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How to Make Ordinary, Extraordinary

We recently released a new promotion for Cougar paper called “Exceed Expectations”. The purpose of this piece is simple: to communicate the recent changes we made to Cougar press-ready skids. Now, I may be biased, but the brochure (printed by Active) is one of the best print samples we’ve done in a long time. It’s a great example of how you can make the ordinary, extraordinary with Cougar paper.

We tackled a couple of different things that could be “challenging” for uncoated paper, including printing both dense, solid black as well as deep, saturated purple. We have shared tips for achieving better coverage on uncoated paper in past blogs, but I wanted to share a real-life example of how collaboration and good, old-fashioned ingenuity worked together to create an amazing print sample.

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Challenge 1: How We Printed a Purple That Punches

When our designer was working on this piece, the purple she wanted to use for the brochure, envelope and letter wasn’t listed in any Pantone formula guide. We needed a shade that was bold, noble and uncompromising – a shade of purple that perfectly embodied the Cougar paper brand. After testing out a couple of different formulas, we settled on the shade featured here:

(I have said this before, but the pictures you’re seeing on your computer or mobile device do not do this brochure justice!)

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The brochure was printed four-color process on a Komori press. Many feel like offset printing is still king when it comes to quality, and this brochure is a testament to that. Can you believe that the bold, vibrant purple featured on the left-hand panel was achieved with one hit of our custom-built purple? No UV, no tricks. The performance of Cougar played a major part in how well the color stood out on the sheet. If you are a regular user, you know – there is NOTHING like Cougar. Others may try to claim similar results, but Cougar’s uniform surface and excellent formation mean that colors will be even and vibrant – and perfectly capture the creative vision.

Challenge 2: How We Printed a Black as Dark as Night

Achieving a deep, rich black on uncoated paper is a favorite subject of your friends at Domtar. There are many ways you can achieve a rich black, but using a high-quality paper like Cougar paper is a crucial first step. However, we have all learned that there are exceptions in life which may require a little problem-solving.

When we first released files to the printer, we had thought the black and white portions of this brochure would be printed as four-color. First up was printing the envelope that accompanied the mailing of this brochure. It was quickly discovered that printing a heavy color (like black) on a lighter weight stock was causing the paper to stretch. Another problem we faced was the black started to shift to red.

We love working with printer partners that strive to figure out solutions to the challenges we throw at them.  Active quickly figured out a solution to give us a stunning black and white image throughout the piece – which was to change the image to print as a double-black duotone.

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Benefits of Retargeted Direct Mail

This small tweak ensured that not only were the black-and-white images of Cougar crisp and bold but that it printed consistently and similarly on the envelope and brochure. If you know, you know – Cougar paper is in a class of its own. It has rightfully earned its reputation for dependable performance, providing consistent, optimal results. We are proud of this latest promotion, and we hope it inspires you and your customers to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

If you are interested in seeing this brochure, please reach out to your local paper merchant.

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