HLPS Resource Center
this month's articles
Annual appeal letters: dos and do nots
Remember, your annual appeal is a totally different kind of direct mail. Here are some simple rules to achieve peak performance.» do's and don'ts
Photos: Holland Litho Celebration of Paper Event
Check out nearly 50 photos from this spectacular event.» view the photos
The Absolutely Best Way to Transfer Files
When it comes to sending files, one method is clearly superior to all the others. Here's why.» see how.
Giving Back Selection: Kibir Consultants
This month's Giving Back winner is Kibir Consultants. Click to learn more.» this month's winner
What is Giving Back?
For going on 15 years, we've been creating articles for our broadcast email newsletter and then organizing them by subject and posting them on our website. We call this collection the Holland Litho Resource Center, and it contains well over 250 articles (we've been blogging since before blogging was even a thing!). As part of this monthly effort, we pick a charity from submitted nominations and donate up to 10 sets of business cards to them. We call it Giving Back.
You can learn more about our Giving Back initiative on our Information and Nomination page. You can see dozens of our past winners on our Giving Back page.
Basics
The Importance of Accurate Job Specifications — Remember that printing is custom manufacturing. Getting accurate specs is critical to both the quote process and the start-to-finish printing process.
need to know
Basics of Direct Mail — Direct mail remains a highly effective way for you to grow your organization. How do you maximize this marketing investment?
read more
Job Release Guidelines — You've worked so hard on your job. Here's a quick overview of what to do when you're ready to send it off.
ultimate checklist
File Set-Up: Easy Ways to Get Documents to Print Correctly — If you use a non-Adobe program to create your files, saving your job so it prints successfully is as easy as 1-2-3.
see how
File Set-Up: PDF Guide — Here you'll find the answers to just about every question you have regarding how to prepare your PDFs.
all about pdfs
File Set-Up: Packaging with InDesign — If you use InDesign, here are step-by-step instructions on packaging your job files.
collect those files
How Many Pages Is My Project? — When describing your project to us for quotation purposes, it is important that we're both on the same page in terms of pages.
here's how to count pages-
The Absolutely Best Way to Transfer Files — When it comes to sending files, one method is clearly superior to all the others. Here's why.
see how 
The Ultimate Color Guide — Need a guide to color as it relates to printing? You can find it here, along with links to related articles.
the eyes have it
The Ultimate Paper Guide — Look no further if you need a great set of tutorials covering all paper topics.
click and icon to learn more
The Importance of Accurate Job Specs — Accurate specifications ahead of time are essential to getting your job printed quickly at the price you expect.
read more
The Ultimate Envelope Guide — Find specifications on over 100 sizes in 12 categories, with a downloadable die file available for each envelope.
envelope options
Infographic: A Smooth Order in Four Easy Steps — Follow these four steps when placing an order with us from a quote we've supplied.
view infographic
Announcements
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Photos: Holland Litho Celebration of Paper Event — Check out nearly 50 photos from this spectacular event.
view the photos 
Paper Event — Use this form to RSVP for our 2019 Holland Litho Celebration of Paper, to be held in Grand Rapids on October 3.
rsvp here
Holland Litho Paves the Way! — Despite a high-speed car chase and crash in front of our plant last week, our new parking lots are nearly completed.
oh no she didn't
Holland Litho's Celebration of Paper Event — Join us on October 3, 2019 from 4pm - 7pm for our 2019 Celebration of Paper Event in Grand Rapids. RSVP required; click to access the form.
come celebrate paper!
HLPS Achieves Top Rating with the Better Business Bureau — Holland Litho has received an A+ ranking from the Better Business Bureau.
extra credit
Tulip Time reveals 2019 Art in Bloom Winner, Carolyn Stich — Her winning entry, entitled "Enduring Delft" is a beautiful floral illustration reminiscent of antique wallpaper.
see the winner
Holland Litho Rises to 302 on the Printing Impressions 400 List — We're growing, rising from 313 to 302 in Printing Impression's annual ranking of the nation's top 400 printing firms. Thanks!
let's grow together
Holland Litho achieves G7 Master Qualification — Holland Litho Printing Service has achieved G7 Master Qualification in all three levels of certification.
learn more
Calling All Designers and Print Buyers: Inspiration Awaits! — Holland Litho is revamping its samples area! Stop by and get some great ideas on how to innovate with print.
fill it up!
Calendar
2019 Calendar Images — We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2019 Calendar Contest. Want one? They are free! Just ask your sales rep.
see the images
2018 HLPS Calendar Images — HLPS' 2018 calendar is a gorgeous celebration of Michigan in all of its splendor, and it's completely free.
get yours
2018 HLPS Calendar Images — Get a look at the incredible HLPS 2018 calendar images! Give your sales rep a call to get your copy.
check them out!
2017 HLPS Calendar Images — Get a preview of the HLPS 2017 calendar images, or check out the overall design via our new PDF flipbook implementation.
check them out!
