increasing unemployment in traditional industrial sectors. The economy may not be de-industrializing, but the workforce has.
The move to ever-larger facilities has resulted in an over-capacity in space, as organizations downsize to meet new demands. Take a walk through your local mall or main street, to see how retail has eroded, with resulting empty shops and vacant parking lots.

How Can We Survive and Thrive

• Get ready.
• Prepare your people.
• Help them adapt.
• Build skills.
• Innovate.
• Become sustainable.

The future is coming, whether we like it, or not.

Shaun Browne is President and Founding Partner of Digital Mentor Group Inc. He is also Vice President - Productivity Mentoring, Innovation Canada. He can be reached at onthejobtraining.com.

Protect yourself from electronic pick pocketing and identity fraud

  

Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) is a wireless non-contact system that reads data from a microchip embedded in most credit and bank cards as well as many identification, security and access cards. The microchip contains data which can be read from a distance of up to several meters. Mobile card readers have given rise to a crime referred to as "electronic pick pocketing". Fraudsters can now steal the personal information from your RFID-enabled cards without ever touching your cards.

Several models of Mancini Leather Goods briefcases and wallets feature the latest RFID wave blocking technology. The special metallic layers integrated into the fabric of one or more pockets prevent thieves from electronically reaching into your briefcase or wallet. Mancini is actively incorporating this technology into their products to ensure your data and cards are safe. In the near future all Mancini briefcases, and many other Mancini products, will feature this critical protection.

Protect yourself from electronic pick pocketing and identity fraud. Choose Mancini RFID SECURE products.

Look for the MANCINI RFID SECURE tags on your favorite MANCINI products.