Bowater Inc.

No one can deny that 2007 was an eventful year, testing the business savvy and agility of some of the industry’s most seasoned players. Last May’s postal rate jump (with another increase slated for May this year) coupled with a weak U.S. dollar presented significant challenges for catalogers trying to maintain control of production costs. Next to postal rates, paper poses the greatest challenge to most catalogers. The dip in the value of U.S. currency and the strength of the Canadian dollar have led to considerable downsizing among paper mills. Last year, Domtar, Fraser Papers, Tembec Coated Paper Group, UPM-Kymmene Group and Wausau Paper

Ever since the U.S. Postal Service implemented the first of several blockbuster double-digit rate increases back in the late 1980s and early ’90s, many catalogers have been readying themselves for subsequent rate hikes with cost-cutting measures. The most prevalent one has been, and continues to be, a reduction in paper weight, as well as trim size. Many mailers have trimmed about as much as they can over the years from their books’ dimensions. And with a 9 percent increase in Standard mail postage looming for next spring, which comes on the heels of another postage increase earlier this year, testing out lighter paper grades

By Gretchen A. Peck This Special Report includes: Catalog Design Duels, 10 Money-Saving Tips and What's New in Paper. The challenges catalogers face today have been building in recent years. Schedules continue to be compressed, and postage, paper and transportation costs are rising. Moreover, you continue to face obstacles as you attempt to create an efficient digital workflow for producing both your print and electronic catalogs. And all the while, pressures abound to cut time and expense from the process — without, of course, sacrificing even a smidgen of quality. For this Special Report, Catalog Success went in search

Despite the advent of e-commerce and the digital age, you’re guaranteed to interact with paper countless times every single day. And until something better comes along, it’s safe to say that paper will be a big part of the catalog industry for the forseeable future. With that in mind, here’s a rundown of some paper products that have been released in the past several months. From environmentally sound options to a few that could save you money on postage, the editors at Idea Factory present a list of papers that hopefully will get you thinking about the ever-present material on which you print your catalogs. ¥