2016 HLPS Calendar Images — Check out the winning images selected for our 2014 calendar.
drumroll please
2015 HLPS Calendar Images — Check out the winning images selected for our 2014 calendar.
drumroll please-
2014 HLPS Calendar Images — Check out the winning images selected for our 2014 calendar.
drumroll please 
2013 Calendar Photo Selections — We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2013 calendar contest.
preview the winners
2012 Calendar Selections — We've made the selections for our 2012 calendar. Check them out here!
view the hls 2012 calendar images
2011 Calendar Selections — We had dozens of great submissions, and these are the ones that we've chosen for our 2011 calendar.
see the winners
2010 Calendar Selections — Check out the photographs selected for our 2010 Holland Litho Calendar.
go to the 2010 calendar images
Case Study
HLPS Prints Book on Great Seal — Holland Litho is pleased to have produced a book on the symbology of the Great Seal of the United States.
signed and sealed
Amazon Turns to Print to Market Toys This Holiday Season — The latest validator of the value of print? Why, it’s the largest online retailer — Amazon!
print to click
HLPS Prints Canning Full Circle Cookbook — Holland Litho was honored to produce the first edition of author Diane Devereaux's cookbook, Canning Full Circle.
learn more
Canning Full Circle: Garden to Jar to Table wins IPPY Award — The Canning Diva won the 2018 IPPY Bronze Medal in the Cookbook — Nutrition/Vegetarian category.
learn more
Print and eCommerce: The Case of Restoration Hardware — Like many successful retailers, Restoration Hardware uses a combination of retail stores, a robust e-commerce presence, and a print catalog to drive branding and sales.
read more
Not Quite One in a Million, but Just About! — The customer called about a "do not mail" request and the address was inadvertently left on the list. Too late, right?
we found it
View 366: A Year-long Visual Story of the St. Joseph Lighthouses — HLPS had the pleasure of working with client Laura Kraklau to print her coffee table book telling the St. Joseph Lighthouses story.
learn more
Case Study: Why Specifications Are So Important — The customer could have easily shaved two days off the turn-around had they followed some simple best practices.
read the case study
Case Study: Print Outperforms When It Comes to Fundraising — LHA recently partnered with HLPS to print and mail their annual appeal. One key to their success: the remittance envelope!
read more
Communications
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Annual appeal letters: dos and do nots — Remember, your annual appeal is a totally different kind of direct mail. Here are some simple rules to achieve peak performance.
do's and don'ts 
Holland Litho exhibits at the Values Voter Summit — We traveled with our friends at WFAX to Washington in October 2019 to exhibit at this influential political conference
learn more
Better Business Bureau story features Holland Litho — We are so honored that the Better Business Bureau toured our plant recently and wrote an amazing story on the company.
read their review
Feedback favorites: what our customers have to say — It's always great to hear from you! We'd like to share with you some of the feedback we've received over the past few years.
nice to hear
HLPS Prints Beautiful Frozen In Time Book — Frozen In Time is a book documenting two of the recent harshest winters on Lake Michigan’s east coast, in beautiful photographic form.
read more
Video: HLPS Helps Joni and Friends — HLPS staff donated time and resources to Joni and Friends at their multi-day retreat for disabled people.
watch the videos
HLPS Launches New, Innovative Website — Site features include new, searchable FAQs, over 100 sample photos and a set of really cool, fully integrated tools.
check it out!
In Case You Are New to Our Resource Center... — Here's why we think it has value, along with a collection of our favorite articles.
browse our best
Happy Holidays from Holland Litho! — We at Holland Litho wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
thank you!
Check Our Our Virtual Holiday Card — In case you missed it, take a look at our 2016 Christmas and New Year's card. Have a great 2017!
view our card
Volunteering with Joni and Friends — HLPS staff provided power boat rides and brought two beautiful horses for the families to enjoy riding.
see the video
HLPS Volunteers Replace a Roof for a Co-Worker — Holland Litho crews worked after hours and on their own time to put a roof onto the house of a co-worker.
see the photos
Video: How an HLPS Employee Had to Keep a Secret from her Mom — Holland Litho digital press operator Uliana Goncharova can sure keep a secret.
all in the family
Summer: a great time to print! — Our customers already know us as a highly competitive Michigan printer with great turn-around, and now that's more true than ever.
read why
From Western Michigan to East Africa — Jim and Mary VanderWal moved to Ethiopia to serve with the mission organization SIM in Ethiopia.
their journey
VaRoom! Holland Litho's Unsung Heroes — Day in and day out, Holland's fleet drivers deliver your jobs. Here is their story.
learn more about holland's fleet and its drivers
HLPS Prints the ADDY Best-of-Show Piece — We printed the catalog that went on to win the Western MI Addy's Best of Show Award.
glad for addy
HLPS Prints Winning Entry for National Hardware Show Packaging Award — The project was for Walters Seed Company and won the 2015 award for best packaging.
see the winner
HLPS Attends the Christian Camp Michigan Sectional Conference — We recently attended the Christian Camp and Conference Association's Michigan Sectional Conference at Gull Lake Ministries.
read more
Like Our All New Facebook Page! — We've completely revamped our Facebook page with new photos, posts and more!
