Green Link-Heard about the Ogallala Commons?

If you are interested in learning more about this great land that we live on this link to the Ogallala Commons website is a great resource:  www.ogallalacommons.org

The Ogallala Commons is a grassroots organization that was formed in 1999 to study and educate others about the area covered by the Ogallala Aquifer. It extends throughout the Great Plains from Midland, Texas in the south to South Dakota in the north.  Most of our water for agriculture and drinking water comes from this underground source.  Read more on the Ogallala Commons website.

This link and information about Ogallala Commons was provided to us by Jo Moore, of the Presidential Lecture and Performance Series at Texas Tech University.

Why can't I get the printing paper I picked?

The availability of fine text printing papers has a lot to do with the economy.  All of the major paper mills have cut back on their production of "specialty" lines and are concentrating on manufacturing "commodity" grades of paper like enamel and uncoated offset.  In the middle are wholesalers who buy from the mills and redistribute to printers in their market.  They too have cut back on stocking the fine paper grades and will only place mill orders when thery receive an order.  The problem with mill orders is that it takes longer for the printer to get the paper and they have to order in large quantity lots to buy it.   This is just as frustrating to printers as it is to graphic designers who are making the paper requests.  Hopefully the situation will change when the economy picks up.  Then paper mills and wholesalers will then have the confidence to manufacture and stock a larger selection of papers.  In the meantime it is best to plan ahead and give your printer plenty of time to obtain the paper you want.  Or,  ask the printers for suggestions about which papers are readily available to suit your project.

Mail Minute: If I have a pamplet or booklet with staples in it, can I get by with just one tab?

No.  The United States Postal Service (USPS) requires that any piece with staples will have 3 tabs and these must be the big ones 1 1/2" as opposed to the smaller 1/2" tab.  Printers call a booklet with staples a saddle stitched booklet because it rides down a rail like a man on horseback during the bindery process.   Booklets will qualify for the same low standard postage rates as non-stitched pieces if they are tabbed properly.  This rule is in place so that the booklets will not open when they go through USPS automated equipment.

Why aren't QR codes catching on? One expert suggests that they are misundersood.

Amy Graham, a "tech" writer for CNN, states that nearly 8 in 10 college students have no idea what to do with a QR code.  She saids, "But evidence suggests many people don't understand what QR codes are or what to do with them."  Read more at: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/08/tech/mobile/qr-codes-gahran/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

What's similar about a signature, a leaf and a block?

We are not talking about the signature where you sign your name or something green on a tree or something you walk around. Rather we are referring to three terms common in book printing.

A signature is a unit of pages that are formed when a press sheet is folded down to the finished page size. Signatures are always multiples of four pages. The most common press sheet size is 23" x 35" which is why you see so many books and booklets that are 8.5" x 11". You get eight 8.5 x 11 sheets out of a 23" x 35" sheet. If your printer has a large enough press he can print sixteen page signatures-eight 8.5" x 11" s printed on two sides. This is the most e economical signature size of all. Other common signature sizes are 12 ,8 and 4 pages. Each smaller size signature costs more per page. If you are printing on a digital press you are limited to  8.5" x 11" four page signatures because digital presses are smaller than real printing presses.

A leaf is a single sheet of paper with a page on each side. A book will have one leaf for every two pages. These are the building blocks of signatures. A book can have many leaves and will have half as many pages which will form in units of four to build signatures, get it?

A block or book block is what you have when you combine several signatures by sewing or glueing them together prior to applying the soft or hardback cover.

Now maybe you know a little more about how to build a book.  When you are planning to print a booklet or book rely on you printer to explain the most economical way to print because they will understand the math, physics and geometry involved. It's not rocket science but it is more complicated that you might think-again, rely on your printer.