December 2016 – messages from happy customers

To say we have received many positive comments about the quality of the printing. Someone said the a picture in the book looked better than the original, great praise indeed. The award winning Watermill bookshop in Aberfeldy said it was a real bargain for the quality the book offered. The book is proving really popular and selling really well. Officially it only went on sale on the 29th Nov and we have already sold 214 copies. Roben A.

Thanks also for sending us some copies, they look great. Sophie G.

Just got files – very nice. Gill D.

I also wanted to make sure I emailed back to say how pleased we and our clients are with the printed result, thank you. Michael S.

Well hands down that’s the best mailer I’ve ever received (Parky 2017 desk calendar) Simon M.

I just wanted to say thank you for sending over a few brochures for us in the office – they look really good Vanessa W.

Thanks again for the events guides – they look great! Jacquelyn W.

Thank you so much for sending the brochures on time. They look perfect! Thank you for all your help this year look forward to working with you in 2017. Isabel S.

Just a quick email to say thank you, the Face Charts have arrived and are perfect! Thank you for amending the design as well. Kat V.

They are looking great by the way – very happy with the quality Selma W.

Thanks for the manuals they look great! Nick R.

Thank you so much for sorting those A5 cards out, they arrived in time and were just the job so thank you Harriet W.

November 2016 – messages from happy customers

I have my file copies  – nice clean job, many thanks Lydia T.

I know you are men and men don’t typically  receive flowers but by way of thanks and gratitude to you for printing our booklets for free and wanted to send you a colourful thank you! The booklets looked amazing on Friday at our event and Im really grateful for you turning it around Nadine K.

We had the ERL brochure delivered last week and we are very pleased with the final printed version, thanks for your work on this and the quick turn around to meet our deadline Steve T.

The brochures are here and look absolutely bl**dy amazing! Thank you to you both and the team. You guys rock. Kate E.

Thanks for pulling out the stops this week,both to you and the rest of the team Phil R.

Choosing the correct paper for your project.

The world of paper can appear to be quite complicated, dozens of paper names sold by an array of merchants. The aim of this blog is to de-mystify and simplify the choice of papers

• The world of paper basically falls into two categories – coated and uncoated.
• Most paper used in the UK comes from only a few European mills.
• Merchants sell the same paper under their own brand names.

Coated paper

Coated paper can be called Gloss or Art (shiny paper), or Silk, Matt and Satin (all matt paper). The surface of this type of paper has a coating which is smooth which provide a great surface to print detailed images, as the ink doesn’t absorb into the sheet readily and it sits on the surface.

Uncoated paper

Uncoated paper can also be called Offset, which has no coating and has a rougher more absorbent surface. With traditional litho printing, images printed on this type of paper can look a little flat and “milky” as the image blots into the sheet. However using the waterless process that we employ at Park Lane Press we don’t have these issues, and are able to achieve a similar result as achieved on a coated stock. We’re specialists in printing on uncoated stock and many of our clients come to us first because of the results we’re able to produce.
FSC papers
The good news is that nearly all the paper supplied into the UK is either FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). This means that there is a record, or chain of custody, to track, and therefore prove, where the tree was grown and made into paper, in order to protect Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) like the rainforest.

Recycled paper
Recycled paper has improved over the decades and is no longer a poor quality alternative. There is very little to differentiate between an FSC or a recycled sheet, except for a marginal colour difference, and is indistinguishable once printed on. Recycled paper is available in both coated and uncoated.
Recycled paper is more expensive but if the print run is small – say up to 2000 copies. This may not have a big impact on the overall price of the job so it may be worth considering.

Premium sheets
Many designers will specify premium sheets, such as coloured boards and super smooth papers, which can make a massive impact on the finished job. However the price can hike dramatically and the printers will more than likely cover in ink and seal with a coating which can lose the characteristics of the original paper! It’s always worth speaking to us and we can advise on cheaper alternatives which will help the budget in most cases.
Whichever route you choose, we can supply the relevant FSC logos and blurb to show that it has been printed in an environmentally-friendly way. A member of our team will be pleased to help if in doubt.