like us
What Our Customers Have to Say — We regularly receive notes of praise from our customers, some of which we'd like to share with you.
read the feedback
Creative
Acrobat Document Review Helps Creatives Streamline Approvals — The traditional creative process can be challenging to manage especially when there's multiple reviewers. Now there's a better way.
review and approve
12 Easy-to-Understand Examples of How Posters Work — Review 12 posters from the Cooper Hewitt/Smithsonian Museum How Posters Work Exhibit and see an example of each.
see some posters
Identify a Font by Uploading a Photo of It — MyFonts.com lets you upload an image of text to identify the typeface. We tested it with 40 randomly selected fonts to see how well it works.
font face-off
Mark This: 15 Important Logo Design Trends — Lines! Curves! Colors! Shade! We feature 15 trends and 60 logos from the LogoLounge Trend Report.
the best new logos
Animations Reveal How Logos Evolve — These awesome gifs that tell the story of how the logos of 12 big companies have evolved through each's history.
watch them change
Your Source for Inspiration — You might not realize it, but our sample room is an incredible place to visit for inspiration or just to celebrate the beauty of print.
visit our sample room
Cost Savings Checklist — Check out our cost savings checklist to keep your marketing costs down.
read the list
New Logo Design Trends — Logo Lounge has released its 2018 “Logo Trends Report,” a fascinating take on key trends in brand and identity creation.
see 60 logos
Return on investment in design — Firms that won design awards saw an immediate increase in stock price, according to a study of 264 firms over 13 years.
read more
Type Terms, Tips and Tweaks — Kerning vs. tracking. Descenders, ascenders and baselines. Sixteen type classifications. Master this and be a type guru!
typography bold
It's not too late to produce a calendar for next year — As you probably know, Holland Litho has a great deal of experience producing calendars. We'd love to help you with yours.
check the date
Psychology-Based Color Palettes — For a wacky take, visit this site that purports to use pyschology to build your palette.
psycho rainbow
Six Cutting Edge Logo/Identity Design Trends — Check out these six logo trends, from flat designs to monolines, for cutting edge identity design.
see the trends
Setting Up Folders in InDesign — Setting up jobs that require die cuts such as folders and packaging is easy if you follow these simple guidelines.
setting up a die-cut job
Creating Logos and Other Design Marks — If you are considering a new or redesigned logo and/or corporate identity, here are some ideas to keep in mind.
corporate identity considerations
The Ultimate CMYK Duotone Guide — We selected 25 portraits and applied different CMYK duotone to each image. You can even download the curves we used.
view the duotone guide
Pocket Folder Inspiration — Explore some great pocket folder links, each with free die outlines available for download.
folder inspiration
Envato Market: A Creative Resource Like No Other — Envato features over 4.5 million digital products created by designers, developers, photographers, illustrators and producers.
visit the marketplace
28 Design Terms Every Marketer Should Know — Check out this great infographic of 28 design terms that every marketer should know.
know your terms
Pantone and the Value of Great Identity Design — A brand so strong its target audience pays a premium to see it on a mug? Impossible? Not for Pantone.
mug shots
Font Files and Formats — Postscript! TrueType! OpenType! Learn all about these font formats and much, much more!
everything fonts
Digital Printing
Digital Printing: Folding Improvements — We have a new secret weapon when it comes to digitally-printed folders, brochures, etc. that eliminates cracked ink along the fold.
folding improvements
Conditional Logic and Variable Data — With all of today's advance personalization and versioning options, writing a letter can be as tricky as writing computer code!
here's why
Kodak Nexpress 3900 — Our new digital press sheet size is really, really big.
learn more
Digital Printing Data Strategies — If you are looking for a practical guide to what's possible with variable data, here it is.
variable primer
Digital printing guides now available online — Holland Litho has posted three digital printing guidebooks on our website. These guidebooks cover a variety of topics.
view the guides
On Demand, Jim Rockford Style — Digital printing used to be hard. Now it's much easier. See just how hard with these two examples from history.
pre-digital visions
Case Study: Personalize Your Conference — 1:1 personalization is a lot more than names. Here is an example of what you can do.
read the case study
HLPS prints white ink with our Indigo digital press — Digital white-ink printing has arrived! Our new Indigo digital press can print with white ink on color or black stock.
new ways to print
HLPS invests in a new Indigo 7900 digital press — The HP Indigo 7900 Digital Press is the market-leading 13 x 19 inch format digital sheetfed press.
read more
Holland Litho Dimensional Printing — Whether it's a brochure, a postcard or a poster, our dimensional printing capability gives you a fantastic way to improve your piece's impact. Here's how!
learn more about dimensional printing
Holland Goes Wide and Long — Holland Litho can print posters and banners up to 42 in. x 30 ft.
go wide and long
Holland Litho NexPress SE 2500 — Our digital press offers a range of features you just can't achieve with other types of presses. First among them: Dimensional imaging.
go to the nexpress article images
Holland Litho Prints Digital Envelopes — Holland Litho prints digital envelopes in-house. Get the details here!
