A Seattle non-profit, Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, came to us with a great print project. They created a small booklet as part of a fundraising campaign to raise the 7.6 million dollars needed for their cathedral renovations.
The Project
The sixteen page booklet, beautifully designed by Gregory Bloch, is 8″ x 6 3/16″ and weighs 1.6 oz. They ordered 2000 units total. It was our job to deliver high quality prints in a timely fashion, all while working within Saint Mark’s strict project budget.
Aesthetically, the piece needed to have a certain “warmth” to it. The concern was that anything overly glossy with a slick texture would appear too “sales-y”. It would overstate the message giving the wrong impression to their target audience. It is critical that the look and feel match the message being conveyed or the overall effectiveness of the piece will significantly decrease.
The booklet was being distributed via USPS. To ensure proper delivery, it had to meet all the requirements set forth by the postal system for non-profit organizations. Our pre-press department worked closely with the designer throughout the process to make sure the booklet met all the non-profit mailing guidelines.
The Printing Solution
Our digital printing is known for being a cost effective way to deliver high quality results. It was a no-brainer that the client decided to go that route. They wanted to replicate the look of traditional offset printing as closely as possible. Choosing the right paper was a critical component. Proofs were printed on the actual stock to be used and shown to the client for approval. Two different paper stocks were chosen. The cover was printed on a 14pt. Classic Crest Solar White with a stipple finish by Neenah Paper. The stipple finish adds an elegant texture that subtly catches the light. The inside pages were printed on 7pt. silk book stock, smooth to the touch without the unwanted gloss. The stock has a nice muted matte look that nicely compliments the cover.
This particular paper comes in large 28”x 40” sheets. Our Xerox iGen 150 digital press can handle sheet size up 14 1/3” x 26”. The stock was first cut in half to a more manageable 14” x 20”. It is imperative to maximize the amount of paper used per sheet to keep costs as low as possible. Eight pages were printed per sheet (4up on each side, front and back). A total of 3,162 sheets were used to print the inside pages. And 1,078 sheets were used to print the cover.
Variable data printing was used to print over 1,500 unique mailing addresses on the back cover.
Bindery – Putting it All Together
The project then moved over to our bindery department for assembly. Before the sheets can be stitched together, they first must be scored. The term scoring refers to the process of pressing a crease line into the paper at the folding point so the paper will fold easily without cracking. For best results the scoring should be done with the grain of the paper.
A saddle stitch (a staple that passes through the fold) was used to hold the booklet together. All saddle stitch books require the number of pages to be in multiples of four. Four sheets total (one for the cover, three for the inside pages) were used to create this sixteen page booklet.
All 2,000 booklets were carefully boxed and packaged. Most were delivered (for free) to the appropriate USPS bulk mail facility for shipping. The remainder were driven directly to the client’s doorstop (also for free – did we mention that we offer free delivery within the Puget Sound area?).
The Results
The client couldn’t have been happier with the finished results — And when our clients are happy, we are happy!
It is always a pleasure working on print projects that have such a positive impact on the Seattle community.
This booklet has been a key component in Saint Mark’s fundraising efforts. One year into their three-year campaign they have raised over four million dollars. It’s enough to pay for the urgent repairs to the exterior of the cathedral. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2016.
We would love to provide print collateral for your next marketing campaign. Don’t hesitate to drop us a line. A seasoned AlphaGraphics account manager will be ready to answer any questions you may have.
Contact us here.