Category Archives: Blog With BEB

1969 – 3 Steps for While-U-Wait Printing

Leave a reply

2013-11-01As we continue to share the direct mail gems (or blasts from the past); we review how printing has changed in the last 44 years.

Above is a view of a self-mailer sent in August of 1969.  The marketing mailer promotes “Fast and Economical print” or reproductions; and explains how the process worked in 3, easy steps:

  1. YOU PROVIDE US WITH A PHOTO READY ORIGINAL COPY: May be typed, previously printed, drawn, paste-up – Black or Red on white paper reproduces best.  Originals on dark paper or with Grey, Blue or Green ink may not print well.
  2. WE PLACE YOUR ORIGINAL IN AN AUTOMATED CAMERA AND ALMOST INSTANTLY MAKE A PHOTO OFFSET PLATE (MASTER).
  3. AND FROM THIS PLATE, WE PRINT 10 – 10,000 COPIES, AS YOU WISH.

It is amazing when you consider how much has changed within the printing arena over the last 40-years.  Today’s digital presses don’t even use plates and the quality of their output rivals offset printing.  Each printed piece can be personalized, press runs have minimal waste and small quantities are now affordable.

1969 was ripe with change.  When this mail piece was delivered, The Woodstock Music and Art Festival was unfolding.  The Haunted Mansion attraction opened at Disneyland California, Honky Ton Women by the Rolling Stones was number 1 on the Billboard music charts and movies such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider topped box office sales.

WHERE WERE YOU IN AUGUST OF 1969?

 

 

Woman’s Touch – An article from August 1966

Leave a reply

One of the (many) benefits of working for a company that has been in business since 1949, is finding unique discoveries from years past.  Earlier this week our founder, Bob Royall, shared a couple of mail pieces  with us that he found “tucked away” in a drawer.

vacation daysThe first was a newsletter from a company called Tom’s Print Shop in Zanesville, Ohio.  The piece was created in August 1966.  The newsletter covers some interesting dates with fun facts such as:

August 1, 1659– William Prynne, an English Puritan and member of Parliament, opened a crusade against bobbed hair for women

August 5, 1884– Cornerstone laid for pedestal of Statue of Liberty.

There is an article on Hamburgers, stating that more than 70 million were eaten every day in America in 1966, while today 100 million are consumed daily.  An article on a boating boom, a piece on Economic Waste reviews the cost to clean up litter and a review of the “new” IRS computers are also included.

Women in Business 1966

My favorite is entitled, Woman’s Touch.  Its content is below and we hope you enjoy!

It seems to me that being a woman in business, in the finest sense, means being always a pleasure to work with and supplying the qualities that women best supply in business-serenity and calm, grace in all situations, warmth, strength, and intelligent understanding. And being a woman in business means using to the full, women’s special creative abilities on the job, whatever it may be.  So look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog, but I urge you, be a woman.-Mrs. Jean Simpson, Vice President

Print 13

Leave a reply

2013-09-25 PRINT13Over the past week our industry has been watching the big show known as PRINT 13.  This year’s show focused on the digital print arena and emerging markets connected to the platform.

A myriad of who’s who in the print industry, such as Xerox, Ricoh, Komori and Konica Minolta attended this once every 4-year chapter of Graph Expo.  Industry expert Barb Pellow of Info Trands wrote a great synopsis of the incredible show for “What They Think”, and gives highlights of the software and hardware debuts.  Check out the article in its entirety by clicking here!

HAPPY POSTAL CUSTOMER COUNCIL DAY!

Leave a reply

2013-09-18 PCC DAYThis week is National Postal Customer Council (PCC) week!  Our local chapter (HPCC) celebrated with a great event today at the Bayou City Event Center from 10am – 2pm and featured an “all star” line up of speakers, special sessions and a vendor show case.

The conference included a presentation on the USPS Incentives and Promotions for the balance of year and special guest Pritha Mehra spoke about acceptance, payment and delivery using iMB. US Postmaster General, Pat Donahoe addressed all PCC participants nationwide via satellite, and discussed the five-year USPS business plan.

The Future of the Postal Service

Leave a reply

Recently I had the pleasure of hearing our current US Postmaster General & CEO of the US Postal Service, Pat Donahoe, give an update on the state of the Postal Service.  He noted that the shrinkage of First-Class Mail is driving the continuing trend of operating losses, and even though the USPS shipping & packages segment is growing, it’s not sufficient to replace the previous First-Class profits.  Additional operational cuts, efficiency improvements and legislative action are needed to help shrink the gap between expenses and revenue.  $19.7 billion in savings from proposed operations and workforce incentives, along with aggressive benefit changes, are on the table to combat the 79% of the total USPS cost base dedicated to labor today.
$11.1 billion of the proposed savings require legislative action that will give the Postal Service authority to generate new revenue and adapt to changing business conditions.

A key legislative point is allowing the USPS to manage their own health care plan which is facing resistance as people on the hill are concerned that health care costs to all other government employees will significantly rise as a result of the USPS’ departure.  Items such as refunding the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) overpayment and controversial 5-day delivery debate are also crucial to the USPS Business Plan financial projections that show a debt-free entity by fiscal year-end, 2017.

Getting the current group in Washington to act on these points will be a challenge to say the least.  The economic and structural hurdles that the USPS faces can be cleared with action from Washington.  All of our businesses rely on the USPS’ mission to provide secure, reliable and affordable universal delivery services, and our Representatives must stop stonewalling this imperative legislation and take action now.

By Joy Zerbach – Vice President, Marketing