get quality envelopes from holland litho
NexPress Capabilties — For a good sense of the capabilities of our digital NexPress printing system, watch this video. It's geared partially toward printers, but will give you a great sense of the system's power and innovative capabilities.
watch the video
Digital Printing Production Tips — Review our quick list of considerations when you plan to print your project digitally.
review the tips
Direct Mail
Nordstrom and J.Jill See Sharp Decline in Profits After Abandoning Direct Mail — These retailers recently learned the hard way that shaving expenses by eliminating direct mail can be disastrous.
lessons learned
Writing Direct Mail Copy: 10 Point Checklist — Like the fisherman's lures, good direct mail copy is critical to a mailer's success. Here's some pointers on how to write it.
call to action
Powerful List Profiling Solution for Direct Marketers — Now there's an easy-to-use tool to statistically profile your best B2B or B2C customers.
read more
Design with Mail in Mind — Here are some strategies to keep costs down when designing direct mail.
direct mail design tips
Make the Most of Your List Strategy — Here's an overview of list best practices, as well as services and solutions we offer to get the best response when you mail.
list ideas
After a Long Hiatus, JCPenney Is Again Mailing a Catalog — The retailer discontinued its iconic Big Book in 2009. Here's why they've decided they need mailings after all.
read more
Seven Tips to Direct Mail Design — Creative plays a big role in the effectiveness of your mailer.
mail design tips
Holland Litho Attends the National Postal Forum — We sent our team to learn about cutting edge technologies and offerings such as Informed Delivery and Informed Visibility.
learn more
Mail Goes Multi-channel with the USPS Informed Delivery Service — USPS has launched an exciting new service called Informed Delivery. It's rapidly expanding with 5 million+ subscribers.
read more
Direct Mail Delivers Best B2C ROI — Target Marketing Magazine readers indicated B2B delivers the best ROI for B2C among all types of approaches.
our review and link
Newsletters... Reeling in the Readers — Identify the eight type of stories that get the best readership, design strategies and much more.
get more readers
17 Ways to Increase Response Rates — With successful direct response campaigns, three critical elements converge to entice your readers to take action. Those three elements are the list, the offer and the creative.
response rates
Postcards Outside the Box — These postcard design tips focus on print options that add value by increasing response rate.
postcard strategies
Postcard + Newsletter = Perfect Match? — The postcard newsletter is a great concept, allowing you to provide valuable information in a condensed format that is more likely to get read.
see some samples
Photoshop Variables Tutorial — Want to create variable image objects using Photoshop? Here's how.
variablicious
List Acquisition — Read all about list acquisition, consumer and business lists, and the secret sauce of great campaigns.
more on lists
We Do Direct Mail! — When it comes to direct mail, we've got all the services you need under one roof. Your campaign will proceed smoothly and effectively.
direct mail services
Four Subject + Headline Strategies to Get More Opens — An email has a subject, a direct mail piece has a headline, but really they function the same: Open it and read on! Here are four strategies to get more readers to do just that.
opening salvos
Focus on Great Envelopes — Ah, the envelope. Often the ugly stepchild of the direct mail piece or corporate identity. That's a shame, because it's easy to avoid!
read more
Postcards...5 Tips for Better Results — A simple checklist to make sure you are getting the best results from your postcard mailings.
go to the 5 postcard tips article
Variable Images: Scrollable Samples — 170 of our variable data image samples formatted as a simple, scrollable list.
get inspired
Flowmaster Match Inserter and Moll Gluer — HLPS continues to invest in cutting edge technology, as evidenced by our newest technology additions.
learn more
Holland Litho Does Mail! — We deliver to the Holland Grand Rapids Post Offices daily.
learn more about total direct
Niches: Big Data Comes to Print List Sourcing — Niches is a proprietary segmentation tool that uses demographic elements to group a household into one of 26 specific clusters.
see all 26
Superior Mail Results with Image Personalization — Quality Lakeshore Landscaping enjoyed fantastic results with a recent postcard campaign. Here's how.
personalized images
Five Ways to Improve Your Postcards — The postcard is simple, cost-effective and can deliver results. To get the best response from yours, keep these five tips in mind.
five tips to better postcards
Using Print to Build Your Email List — Would you like to see your email newsletter list grow more quickly? Here's how you can build your email list using print.
see how you can use print
Most Important Landing Page Feature — What is the single most important feature of any landing page? It's the laser focus on getting the reader to take the next step in your marketing effort.
learn more about landing page strategies
Environment
Holland Litho Receives FSC Certification — FSC certification provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products.
about fsc certification
Calculate the Impact of Specifying Recycled Stock — Did you know that Holland Litho provides a recycling calculator its website?
learn more
Holland Litho Successfully Passes FSC Audit/Renewal — Holland Litho recently completed an audit/renewal by Bureau Veritas, the compliance arm of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
flying colors
Paper and the Circular Economy — Two Sides NA produced this insightful analysis of how paper fits into a recycle-and-reuse economic model.
circular economy
Apple and The Conservation Fund Partner on Forests — Apple is working to promote sustainable forestry to protect working forests in Maine and North Carolina.
