Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Looking for a Short Run Post Card Deal?

Wednesday July 27th 2011 and it is time again for a message from our sponsor.  Well from Paula and Matt at MI Printing.

This week let's take a moment and talk about "Post Cards!"

Direct mail is a very effective way to reach your customer and let them know about your latest products, newest services, up-coming events or your website. There are so many ways to use post cards in today's marketing environment.

With our new digital printing we can even make short-run post cards a very cost effective tool.  You can target a smaller group of potential customers and get out your sale notices even faster.

We can also do your long runs in many popular size Post Cards.  If you have a motel / hotel or tourist attraction we can help you with Post Cards that promote your location and even sell to your customers.

Post cards for sales and For Sale!

If you need help from start to finish MI Printing is here to help meet your Post Card needs.

We are known for our fair prices and quick turn arounds.

Call us for your post card solutions at 623-582-1302 and ask Paula about current our pricing!

Monday, July 25, 2011

MI Printing: AZ History One City At A Time: Bisbee

Bisbee, Arizona is located just 90 miles east and south of Tucson.  Bisbee is nestled in the Mule Mountains,  and is the picturesque county seat of Cochise County. Bisbee was founded in 1880 and named after Judge DeWitt Bisbee, a financial backer of the Copper Queen Mine.

The city was known as “the Queen of the Copper Camps”, this Old West mining camp proved to be one of the richest mineral sites in the world, producing nearly three million ounces of gold and more than eight billion pounds of copper, not to mention the silver, lead and zinc that came from these rich Mule Mountains.

By the early 1900s, the Bisbee community was the largest city between St. Louis, MO and San Francisco, CA.

Bisbee, with a population of over 20,000 people in the early 1900’s, had become one of the most cultured cities in the Southwest. Despite its culture, however, the rough edges of the mining camps could be found in notorious Brewery Gulch, with its saloons and shady ladies. Brewery Gulch, which in its heyday boasted upwards of 47 saloons and was considered the "liveliest spot between El Paso and San Francisco".

Bisbee offered other recreational pursuits in that it was home to the state’s first community library, a popular opera house, the state’s oldest ball fields and the state’s first golf course. Bisbee is the Nation’s southernmost mile-high city. In the year 1908, a fire ravaged most of the commercial district along Main Street, leaving nothing but ashes.

The residents of Bisbee quickly began reconstruction and by 1910, most of the district had been rebuilt and remains completely intact today.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Robert A. Bates Memorial Print Shop

Robert A. Bates Memorial Print Shop is part of the Sharlot Hall Museum located in Prescott, Arizona. The museum is named after its founder, Sharlot Mabridth Hall (1870-1943), who became well known as a poet, activist, politician, and Arizona’s first territorial historian. Sharlot Hall was one of the West’s most remarkable women. As early as 1907, Ms. Hall saw the need to save Arizona's history and planned to develop a museum.

This print shop represents a small job/newspaper shop of the Arizona territorial period, 1863-1912. The presses used in this shop are of the 1860s, and use the centuries-old letterpress process. This Washington Hand Press was built in 1868 by R. Hoe & Co. for the production of weekly newspapers.  It is the Imperial #5 model, weighing 2,150 lbs.  It was sold with a one-year warranty.

This press was used to produce the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee in the 1870s.  It is typical of the many presses hauled by wagon or train to the outer reaches of civilization during the western expansion period.

Look Around the Frontier Print Shop. The objects used to produce material by the letterpress printing process are found in our territorial print shop.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

MI Printing: Let Us Help With Door Hangers

Door hangers are the one of the least expensive and most effective of the print media.

The key to an effective door hanger promotion is the right design and the right call to action. Your design must reflect your company’s personality and your message has to induce the customer to take action now.

“On Door” Advertising: Because your advertising message is displayed on your prospect’s door, it is likely to be carried into your prospect’s home. The door hanger typically stands alone without competition. With a correct design, your message is very likely to be read.

Buy Now & Later: Most door hangers include a call to action such as a special promotion, limited time offer or coupon. Because they are printed on a heavier weight stock, they are perceived as less disposable than a text-weight flyer. Not only is the customer prompted to buy now, he will keep the door hanger to take advantage of your offer later. Your message will be on-hand the next time your prospect is in need of your product.

Neighborly Effect: Door hangers also act as a personal calling card. To leave a door hanger on your prospect’s door, you had to have visited them first. Door hangers demonstrate your knowledge of the prospect’s presence while making him aware of your presence in his neighborhood as well.

Additional Uses: Door hangers are not limited to promotional advertising. They can be used to spread information, build name recognition, service reminders, even to let your customer know you paid them a visit. As a direct marketing tool, door hangers also offer a unique opportunity at very personalized messages. Some of our customers have directed their messages to specific neighborhoods and apartment complexes, calling them out by name on the door hanger. The customer reached their target and created the perception that the offer was special and exclusive to their target.

