HLPS Resource Center
this month's articles
Reminder: Donor Receipts Must Be Mailed First Class
Acknowledgments of organizations or individuals who make donations are considered financial documents.» know the rules
Holland Litho Participates in Joy99's New Match Game!
Holland Litho is providing a prize for the new radio station Joy99 Match Game for 2020.» listen at 7:20 am!
Thanks to You, We Jumped 32!
Holland Litho is now ranked number 270 in Printing Impressions' list of the top 400 printers in North America.» thank you!
Giving Back Selection: Riding for Ryan
Nominate your favorite charity for free Giving Back business cards!» choose the 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.
2/2020
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Reminder: Donor Receipts Must Be Mailed First Class — Acknowledgments of organizations or individuals who make donations are considered financial documents.
know the rules -
Holland Litho Participates in Joy99's New Match Game! — Holland Litho is providing a prize for the new radio station Joy99 Match Game for 2020.
listen at 7:20 am! -
Thanks to You, We Jumped 32! — Holland Litho is now ranked number 270 in Printing Impressions' list of the top 400 printers in North America.
thank you!
1/2020
We had a great 2019. Here's to an even better 2020. — Your support of Holland Litho keeps dollars in our community and for that we are so thankful.
read more
2020 Calendar Images — We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2020 Calendar Contest. Want one? They are free! Just ask your sales rep.
see the images
USPS: Overview of 2020 Postage Rates — The USPS announced its 2020 postage rates. Here's a rundown of the major changes. Call us for details.
get the latest
11/2019
View Our Packaging Samples! — We've updated our website with hundreds of packaging samples. Check them out!
print and fold!
Happy Thanksgiving from Your Friends at Holland Litho — Wishing you and your family all the best next Thursday.
greetings
10/2019
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
9/2019
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 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
8/2019
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
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!
7/2019
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
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
17 Reasons to Consider a Calendar — Calendars are great promotional tools. Here are 17 reasons why!
save the date
6/2019
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
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
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
5/2019
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
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
Save 2% on Postage Costs This Fall with the Informed Delivery Promotion — Enjoy big savlngs with easy-to-implement Informed Delivery
learn more
4/2019
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
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
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
3/2019
Paper in Stock? — When talking about paper for a project, we're often asked, "Do you stock that?"
where housed?
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
HLPS Achieves Top Rating with the Better Business Bureau — Holland Litho has received an A+ ranking from the Better Business Bureau.
extra credit
2/2019
Are You Kitting? — Holland Litho can help you print, manage, warehouse and distribute your communications.
learn more
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
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
1/2019
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USPS: Overview of 2020 Postage Rates — The USPS announced its 2020 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
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
12/2018
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
Why invest in preprinted letterhead? — Author Eddy Hagen shows us why quality preprinted letterhead and envelopes are a great idea.
see why
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
11/2018
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
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
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
10/2018
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
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
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
9/2018
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- The Importance of Accurate Job Specs — Accurate specifications ahead of time are essential to getting your job printed quickly at the price you expect. Here's what we need to know.
quote requirements 
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
8/2018
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
Calculate the Impact of Specifying Recycled Stock — Did you know that Holland Litho provides a recycling calculator its website?
learn more
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
7/2018
Creating Color Harmonies — Creating beautiful schemes is easy if you rely on any of the tried and true visual harmonies.
here's how
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
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
6/2018
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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 
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
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
4/2018
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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 Paper Guide — Look no further if you need a great set of tutorials covering all paper topics.
click and icon to learn more- Tulip Time continues its tradition with Holland Litho — HLPS is honored to once again be the official printer of Tulip Time. View some samples, and see a video of the Jeopardy episode on which it was featured!
celebrate spring
3/2018
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
The Ultimate Envelope Guide — Find specifications on over 100 sizes in 12 categories, with a downloadable die file available for each envelope.
envelope options
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
12/2017
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
Happy Holidays from Holland Litho! — We at Holland Litho wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
thank you!
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
11/2017
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!
