Andy Harnett

If we've learned one thing in the ongoing aftermath of the recession, it's that efficiency is more important than ever. Budgets are tight, resources are limited, and time is so scarce we're going to need Greenpeace to intervene to protect it.

The United States' financial situation has gotten so dire, President Obama recently called for the freezing of all federal salaries in an attempt to get a hold on the country's debt, which is expected to rise to $2.3 trillion by 2012.

When it comes to direct mail, design is pretty important.

The message may be in the words, but the design is the voice that gets the point across. A good design adds flare, makes things easier to read and promotes the company or organization's most important information. If the design adds those things, a business is likely looking at higher response rates.

Laser printing and direct mail redefine the market "INTEGRATED PRODUCTS are critical to the forms industry," noted Tom Yeager, vice president of sales and marketing at Batavia, Illinois-based Strata-Tac, a supplier of pressure-sensitive films and laminates for integrated labels, cards, coupons and magnets. "The products allow forms presses to go beyond traditional business forms, and open up new markets for manufacturers and distributors." Yeager added that with the popularity of laser printers, integrated products have become the new "it" in the industry. "Laser printers are so widely used that distributors can't help but to create products that can incorporate laser images—namely integrated