We are ready to help just give us a call at 623.582.1302 for our current special pricing.

Monday, July 18, 2011

MI Printing: AZ History: One City at a Time: Bagdad

Bagdad Arizona was begun early in 1880.  Copper ore was found there by prospectors.  Because of its isolated location and low grade, however, ore was not developed. Although the Giroux Syndicate gained rights to the mine in 1906, it was not able to establish a thriving copper mine. Between 1906 and 1927 a number of companies tried to work the mine with the greatest (yet still unsuccessful) effort being that of the Lewishon interests.

In 1927 the Bagdad Copper Company began operation. The timing of the Great Depression in 1929, slowed but did not stop their efforts. The company managed to continue development through the 1930's and, in 1941 received a government loan that enabled them to add new equipment. Since the low grade ore made underground mining unprofitable, General Manager, Ernest R. Dickie, began converting to an open pit operation. Dickie used large trucks for haulage, and Bagdad became the testing ground for much of the change taking place in large ore trucks. All underground mining at Bagdad had ended by 1950.

Cyprus Mines Corporation formerly operated the copper mine until Cyprus merged with Phelps Dodge. This copper mine does open pit mining and currently runs on an around-the-clock schedule. The copper concentrate is either trucked to southern Arizona, or taken by semi to 20 miles outside of town to a small railroad community named Hillside.

Freeport-McMoRan (which acquired Phelps Dodge in 2007) owns all of the housing and commercial buildings in Bagdad.  The town has a main shopping center named Copper Plaza, with a small Bashas' grocery store and other businesses. Copper Plaza used to have a bank, but Stockmen's Bank pulled out due to lack of profits. However, the Arizona State Credit Union and the Bashas' Associates Federal Credit Union both installed ATMs inside Bashas'.

The Bagdad Community Health Center operates a clinic and provides Bagdad with medical care. The clinic is operated by registered nurses and one doctor. The one doctor is out of the Prescott area is in charge of the facility. Fry's Food and Drug operates a pharmacy in this clinic as well.

Friday, July 15, 2011

MI Printing: Famous Printers in History

Benjamin Franklin, born January 17, 1706 was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.

He became wealthy publishing Poor Richard's Almanack and The Pennsylvania Gazette.

As a scientist, he was a major figure in the Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove and a carriage odometer.

For many years he was the British postmaster for the colonies, which enabled him to set up the first national communications network. He was active in community affairs, colonial and state politics, as well as national and international affairs. From 1785 to 1788, he served as governor of Pennsylvania. Toward the end of his life, he freed his slaves and became one of the most prominent abolitionists.

His colorful life and legacy of scientific and political achievement, and status as one of America's most influential Founding Fathers, have seen Franklin honored on coinage and money; warships; the names of many towns, counties, educational institutions, namesakes, and companies; and more than two centuries after his death, countless cultural references.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Mi Printing: Word Origins: Carpe diem

The phrase "Carpe diem" is one you hear when someone is trying to make a point. The meaning translated from Latin is usually "seize the day". However, Latin scholars will tell you that is incorrect. "Carpe" translates literally as "pluck", with particular reference to the picking of fruit, so a more accurate rendition is "pluck the day, when it is ripe". The extended version of the phrase "carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero" translates as "Pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the future".

Based on Google information more people search for the little-used phrase "carpe diem" than they do for any other phrase.

The meaning of "carpe diem" is similar to that of many phrases we continue to use in English and can be thought of as a warning to make the most of the time we have, with the implication that our time on Earth is short. Other related phrases are "Strike while the iron is hot" and "The early bird catches the worm".

The original source for the phrase is the lyric poet Horace (1st century BC). The term is first found in Odes Book I: Dum loquimur, fugerit invida Aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero which translates as: "While we're talking, envious time is fleeing: pluck the day, put no trust in the future".

Many authors have quoted the Latin original, but it was Lord Byron's use of the phrase that first began to integrate it into English. He included it in his 1817 work "Letters", which was published in 1830 by Thomas Moore: "I never anticipate, - carpe diem - the past at least is one's own, which is one reason for making sure of the present."

The noble George Gordon Noel, sixth Baron Byron, is better known as a womaniser than as a Latin scholar, but he was well versed in the language and was a Horace aficionado. He was taught Latin as a child by the son of his bootmaker and went on to write his version of Horace's The Art of Poetry, as "Hints from Horace", in 1811.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

MI Printing: Special 20% Off All Carbonless Forms

At MI Printing we can take care of all of your carbonless needs far beyond just carbonless forms.  These can be used for employment applications, order forms, job tickets, invoices, estimates or proposals. If needed, backside printing is available.

