Greystones Printing

More than just ‘thank you’

I can’t think of one single client who hasn’t said ‘thank you’ for the service they have received from Greystones, but an e mail received yesterday was so sweet, I thought it worthy of being posted here. It relates to the wedding stationery for Neil and Jan. I hope they have a very long and happy time together.

<<Hi Richard,
Just to say a big thank you for all your hard work! Everything looks
fantastic. Neil and my mum are over the moon. I will make sure that you get
some wedding cake, as long as you share it with your wife.
Thank you
Jan >>

Makes my job so much better!

piggin phone charges!

I have just received the monthly phone bill from Unicom: they want to charge me £1 for receiving my bill on paper! This is a smack in the face for we in the printing business: whatever next: phone calls by thought transfer or something equally ridiculous?

Pah!

BT is getting my custom back now, following a painless 0800 call. Meanwhile Unicom are leving messages on my answerphone to call them back on an 0161 number. Some chance!

the downside of advertising!

I have, for a number of years, advertised in a local publication, as I am a firm believer in supporting the local business community. Unfortunately, I do not print this particular publication, and I am confident that should I ever have the opportunity to, the quality would increase! I think though, as  the only printer  mentioned within the pages, readers may wrongly assume that the print quality is representative of my print quality! Of course I will continue to advertise as I get a lot of support from the local community. It’s just a pity that the printer of this journal isn’t mentioned as being responsible. This isn’t, I must emphasise, a case of sour grapes, as there’s a lot of work out there, and quite a few printers in this area!

keeping up with the times

When I started with computers some years back, I used a graphics programme called CorelDraw, version 7. I have now upgraded it to X5, which I reckon to be 15, and am getting to grips with the new facilities it offers. Working smarter, not harder, is one of my adages, and this version has a crop button which is so useful. With previous versions, one had to copy and paste into Photopaint, not a tough task, but which added a few minutes to the job. Latest jobs, btw: rallyplaques for a new client in San Fransisco, and some A2 prints of sandwiches: these are not ordinary sandwiches, they are M&S sandwiches!

“what’s your minimum print run?”…….

I am often asked. “One”, is the answer! And to prove it, a lady from Nottingham phoned me yesterday, wanting just one certificate to be presented to a girl who it seemed had excelled at reading in her church.

So, one certificate is now winging its way there, printed with a Sikh crest and border in orange, with the text printed in black, on a really nice parchment-type paper.

Ok, so I won’t be able to buy a new pair of shoes out of the profits of this single job, but a few like this in a week will certainly help.

Print it! Please print it!

So many e mail footers these days suggest that you should think carefully before printing!

I agree! Totally!

Then, having thought, please click ‘print’

It is an ecologically sound thing to do. You are not contributing to the disappearance of the rain forests. You are not saving anything: on the contrary, you are risking everything by not clicking ‘print’

No hardwood trees are chopped down to make paper. The fibres are not suitable

For every softwood tree that is cut down, at least two new ones are planted. Now how good is that for soaking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

Trees for paper manufacturing are crops, just like potatoes: they are planted, harvested, more planted and so on. There is a huge industry that needs supporting, and by not using paper, the implications are far reaching.

Recycling paper is good, but only to a point. By the time paper has been recycled a few times, the fibres are so short that the paper made is too weak. And who wants paper that is not fit for purpose?

So my message to you is to use paper, dispose of it sensibly, but every time you click ‘print’ think of all those you are supporting.

As they say, use it or lose it.

Normal Service has been resumed!

Normal service: is that good or bad?

Having spent all day taking my sad little car all the way to Dorset, I should be working normally from tomorrow (Wednesday) I have however, been at work Tuesday evening: setting up a couple of Orders of Services for funerals, so that the clients can see proofs as soon as possible.

Easter Holiday

Hmmm, yes: Easter has been and gone, and so has the diff on the works ‘van’, losing a tooth or two from a planetary gear, at the Croft Circuit on Easter Monday.

So, I have given myself another days holiday, Tuesday 13th, to take my poorly car to be fixed in Dorset, so back at work Wednesday 14th April.

Meanwhile, reading through the lastest edition of the British Printing Society’s monthly magazine, has spurred me on to see if there are any other members locally who could meet occasionally to chat about printing and other related topics.

Easter Holidays

I shall be closed over Easter, Easter Monday is the first sprint of the new season, and the works van (http://www.pbase.com/richardsmith/image/119223460) will be screeching around the Croft circuit near Darlington. http://www.speedmog.co.uk/

Back at work on Tuesday 6th, then away for a few days, Jane is singing with her choir http://www.singliveuk.com/ in The Basilica in Venice on Saturday 10th, which also happens to be my birthday. Open for business again on Tuesday April 13th

My monthly treat

Every month, the ‘click’ meter on one of my machines is read and recorded, and I am billed accordingly. Nigel the Rotweiller has just been to read the meter, and in the last year, this one machine has run nearly half a million impressions: this is just one of my printers. A busy little thing!