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
Video: The Importance of Sustainable Forestry — Know the truth about recycling, where paper comes from and the importance of sustainable forestry.
watch now
9/2017
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
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
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
8/2017
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
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- Kristi Samuels joins Holland Litho as both sales rep and expert resource — We at Holland Litho couldn't be happier to have Kristi Samuels join our team as a Print Sales Representative.
meet kristi
5/2017
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
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- HLPS welcomes Scott VanderVeen to our sales team — A seasoned print professional, we at HLPS are truly honored and excited about adding Scott VanderVeen to our sales team.
introducing scott
3/2017
- HLPS Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary — 1957 was the year of Gunsmoke, Jail House Rock and the founding of Holland Litho Printing Service.
read more - Tulip Time continues its tradition with Holland Litho — HLPS is honored to once again be the official printer of Tulip Time. View some samples, and see a video of the Jeopardy episode on which it was featured!
celebrate spring 
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
1/2017
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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 
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
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
10/2016
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
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!
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
9/2016
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
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
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
8/2016
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!
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- The Story Behind the 2016 Olympic Logo — A Brazilian design firm bested 138 other creative firms to win the Olympic Committee contract.
see the logos
5/2016
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
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
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
4/2016
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?
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
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
2/2016
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
Like Our All New Facebook Page! — We've completely revamped our Facebook page with new photos, posts and more!
like us
1/2016
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- See the Winning Images in Our 2016 HLPS Calendar — View al the winners of the HLPS 2016 Calendar contest, with the theme of Michigan Bridges, Dams and Lighthouses.
view the images 
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
12/2015
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
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
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
11/2015
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
B2B Survey: 64% rely on direct mail — B2B respondents listed direct mail as a critical component of their marketing mix.
best practices
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
9/2015
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- What 9 Iconic Websites Used to Look Like — Check out how these web behemoths went from amateur to slick in a span of just ten to 20 years!
then and 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
7/2015
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- Can You Read This? New Font Mimics Difficulty for Dyslexics — Dan Britton, a graphic designer and dyslexic, has designed a font that helps non-dyslexics see what it's like.
read this 
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
6/2015
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
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
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
4/2015
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- HLPS Prints Tulip Time Souvenir Publication — HLPS was honored to be chosen by the Tulip Time Festival to print its 30-page souvenir Tulip Photo Book.
see the book 
Infographic: Hidden Messages in 40 Logos — This really cool info graphic reveals the hidden messages in the logos of 40 big brands.
see all 40 logos
3/2015
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
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- Sidekick Revolutionizes Email for Salespeople — Sidekick, a free email plugin, allows you to view the open and click history of every email you send.
track your email
2/2015
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- Search Images by Color with Tineye MulticolorEngine — This cool tool from Idée Labs searches millions of Flickr Creative Commons images.
search now - USPS Proposed 2015 Price Increase and Promotions Schedule — Review the details of the recently-announced price increase and the proposed promotional calendar.
read more
1/2015
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- Big Price Increase at istockphoto.com — istockphoto.com, a stock photo service of Getty Images, has altered its pricing in a way that significantly raised its prices.
see how - Pantone 2015 Color of the Year: Marsala — Pantone finds Marsala to be a stirring and flavorful shade. You decide.
see it! 
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
12/2014
Sponsored Content Trends — Sponsored content is emerging as the newest form of scalable online advertising.
read more
Infographic: Twitter Tips — This infographic from Fusework Studios shows how you can get the most from Twitter.
tweet tweet-
The Ultimate Envelope Guide — Find specifications on over 100 sizes in 12 categories, with a downloadable die file available for each envelope.
envelope options
10/2014
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
From Western Michigan to East Africa — Jim and Mary VanderWal moved to Ethiopia to serve with the mission organization SIM in Ethiopia.
their journey
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
8/2014
Image Scaling Limitations — How much can you scale an original photograph? This article provides the answers.
image tips
Digital Printing Production Tips — Review our quick list of considerations when you plan to print your project digitally.
review the tips- Earins: A Case Study in Great Design — New truly wireless earbuds push the design envelope.
hear about this
6/2014
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
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- Great File Upload Options — Whether you print all the time or are an infrequent customer, we've got the right solution for you.
your upload options