growth stock
Print Sustainability by the Numbers — Get the real story on environmental sustainability.
true green
Recycled Calculator: Environmental Impact — Review the details as to the impact of your recycled stock choices.
recycled by the numbers
Eco-Friendly Brainstorm — Looking for ways to become an even greener mailer? Check out these suggestions.
greener mail
Greener Mail — Looking for ways to become an even greener mailer? Check out these suggestions from the USPS and the Direct Mail Association.
greener mail
Going Green — Get the skinny on reducing your carbon footprint.
green by the numbers
Green Your Mind. The Rest Will Follow. — Switch your bulbs, why choose the tap tap and other tips on how a little green can make a big difference.
environmentality
Video: Penguins Discuss Recycling — Some friends of ours from north of the border (or maybe way, way south) discuss our 2011 recycling report.
watch the waddle
Equipment and Capabilities
Does HLPS Print Packaging? We Sure Do! — First impressions are everything. This is especially true for your packaging. Here's how we can help.
the die is cast
Giving Back
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Giving Back Selection: Kibir Consultants — This month's Giving Back winner is Kibir Consultants. Click to learn more.
this month's winner 
Giving Back: Information and nomination form — Find out more about Giving Back and use this form to nominate your favorite charity.
good deeds
Holland Litho helps Joni and Friends — Joni and Friends has once again provided people who are affected by disability with unique outdoor experiences. We were happy to help.
see the photos
Letter from the Equest Center, another Giving Back winner — We received this letter from Kathy at the Equest Center.
read the letter
Our Commitment to Giving Is All Year Long! — If you're looking for a great way to support God's message this holiday season, consider a gift to Cornerstone University's radio station, WCSG.
learn more
Bringing Joy to Joni and Friends: Image Gallery — Once again this summer we had the honor of working with Joni and Friends to bring joy to their community of disabled youth.
see the images
Letter from Habitat for Humanity — Giving Back winner Habitat for Humanity had these kind words for Holland Litho.
read the letter
Images and Color
Converting Drop Shadows from CMYK to Black Only — CMYK drop shadows can be problematic: Here's how to convert them to black only.
oh-k do-k
Stock Photo Demand Letters — How you can avoid getting a stock agency demand letter for copyright infringement.
avoid trouble
Creating Color Harmonies — Creating beautiful schemes is easy if you rely on any of the tried and true visual harmonies.
here's how
Digital Photography... Take Your Best Shot — Tips for taking great digital photographs!
start your studio
Image Scaling Limitations — How much can you scale an original photograph? This article provides the answers.
image tips
Eight Great, Really Free Stock Image Websites — We set out this month to find really great, truly free (even for commercial use) stock photo web sites.
see our picks
RGB To CMYK... What You Need to Know — For a quick but thorough review of color theory and how it applies to creative, production and printing, look no further than this article.
good space
GRACol and G7: Standardizing Color Appearance — Standardizing color across your workflow is easier than you think!
go to the gracol article
Images: Resize, then Import — With image-intensive projects, you should always resize images before importing them into your layouts.
here's why
Take the Color IQ Test — This unique test gives you a grade beyond pass or fail.
test your perception
16-Bit Images: Better than JPGs — We opened an image as both 8-and 16-bit. Compare the two after a few adjustments and you'll see why.
see for yourself
Amazing 100-year-old Images from the Ill-Fated Endurance Voyage to Antarctica — These early color photographs of Antarctica were taken by Frank Hurley in 1915 at the age of 30.
view the photos
Must-Have InDesign Print Utility: LinkOptimizer — LinkOptimizer is a great utility to ensure your images are sized correctly.
read more
Pixabay: 520,000 Free Images — Here's a free stock image resource for you to check out to keep your image costs down.
see some images
Key Concepts: Photography Basics — Learn about f-stop, ISO and other key concepts with sample images referenced.
more on clicking
Improving Web JPGs for Print — Need to print an image graphic from the Web? Here's how to reduce the JPG artifacts in your original.
how to fix jpgs
New Thoughts on RGB and CMYK — you are looking for critical, consistent color as you reuse images across your marketing plan, give us a call. We can help make it easier to get the consistent results you are looking for.
go to the rgb-cmyk article
Marketing
17 Reasons to Consider a Calendar — Calendars are great promotional tools. Here are 17 reasons why!
save the date
Crafting Your Unique Selling Proposition — While others may sell products or services that compete with yours, chances are pretty good you have a unique story to tell.
identify what they are
Comprehensive Guide to Surveys — Learn the fundamentals of creating, deploying and optimizing customer surveys.
all about surveys
Five Great Videos on the Art of Storytelling — Take a look at these videos to see how storytelling can make you a more interesting and effective communicator.
watch now
Data Mining for the Rest of Us — Small businesses can use simple data collection methods to gain insight into opportunities, design promotions, and ultimately sell more.
read the case study
CNBC: Why Millennials Love Catalogs — CNBC is yet another example of a major media outlet profiling the value to marketers of catalogs.
cnb-see!
