Eric Fiedler

Value-added opportunities arise as customers increase demand for unique, personalized products By Eric Fiedler It's no wonder postal workers are among the most disgruntled of the nation's masses—each direct mail sale means more work for them. Direct mail sales have been on the rise for more than a decade—at a clip of about 7 percent per year—and show no signs of stopping. "There will be some changes in the frequency or the size and weight of the pieces that are mailed out after the postal increase in January, but I do not believe the opportunities will decline for a long time," said Lee

These eye-catching products can add value to your sales portfolio By Eric Fiedler Holographic labels are like fine china—both are used primarily for special occasions. While such a product may not do much to boost sales volume, it is still a good item to have in your repertoire. "Once in a while we'll get a customer who wants to run a special promotion without much emphasis on cost," said Michael O'Hare, president of Northeast Quality Products, Newburyport, Mass. He has seen some interest in the product from manufacturers of food, health and beauty and other consumer products. "No matter what you do with

An outbreak of online print solution providers offers an opportunity for convenience—as well as the potential for confusion By Eric Fiedler Just five years ago, electronic commerce was an obscure, futuristic idea. Today, it is everywhere. Five years from now, we may wonder how we ever did business without it. In two years alone, approximately 30 start-up print e-commerce services have been launched or have announced their intention to launch.Services vary significantly, but the most prominent ones provide collaborative tools to facilitate project management between printers and print buyers. Generally, the services enable printers and print buyers to interact through a secure Web site and exchange information about

Easily removable and replaceable static clings are a popular solution to a sticky problem By Eric Fiedler It DonÍt mean a thing if it ainÍt got that cling„static cling, that is. For forms distributors dabbling in promotional products, static cling labels and decals offer an ideal way help make the crossover complete. ñWe produce custom static clings in the promotional realm,î said Kathy Tucker, a customer service representative for Tucson, Arizona-based MNOP. Tucker said that her companyÍs Window Hugger static cling product has been popular for radio stations as well as school and holiday promotions. Nancy Klaar, director of marketing for Label Art, Wilton, N.H., said the marketplace

On-demand printing threatens to transform the industry By Eric Fiedler A multitude of industries have used the "just-in-time" process of supply and demand to reduce inventory and save time. It accomplished its goals, and there have been few side effects. When integrated into forms, however, just-in-time is commonly known as on-demand printing—a concept that threatens to displace every business forms model currently in use. "It is more than just a new technology, it's a paradigm shift that will dramatically change the way we do business," said Charles Pesko, president and founder, CAP Ventures, Boston. Pesko has been following the electronic printing industry for about 25 years and is an

Pressure-seal and other self-mailer products rule the marketplace By Eric Fiedler As the traditional mailer market matures, self-mailer sales are soaring. "The absolute major growth area for us is the pressure-seal product," said Deanna Day, product manager at Poser, Fairhope, Ala. "It really goes hand-in-hand with the decline of impact printers." The success of pressure-seal self-mailers can be attributed to savings in both money and time. Folding and stuffing aren't necessary, envelope costs are avoided, and a typical pressure-seal system is capable of preparing up to 10,000 11&Mac253; forms per hour. Richard Kuntz, president of GBF Graphics, Skokie, Ill., reported that his company's Securi-Seal3™ pressure-seal product is selling beyond