In response to numerous requests, the deadline for the Finch is in the House! Creative Retreat Giveaway has been extended. Designers now have until August 27 to submit samples of projects produced on Finch Paper.

Once samples are received, companies are entered to win an Adirondack Creative Retreat for up to six staff members. The winning project will also be featured in the popular Finch is in the House design blog.

The winner will enjoy an all-expenses paid weekend at a private lodge in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York on September 17-20, 2010.

Enter here.

Geämi, the manufacturer of eco friendly packaging products, has been awarded Sustainable Forestry Initiative third-party Chain-of-Custody Certification.

This certification ensures that the raw materials used to make its packaging paper are obtained from mills that only source wood fibers from 100 percent sustainably managed forests.

Geämi packaging is a Bubble Wrap alternative that is made from 100 percent recyclable paper and is used by businesses that are looking for an environmentally friendly and cost-effective packaging material.

Epson America has expanded its line of proofing media for the packaging and prototyping market with the introduction of MetallicProof Film paper.

As the first of its kind in the industry, MetallicProof Film is a proofing media that enables designers and packaging companies to extend their prototyping capabilities in-house with new substrates and printing effects.

Designed specifically for use with the Epson Stylus Pro WT7900 with Epson UltraChrome HDR White Ink, Epson’s new MetallicProof Film, along with Epson’s ClearProof Film and CrystalClear Film, give packaging designers and prepress houses a range of high-quality, low-cost printing solutions to produce contract proofs, mock-ups and prototypes.

INX International Ink Co. announced a price increase effective September 1, 2010. Company President Rick Clendenning states the economic downturn in 2008 caused many of the printing ink industry’s raw material suppliers to reduce operating capacity.

Several suppliers permanently shut down manufacturing plants. Over the past 12 months demands have increased and raw material suppliers are still not positioned to adequately supply and service this increase in demands.

INX will strategically address the impact of the raw materials as related to specific inks and markets rather than generically mandated increases across all product lines and market segments:

- Solvent-based white inks and water-based white inks will increase in price from 4-6 percent.
- Inks containing Violet 23 (purple) and water coatings will each increase 8 percent.
- Water-based inks, bases, clears and blends will rise 2-4 percent, and
- UV inks and coatings will be increased 8-10 percent.

Also facing continued increases in the costs of raw materials and the impact of recent events in the global supply chain, Sun Chemical will raise prices in the United States as well:

- 4 percent for packaging solvent-based inks,
- 8 percent for packaging water-based inks,
- 6 percent for UV flexo inks, and
- 14 percent for commercial and packaging energy curable (EC) paste inks and EC coatings, effective September 15, 2010.

John Madere, an award-winning photographer, has a passion for capturing the mystery of people on film. In his self-promotion, Portraits of Design, Madere gives us a glimpse into the personalities of some of the most recognized graphic designers of our time.

Printed by Sandy Alexander on Mohawk Kromekote, the only “special treatment” used was a dull varnish on the building frame in a portrait of Michael Bierut.

“The varnish let the glossy Kromekote finish shine through as the glass windows. It’s a nice way to show how Kromekote can be dulled down if a designer wanted to get exact photo reproduction without the high gloss,” said Pam McGuire, Mohawk Fine Paper’s www.mohawkpaper.com print production manager.

Designed by Lynda Decker, president and CEO of Decker Design, Portraits of Design was a two-year-long process. Along with the captivating portraits, Madere shares anecdotes of each photo session including Massimo Vignelli’s camera prototype and Chip Kidd’s impressive collection of Batman memorabilia.

As a special offer for PaperSpecs members, please log in and select “Mill Promotions” to receive Mohawk’s “Portraits of Design.”

Neenah Paper has added SUNDANCE Papers 100 PC White Smooth Finish to its digital papers portfolio, which already includes the SUNDANCE Papers 100 PC White in Felt Finish.

This premium paper is FSC certified and made with 100 percent postconsumer fiber. It has the same Universal Digital Finish as all Neenah Digital papers, and has been tested and optimized for use on all digital presses as well as office and desktop equipment.

SUNDANCE Digital with its Smooth Digital Finish is certified for HP Indigo, ensuring that the paper meets the highest HP Indigo performance expectations.

It is available in 80 lb. and 100 lb. Text and 80 lb. and 100 lb. Cover, in the commonly used sizes 12 x 18 and 18 x 12 as well as the increasingly popular 13 x 19 and 19 x 13 sizes.

NewPage Corporation recently received a “Best of the Bullseye” award from Target Corporation.

This award is presented to creative agencies, production and paper partners as well as individuals who exceed Target’s expectations in one of four award categories: Effectiveness, Innovation, Leadership and Collaboration.

NewPage received the award for Effectiveness in being a valued paper supplier. The coated paper manufacturer has been supplying the paper for Target weekly circulars from its Duluth, Minnesota, mill for more than 20 years.

In addition to factors such as reliability and quality, sustainability plays an important role. The mill supplies Target with paper that contains 30 percent recovered or recycled materials, which matches Target’s own sustainability program.

The government of Canada launched a $100-million Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program in Vancouver and made a call for proposals that could receive IFIT funding.

The goal of the IFIT program is to encourage the development of a wider range of innovative technologies, which would help secure a more prosperous future for Canada’s forestry industry and the communities who depend on it.

As part of its continued support for the country’s forest sector, the Canadian government is investing $170 million over two years under Canada’s Economic Action Plan to help forest companies develop new products and processes and capitalize on new market opportunities internationally.

As well, the $1-billion Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program is helping qualified pulp and paper mills improve their environmental performance. Participating mills will become leaders in energy efficiency or the production of renewable energy as they create and sustain jobs in their industry.

Individuals interested in learning how to apply for funding under the IFIT program may visit www.forest-transformation.nrcan.gc.ca.

The PANTONE PLUS Libraries Installer, a utility that allows creatives to access PANTONE PLUS Libraries directly from Adobe Creative Suite design applications, is now available on the Pantone website.

Users can download the Installer free-of-charge at www.pantone.com/colors4adobe to integrate all the 566 new PLUS SERIES Colors into Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.

The PANTONE PLUS Libraries will be differentiated from existing PANTONE Libraries by a “PANTONE+” designation in the Library name.

Tucker Printers, a Consolidated Graphics company, developed the patent-pending CGX Flex Mailer for a promotional products and fulfillment customer that found the price of mailing promotional items at the parcel rate prohibitive.

With the CGX Flex Mailer, items such as an MP3 player or a T-shirt can be mailed as an automated flat. In the first few months that the packaging solution has been available, it has helped save mailers between 49 cents per piece up to $1.27 per piece, according to Craig Reynolds, president at Tucker Printers.

Tucker Printers worked with the U.S. Postal Service for several months to develop the packaging solution. It consists of an outer material that is flexible while retaining enough surface tension to enable it to be classified as an automated machineable flat. Products are affixed to a tray that is inserted inside the envelope, which is available in six sizes. Both the tray and the outer envelope can be printed with six colors.