Discover the National Stationery Show
By Allison Kline, ABC™, sash&bow, Green Bay, Wis.If you like the touch and feel of the wide range of stationery papers available and want to know what is new and trending to bring back to brides in your area, then the best place to be each May is at the Jacob K. Javitz Center in New York City for The National Stationery Show. This year marked its 68th anniversary, and they claim no other trade fair in the country offers as much depth and caliber of stationery as this show.
Increase your profits with stationery offeringsThough the show covers all range of stationery and occasions, there is a large focus on weddings. If the trade-show exhibitors aren’t already in the wedding market, they are trying to break into it. Carlson Craft has expanded its offerings to customers with its 2014 album, which is full of on-trend items: wooden invitations, letterpress, foil, laser cut, and guest-addressing of the invitation envelope. The company also offers full custom invitation designing which is fabulous for planners. This is a great way to source income for yourself rather than paying a designer and only reaping 10-25 percent of the profit. With Carlson Craft, you make 50 percent.Smock is another company that is always on-trend. The selection of bamboo papers and the elegant calligraphy look it offers are second to none. Plus, it is also a 100 percent green printing and paper company. If you want to grow your high-end market, consider adding this company to your invitation selection.Checkerboard is also right on top of the trends, offering www.EasyInvite.com, a website to which your client can upload all of their addresses to have printed on amazing, high-end, beautifully lined envelopes. Their ribbons and overall quality are impeccable.
Custom-design now made easierIf you have had requests to design custom pieces for your brides but don’t want to take the time or are confused by Adobe and searching for other software, www.MountainCow, offers the perfect tool, Printing Press Extreme 8.0. This software works similar to a Microsoft program but does wonders with fonts, addressing, place cards, seating charts, and more. Its monthly newsletter allows you to download new designs right to your desktop, and there are templates that hook up to many companies, like Envelopments. Also included are the font colors from William Arthur, Carlson Craft, and Envelopments. It takes the time out of wondering how to do something, and the company support in guiding you through the process is amazing.Print products online with ease
Where do you print once you have this amazing design? Go to www.StationeryHQ.com. This is a fabulous, relatively new and ever-expanding company offering printing needs for invitations, save the dates, water bottle labels, gift tags, folders, business cards, and more. It offers flat printing, letterpress, foil, and a variety of papers from Pearl to Kraft to its own Savoy, which is 100 percent cotton. You can expect quick turnaround, inexpensive shipping, and amazing quality and customer service. It is free to setup an account with them online at www.StationeryHQ.com.Paper plus: it’s not just about stationery
And don’t forget about the supply side or décor side of The National Stationery Show. There are many paper offerings for paper fans, paper straws, wrapping paper, tissue, note cards, banners, art prints, and more for your events. My Mind’s Eye Paper Goods offers amazing products at affordable prices. Many companies have a low minimum order price of $250 or under. Some don’t have any minimum, which is great for you to get some products flowing in your portfolio.Mark your calendars for 2015Really, there is something for everyone at The National Stationery Show. Mark your calendars—next year’s show is May 17-20, 2015.