A Super Cool Type of Table Tent — Table tents are a proven way to increase per-customer revenue. Here's an alternate table tent design that is really easy and super cool!
see for yourself
Comprehensive Testing Primer — This mini-whitepaper provides a primer on testing strategies, concepts and options.
test case scenarios
List Rental: Great for Print, but not Email — List rental has been a standard practice in the direct mail industry for years. Email marketing, not so much.
learn why
The Psychology of Social Timing — Use a little psychology to determine the best time of the day to send your email campaigns!
when to send what
Determining Your Pricing — Some considerations to keep in mind when determining your pricing.
pricing strategies
Return-On-Investment (ROI) — Some thoughts on creating and communicating an effective ROI message.
read more on roi
Why Print? — The catalyst for this story is a fantastic brochure produced by The Print Council simply titled Why Print?
go to why print article
Experiential Marketing and the Role of Direct Mail — Experiential marketing is a strategy to engage consumers and invites and encourages them to become a participant in a brand.
read more
1:1 Marketing and Variable Data Printing — This article delves into the concepts driving one-to-marketing and digital printing, touching on databases.
read now
Creating Great Buttons: Cues from 10 Great Websites — See the button styles of ten great websites, with four expert tips from a renowned designer.
see some buttons
SMS/Mobile Best Practices — Considering a mobile campaign? Follow these six SMS best practices to avoid the dreaded STOP.
read more
9 Tips to Creating Great Content for Boring Industries — Even if you are in an industry that some might not find exciting, you can still create thoughtful, engaging content your target audience will read.
spice it up
Free, ALL CAPS now OK for Email — Return Path sees no negative impact of using in email, but it may make you feel a bit queasy.
read this, it's free
B2B Survey: 64% rely on direct mail — B2B respondents listed direct mail as a critical component of their marketing mix.
best practices
Often-Overlooked Rules of Grammar — Review the finer points of grammar, the little things that can make all the difference, to see if your writing complies.
dot-dot-dot
Kindra Hall: Great Ideas on Storytelling — A storytelling expert, with a huge dose of passion, she advocates a process to construct your unique story.
storytelling
Copy: Penny Pinchers vs. Spendthrifts — How you should change your approach to copy for both spendthrifts and penny pinchers.
who's the customer?
Six Tips to Writing Better Copy — Make your headlines and paragraphs more effective by following these six easy copywriting tips.
make it sing
Marketers can move mountains by adding a printed catalog to their marketing mix — See how print can help you build customers and increase order size.
read more
How To Write Headlines That Surprise The Brain — Research shows how substituting a word in a familiar expression causes the brain of a reader to snap to attention.
word play
Two Great Infographics to Evaluate Your Website — Check out these two infographics to help you evaluate your website's elements and review key stats.
view now
Infographic: Connecting with Millennials — Is your content successfully reaching millennials? Compare your strategies to these surefire tips and get more shares from your content.
reach out
Sponsored Content Trends — Sponsored content is emerging as the newest form of scalable online advertising.
read more
Fantastic SEO Infographic — Brafton infographic shows how content is the future of SEO.
see the graphic
SEO: Important Google Keyword Changes — New Google policies make it harder to find the keywords you need to optimize for search engines.
keyword chaos
How to Optimize Your Landing Pages — Customized landing pages can improve campaign results up to a 70%.
click through
10 Ways to Fill Your Story Pipeline — Trying to come up with story ideas for your newsletter or blog? Here are ten ways to jumpstart your effort.
copy concepts
Response Rates and Gender — Does your marketing subtly appeal to one gender more than the other? What can you do about it?
read the research
Ultimate Guide to Text Abbreviations — It may be mind-boggling but we easily compiled more than 1,600 abbreviations and acronyms used in texting.
txt abbrev
Holiday Marketing — What's your marketing plan for the holidays? Here are some great ideas to consider.
read more
Five Great Scatch-Off Ideas — Did you know we can print scratch cards for you? Instead of explaining the obvious, we came up with five sample concepts that incorporate scratch promotions.
reveal our ideas
Situation Analysis — You can use a 5C framework to evaluate your marketing situation. Learn more.
creating a 5c analysis
Offset Printing and Coatings
Why invest in preprinted letterhead? — Author Eddy Hagen shows us why quality preprinted letterhead and envelopes are a great idea.
see why
Take the Printing Terms Quiz — Our printing terms quiz is a test of 20 questions. See how many you can get right!
go to the printing terms quiz
Quiz Answers — Here are the answers to our printing terms quiz. Hope you did well!
passing grade?