Please let us know what type of padding you expect for your forms.  For best results a PDF file is required for the customer supplied artwork. 

We are featuring 20% off all carbonless forms this week at MI Printing.

Need to know more about all the uses for carbonless forms contact us at MI Printing.

We are ready to help just give us a call at 623.582.1302 for our current special pricing on carbonless forms.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

MI Printing: Word Origins: A Shot In The Arm

A Shot In The Arm; that is a phrase we hear a lot these days and it usually has something to do with improving the economy.  No argument there. 

While the word "shot" has many meanings; a gun being fired, small lead weights, projectiles in a shotgun shell and a loud noise, to name just a few.

When we use A Shot In The Arm we generally mean a "stimulus" of some kind. 

The origin of this expression derives from the invigorating effect of injecting drugs. A "shot" is of course normal slang for an injection, either of a narcotic or medicinal drug.

That term has been in use since around the beginning of the 20th century, for example, this piece from the San Francisco Chronicle Supplement, October 1904:

"I varied hardly a minute each day in the time of taking my injection. My first shot was when I awoke in the morning."

'A shot in the arm' came soon afterwards and the first mention of a figurative use of it in print that can be found is from the Maine newspaper The Lewiston Evening Journal, January 1916:

"The veterns can give politics a shot in the arm and the political leaders realize it."

Monday, July 11, 2011

MI Printing: AZ History One City At a Time: Pinetop-Lakeside

The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside is in northeastern Arizona.  They invite you to experience some of the nation’s most stunning forests, lakes and streams.  The Town of Pinetop-Lakeside is nestled in one of the largest stands of ponderosa pines on the planet, and has abundant wildlife and natural discoveries.

Located about a 2½ hour drive north-east of Phoenix, Arizona, in the White Mountains, Pinetop-Lakeside is a true four seasons area that has many great things to do year round.  In the summer you can hike, plan a picnic, dine, play golf, mountain bike, go horseback riding, swimming, shopping and enjoy nature at its finest.  In the winter you can add snow skiing and snow boarding to that list as well. The beautiful Apache Sitgreaves National Forest has camping and fishing as well as many types of wildlife and birds for nature lovers.  Always bring your camera to capture the sights of the forest and surrounding area.

History
Settlement started about in the late1880s.  Pinetop-Lakeside was first called Penrod after David Penrod, a local settler. The area was on edge of Fort Apache Indian Reservation. A bachelor named Johnny Phipps ran a saloon for the black soldiers from Fort Apache.

The Penrods built and ran a saw mill here as early as 1891.  The United States Post Office abandoned the name Penrod and accepted the name Pinetop. Until 1906 the residents were thirteen Penrod children.

Friday, July 8, 2011

MI Printing: History of Printing: Farmers' Almanac

Farmers' Almanac is an annual North American periodical that has been in continuous publication since 1818. Published by the Almanac Publishing Company, of Lewiston, Maine, it is famous for its long-range weather predictions and astronomical data, as well as its trademark blend of humor, trivia, and advice on gardening, cooking, fishing, and human-interest crusades. Conservation, sustainable living, and simplicity are core values of the publication and its editors, and these themes are heavily promoted in every edition.

The Farmers’ Almanac was founded in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1818 by editor David Young and publisher Jacob Mann; this was, co-incidentally, two years following the "year without a summer" which was an ecological disaster for farmers in northeastern America. Astronomer Samuel Hart Wright succeeded Young in 1851. Over the years, the Farmers’ Almanac has had seven editors.

Ray Geiger served as the Farmers’ Almanac's longest-running editor, from 1934 until shortly before his death in 1994. In 1955, Geiger moved production of the Farmers' Almanac from Newark, New Jersey, to its current headquarters in Lewiston, Maine. Today, his son, Peter Geiger, Philom., continues the legacy, along with Managing Editor Sandi Duncan, Philom. Duncan is the first female almanac editor in United States history.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

MI Printing: Word Origins: As Mad as a Hatter

Meaning: Completely mad. This is now commonly understood to mean crazy, although the original meaning is unclear and may have meant annoyed.

Origin: Mercury used to be used in the making of hats. This was known to have affected the nervous systems of hatters, causing them to tremble and appear insane. A neurotoxicologist correspondent informs me that "Mercury exposure can cause aggressiveness, mood swings, and anti-social behaviour.", so that derivation is certainly plausible - although there's only that circumstantial evidence to support it.

The use of mercury compounds in 19th century hat making and the resulting effects are well-established - mercury poisoning is still known today as 'Mad Hatter's disease'. That could be enough to convince us that this is the source of the phrase. The circumstantial evidence is rather against the millinery origin though and, beyond the fact that hatters often suffered trembling fits, there's little to link hat making to the coining of 'as mad as a hatter'.