Five Great Packaging Resources — Whether you are launching a new product or redesigning the packaging of an existing one, sometimes it helps to be inspired by great work.
discover 5 great sites
Always Start With the Envelope! — There are many different methods used to produce envelopes — with many factors to be considered in selecting the best method — including colors, artwork and quantity.
read more
Heavy Coverage... 10 Job-Saving Tips — 10 tips to keep in mind when your print job has heavy ink coverage.
heavy coverage design
Rich Black Ink — Make your black backgrounds deeper and richer by adding some color to the 100% black ink.
here's how to create rich black
Green Printing: Focus on UV Ink — We thought you might be interested in some of the many benefits of ultraviolet (UV) ink.
read more
Holland Litho Now Offers Spot UV Coating! — To get a spot gloss on dull UV coating, we can now offer a new process called cancellation/strike through varnish. Check it out!
see some samples
Holland Litho invests in a new, versatile 5-color offset press — Our state-of-the-art KBA press is a Swiss Army Knife of all-in-one-pass options!
learn more
Product Focus: UV Coating — Did you know UV coating looks great and can protect your print jobs from automation damage and even normal wear?
learn more
Varnish, Coatings and Other Effects — Want to know more about varnish? This tutorial says it all!
visualize varnish
Large Volume, High-End Print Work! — We like to talk about our new technologies and their bells and whistles, but let's not forget about our history of high-quality prepress and offset printing, a place where high-end doesn't mean expensive.
high-end printing
HLPS Invests in a New KBA Press — HLPS is excited to announce our investment in the KBA Rapida 106, one of the most advanced sheetfed presses in the world.
hot off the press
Video: time-lapse of KBA Press Installation — Watch this three-minute video of our seven day KBA press installation.
watch now
Just for Fun: Test Your Press Knowledge — Take our fun, ten-question quiz to test your knowledge of digital and offset printing. It just takes a moment!
take our press test
Paper
Paper Thickness and Weight — How thick is a given weight of paper? It all depends on the type of paper it is. Confused? Read this and you won't be.
more on paper thickness
Paper in Stock? — When talking about paper for a project, we're often asked, "Do you stock that?"
where housed?
The Right Paper — Ever wonder which stock you should specify for which type of project? Wonder no more; they are all listed here!
go to paper uses article
Video: The Importance of Sustainable Forestry — Know the truth about recycling, where paper comes from and the importance of sustainable forestry.
watch now
Paper Glossary — Here's the key to keeping up when inundated with paper jargon. This one's a keeper!
go to glossary article
Understanding Paper Brightness — Brightness not only determines how vibrant an image is but also determines a paper's color cast. Explained.
paper brightness
Scientific American: Brains Prefer Reading Paper — SA cites 200+ studies showing human brains prefer reading text on paper rather than screens.
smart read
Video: Two Sides - Busting more Myths about Print and Paper — Two Sides North America has a great video busting the myth that print may not be environmentally friendly.
watch the video
Video: How Paper Is Made — Choose from both an article and a video on the process of manufacturing paper from start to finish.
paper in the making
When Do You Need a Paper Merchant? — If you require assistance frequently with exotic stocks or paper research issues, we can introduce you to a specialist known as a paper merchant.
learn more about paper merchants
Post-Press and Bindery
Are You Kitting? — Holland Litho can help you print, manage, warehouse and distribute your communications.
learn more
Folding Calculator — Select the type of folded piece you want, the stock, the flat or final size, the number of panels, etc. and in an instant the measurements are laid out for you. Cool.
say no to rulers
Product Focus: Loop Stitching — Loop stitching is a great bindery option for brochures or catalogs that need to be included in a three-ring binder. They lie flat while opened, unlike materials that rely on drilled holes.
learn more loop stitching
HLPS: Come Into the Fold! — Unique among printers is HLPS' awesome folding articles and calculator. Take advantage of these great resources right on the hollandlitho.com website.
folding resources
Pocket Folder Manufacturing: 8 Step Guide — Wondering how pocket folders and other die-cut projects are made? Here's a step-by-step guide.
see the 8 steps
Holland Litho Produces Packaging! — Did you know that Holland Litho can produce many packaging projects? For short to medium runs, we are often more competitive than traditional packaging printers!
package it with holland litho
Round Cornering Capability — We now can soften the edge of your printed piece by adding round-corner finishing to your business cards, brochures and any other project.
take the edge off
Folding: Common Terms and Diagrams — Here you will find a wide range of diagrams to help you understand your folding options. If you need a folding dummy, just let us know.
folding options
QR Codes and Augmented Reality
Getting Started with QR Codes — QR codes explained and suggested actions to take to get QR savvy.
learn how
5 Great Videos Explain Augmented Reality — Five videos chosen to demonstrate augmented reality, the process of superimposing digital content onto real-world items.
see it augmented
Updating Your Print for QR Codes — We discuss four areas of your print footprint that need to be updated in the age of QR codes and smart phones.
what you need to update
Update on QR Codes — What is a QR code? How are they being used? Who invented it?
get the skinny on qr codes
Moving Beyond Static QR Codes — Drill down into your marketing ROI with the details derived from 1:1 QR codes!
qr gets personal
Ten Reasons to Include a QR Code — Read 10 great reasons why you should consider integrating a QR code into your next print campaign.
reasons one to ten
Social Sites and Email
Best Day and Time to Send Emails? — The research is in on the best days and times of days to send your emails.
is it conclusive?
Infographic: Twitter Tips — This infographic from Fusework Studios shows how you can get the most from Twitter.
tweet tweet
Ensuring Email Deliverability — You spend a lot of time creating your email marketing campaigns. Make sure they get delivered.
deliverability tips
USPS
Save 2% on Postage Costs This Fall with the Informed Delivery Promotion — Enjoy big savlngs with easy-to-implement Informed Delivery
learn more
Informed Visibility: all new insights into mail delivery — Holland Litho is pleased to announce the roll-out of a whole new way for you to view the details of your mailing.
all new insights
Putting Informed Delivery to Work for Your Direct Mail — What does this mean for mailers? Review the six key components of an Informed Delivery campaign right here.
mailer details
Informed Delivery, the USPS Mail Preview Service — Informed Delivery is a USPS program that emails consumers images of the mail they will receive that day.
consumer benefits
USPS: Overview of 2019 Postage Rates — The USPS announced its 2019 postage rates. Here's a rundown of the major changes. Call us for details.
get the latest
The Art and Science of Mailbox Arrival Windows — Sometimes, customers want a specific in home delivery window. Not too soon, not too late. What's the best strategy to accomplish this?
right on time
Damaged Direct Mail — PIA recently made a set of recommendations to minimize automation damage as your direct mail piece is processed by the Post Office. These recommendations will help you minimize automation damage.
advice from pia
See Who Viewed Your Piece Using USPS Informed Delivery — Did you know you can get a snapshot of who viewed your piece online using Informed Delivery, the USPS service that allows consumers to preview what will be in their mailbox?
get informed
New Postage Rates for January 2018 — As has become custom, January is ushering in a new set of postage rates from the USPS. Here's a summary of the changes.
read more
A Day in the Life of the USPS — Even with the volume of mail Holland Litho manages locally, we found the USPS national statistics astounding!
usps by the numbers
Taking Advantage of the NCOA Database — The NCOA database helps you ensure your mail gets to its recipient, improving deliverabiity and getting the most from your marketing.
go to the ncoa article
NCOA: National Change of Address — Lean more about NCOA, a secure, licensed service from the USPS to keep your lists up to date.
learn about ncoa
USPS Retail, Commercial Rates Set to Decrease April 10, 2016 — A recession-era surcharge on postal rates is expiring, and the USPS will effectively decrease postage rates.
how much savings?
Bipartisan Support to Tackle USPS Funding Issues — There is bipartisan support in Congress for a bill to reform the USPS and make it more solvent.
where it stands
Alert: USPS Price Increase Approved with Effective Date of May 31, 2015 — Here is a summary of the recently approved USPS price changes. Call us with any questions!
see the new prices
Postal Inspectors Warn of Email Fraud — USPS Postal Inspection Service warns of trojan horse email spam. Beware of what shows up in your inbox!
learn more
USPS Address Panel Updates — A fantastic PDF detailing the new requirements for the address panel for any Standard Mail project, i.e. direct mail.
usps address panel
USPS Mailing Panel Location Change: Important! — The USPS has changed folded mailpiece requirements effective January, 2013. Here is a summary of the changes.
new address panel requirements
Creating a USPS IMb Mailer ID — Follow these simple steps to create your own USPS Mailer ID.
get started
Work and Play
99 Ways to Win an Argument — In a perfect world, best ideas win. In the real world, recognize these logical fallacies.
dark arts
iPhones, Androids and Print Production — It may be tempting to edit and send us a file from your smart phone or approve a proof from your iPad. We find the technology is not quite ready.
here's why
How to Quickly Identify Counterfeit Currency — Check out these three simple ways to determine if your larger denomination US currency is authentic.
spot on
The Eggcorn Is Born — An eggcorn is an unintended pun of sorts. A term only recently coined, it's taken on a life of its own.
eat your corny
Hammered Grammar — These jokes, compiled by a dictionary blog, will have every editor out there laughing.
get it?
The True Meaning of Christmas — It's that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the true meaning of Christmas?
our take
A Tale of a Cat Who Killed My Mac — When the cat recently wrecked the Mac, we learned some lessons the hard way that all laptop users should heed.
spilled milk
Video: Very Funny Ikea Catalog TV Commercial — This Ikea television ad highlights the user-friendliness of its print campaign, spoofing a MacBook campaign.
watch it
The Time It Takes — How long does it take to...
fun facts to track time
HLPS Opens Its Doors to a Teacher and His Students — HLPS hosted a teacher and his rural students on a field trip of our plant, providing them with a vision for a real-world career path.
4-color careers
Available: Creative, Print Production Guru — A friend of HLPS is looking for full-time or project work and we can strongly recommend him.
read more
Lessons Learned from a Young Bassoonist — Why would a gifted musician choose such an obscure instrument?
learn about the bassoon
8 Jokes for the Holiday Season — A good joke can come in handy this time of year. Here are eight bad ones.
laugh a little
How a Printing Error Gave Us a Green Incredible Hulk — Stan Lee, the creator of the Incredible Hulk, originally envisioned a grey-skinned hulk. Lucky for him, it printed green.
green with envy
Guide to Google Advanced Search — This is one of the easiest-to-follow guides on Google searches you will ever find. Case study based, live links to each example.
amp your search
Taking Flight with Mercy Air — Mercy Air took us on a flight over Holland with one of their new aircraft.
the view's great from here