The earliest known printed citation of the phrase that I know of is from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, January-June 1829. It appears in a section of the magazine headed Noctes Ambrocianæ.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

10,000 #10 Window Envelopes MI Printing

Business Envelopes, #10 White Window Envelopes 10,000 for just $348.60 One Color (Any) Ink on front from customer supplied art (PDF Format) +  Delivered + Sales tax if applicable.

Many times the first impression a person will have with your company is to handle and open correspondence that arrives in your company envelope.  There’s something about receiving a custom printed business envelope. You can feel the importance and significance of any document with the help of logo, printing and the quality of the paper.  In fact, correct envelope printing adds greatly to the image and credibility of a company.

While your letterheads are standards for businesses and companies, the envelopes that carry that important document can not be a poor quality product.

Business envelope printing is crucial because it contributes to the image of professionalism and reliability that a company projects. The image of a company can be picked up from the documents that they produce and use in communications with the public.

Your company's formality and credibility is also reflected in your envelopes.  Envelopes in fact, have the power to affect a response from the recipients whether its favorable or not.  Depending on the look, appearance, color and quality, your envelope can greatly influence the way your recipients think about you and your company's message.

Contact Matt or Paula at MI Printing for help with your professional quality business envelopes. 623-582-1302

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

MI Printing: Word Origins: Jack Of All Trades

A man who can turn his hand to many things. 

With any phrase that includes a name, it's natural to consider whether its the name of a real person. In this case, as was the case with many other literary Jacks - Jack the Lad, Jack Robinson, Jack Sprat, Jack Horner, Jack Frost, etc, Jack of all trades was a generic term rather than a living and breathing individual. In fact, the very long list of terms that include 'Jack' exceeds that of any other name in English and this reflects the fact that, as a derivative of the common name 'John', 'Jack' has been used just to mean 'the common man'. This usage dates back to the 14th century and an example is found in John Gower's Middle English poem Confessio Amantis, 1390:

Therwhile he hath his fulle packe,
They seie, 'A good felawe is Jacke'.


We now use 'Jack of all trades, master of none' in a derogatory way. Originally, this wasn't the case and the label 'Jack of all trades' carried no negative connotation, the 'master of none' part being added later. Nevertheless, mediaeval Jacks were pretty much at the bottom of the social tree. The OED defines the generic meaning of the name Jack thusly:

Jack - A man of the common people; a lad, fellow, chap; especially a low-bred or ill-mannered fellow, a 'knave'

If 16th century commentators wanted to imply that a person was stretching their talents too thinly they resorted to the disparaging Latin term Johannes factotum ('Johnny do-it-all'). In 1592, the English writer and member of the literary establishment Robert Greene wrote a pamphlet entitled Groats-worth of Witte. In that he ventured the opinion that a new writer on the scene was:

An upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke verse as the best of you. Beeing an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey.

Sadly for Greene's ongoing reputation the 'Upstart crow' was William Shakespeare.

Various trades were populated by Jacks - lumberjacks, steeplejacks for example, and sailors were Jack-tars. There can't have been any trades in the Middle Ages that didn't make use of a jack of some sort.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Fourth of July

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.

 In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across  the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.

 In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.

 In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.

 In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann  Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".

 In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.

 In 1820 the first Fourth of July celebration was held in Eastport, Maine which remains the largest in the state.

 In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.

 In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

Today we celebrate Independence day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue, watching parades and firework displays and take advantage of the day off.

We hope you have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Matt and Paula

Friday, July 1, 2011

MI Printing: Printing as Part of World Events and History

When you look at a list of the 50 most important events in all of history it should not be surprising that the world of printing is mentioned 10 times. Communication is ranked right up there with fire, the wheel and metallurgy.  With communications, publishing and printing mentioned as 20% of the top 50 events in human history you can ubderstand how proud we are to be part of the tradition of printing.

3200 BC Invention of writing in Mesopotamia: the means to record and understand human history.

1600 BC Modern alphabet invented: the essential means of communication of complex concepts and culture.

AD 105 First use of modern paper: this replaced stone, slate, papyrus and vellum as a cheap and convenient medium.

AD 730 Printing invented in China: an essential step in mass communication/ administration/cultural dissemination.

1088 First university founded in Bologna, Italy: the start of a modern conception of higher learning and universal knowledge.

1455 First book printed with moveable type: Johannes Gutenberg’s revolution in printing technology makes mass-market reading possible.

1651 Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan is published: this is the origin of the modern idea of civil society, equality before the law and egoistic individualism]

1687 Isaac Newton publishes Principia Mathematica, the foundation of modern physics.


1859 Publication of Darwin’s The Origin of Species. His theory of evolution transforms the view of Man and his environment, and belief in God.

1905 Einstein’s theory of special relativity published. It transforms the nature of modern physical knowledge.

Have a great day.

Matt & Paula