The Gallery Collection, the leading business Christmas card and personal Christmas card publisher, announces the use of vegetable-based inks in the printing of its greeting cards. The publishing company, which recently decided to go green, has been making numerous eco-friendly investments to show the company’s dedication and commitment to a cleaner environment.
The Gallery Collection’s greeting cards are finished at print shops that utilise agri-based inks made from vegetable oils, such as linseed oil. These vegetable-based inks were common prior to the 1960s, but petroleum-based inks popularized over the past several decades due to cheaper costs.
Used as a substitute for petrochemical inks, vegetable inks significantly reduce toxic VOCs, benefiting the environment, the atmosphere, and print shop workers. Vegetable inks are also developed from renewable sources, whereas the global supply of petroleum will be exhausted indefinitely in years to come.
“The Gallery Collection is committed to making decisions that minimally impact the environment,” declared H.L. DeVore, Chief Marketing Officer of Prudent Publishing, The Gallery Collection’s parent company. “As a publisher of greeting cards, we have an obligation to our planet. We want our company to leave a smaller imprint on the environment, and this needs to reflect all aspects of our business…including the ink used to print our cards.”
To learn more about agri-based inks, please visit The Gallery Collection’s vegetable-based inks information page at http://www.gallerycollection.com/articles/vegetableinks.htm.
For years now, as one stared with increasing despair at the studly stud, dirty old man, and bathroom “humor,” new categories of card were blossoming luxuriantly. “Celebrating your divorce” or “For my second stepmother” cards began popping up regularly among the “From the dog” or “Incompetent duffer” standards. And this year’s display at a Manhattan stationer’s did not disappoint. In the small section devoted to Hallmark’s “African-American” line (of course there is one; it is called “Mahogany”), two card pockets advertised “For mother on Father’s Day” options. One card had apparently already sold out. The other was a tasteful and ingeniously designed card in the Mahogany line’s characteristic earthtones, with a lovely charcoal drawing of a beautiful black woman in one-quarter view.
The front of the card reads:
for My Mother
ON FATHER’S DAY
You hear a lot of talk
these days about
children growing up
without a father—
without this
and without that.
You hardly ever hear
About the mothers who,
In spite of everything,
Raise their children to be strong,
To believe in God, to work hard
To make their lives worthwhile . . .
The message inside the card continued:
That’s the story
I’d like to tell
Because that’s
How you raised me.
In spite of it all,
it’s our story . . .
I made it because of you.
Have a wonderful day.
DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c56934) has announced the addition of Greeting Cards Market Report Plus 2006 to their offering.
The UK greetings cards industry is a mature one, in which the value of retail sales is virtually static and competition is intense. While dominated by the US giants Hallmark Cards and American Greetings, there is a myriad of small publishers that contribute to the diversity of the UK industry and the innovation for which it is justifiably renowned. More than a quarter of UK publishers of items other than newspapers currently have turnovers of less than £50,000, while just 1.3% achieves sales in excess of £5m.
The days of high profit margins for greetings cards publishers look to be well and truly over in this oversupplied market. Bearing in mind the relatively low production cost of a card compared with the average selling price, margins should be healthy, but publishers have little choice but to comply with the increasingly stringent demands of multiple retailers (including the leading supermarket chains). Another characteristic of the market is the growth in the discount retailing of greetings cards. These difficulties have resulted in many corporate casualties and near-casualties. Further consolidation on both the retailing and publishing sides of the industry looks inevitable in the future.
In common with other manufacturing sectors, the UK publishing industry struggles to compete with overseas operators with lower production costs. Some companies, including International Greetings PLC and Hallmark Cards PLC, have moved some of their own production facilities overseas. The UK now has a trade deficit in greetings cards — whereas its surplus was as high as £31.2m in 1995.
On the positive side, longevity and expanding family networks through divorce and remarriage mean an increase in the number of card-giving occasions and of potential recipients for greetings cards. The industry continues to endeavour to persuade the card-buying public to embrace more card-sending occasions. While there is a price-sensitive sector of the market, it is also the case that many consumers do not begrudge spending significant amounts on quality cards that serve as keepsakes, and the UK has the highest per capita consumption of greetings cards, with the average consumer sending 55 cards each a year. It is little wonder, then, that the industry put up such a fight to prevent the imposition of Pricing in Proportion (PIP) by the Royal Mail. Its failure to do so means that the scheme, effective from August 2006, makes it more expensive to post letters and cards of other than standard size and weight. It is to be hoped that its implementation does not stunt creativity in the industry or confuse consumers into sending fewer cards. In a difficult market, the UK greetings cards industry can do without such negative aspects, as it strives to maintain a buoyant market value.
SourceIn the first 30 days of operation GCUniverse has already attracted over 70 artists boasting over 1,000 cards. By summertime GCUniverse expects to offer over 5,000 unique cards, far surpassing the selection in card stores today. BigDates CEO Nasser Gaemi asserts, "GCUniverse will quickly become the largest online greeting card store offering a limitless selection of 'direct from the artist' cards."
GCUniverse makes it possible for essentially any freelance artist to sell paper greeting cards online and earn an unconventional 50 cents per card sold. With little effort and zero fees artists can create online storefronts featuring their cards within minutes.
"I used to sell my greeting cards on CafePress. My GCUniverse store was so much easier and quicker to set up. GCUniverse is a 10+" contests artist Christine Quimby.
Using print-on-demand technology GCUniverse can print virtually any art on a paper greeting card, by the thousands or one card at a time. Priced at $2.49 plus postage per card, artists can even afford to stock their own card inventories.
"Artists can put greeting cards out there without the printing expense overhead. GCUniverse is easy to use, my shop simple to set up, and the staff interested in feedback," says artist Heather Castles.
"I am so happy to be a part of Greeting Card Universe. I am really starting to believe that I can earn a living as an artist and selling greeting cards is just the beginning." - Kimberly Hillhouse Strole, Grain Valley, MO, USAWhile the greeting card industry is not stagnant, and new ideas and trends are frequently being developed, the three basic card categories remain the same -- traditional, studio (or contemporary) and alternative. And when publishing a line of greeting cards, in any category, a company must cater to the people who are most likely to buy and send cards. In most cases, that means women between the ages of 18 and 50. So the majority of companies are looking for cards that target issues these women care about; relationships, success, religion, money, health, and so on.
Here are several of the most sought after types of card ideas:
(1) Birthdays. Since there's never a shortage of birthdays, the market for original birthday cards, both humorous and serious, remains a steady market for writers. Birthday cards can make us laugh about getting older, or they can be sensitive, serving as a reminder of the positive side of life, past and future.
(2) Friendship. Good friends are hard to find, and keep. That's why friendship cards continue to be a profitable part of the greeting card industry. Most friendship cards deal with the general value of friendship, or the significance of a specific friendship. Again, both humorous and serious card ideas are acceptable to most greeting card companies. The main thing is that the ideas must be original and genuinely and clearly express some positive aspect of friendship.
(3) Get Well. Like birthday cards, the need for get well cards remains constant. Most people with not-so-serious illnesses appreciate humorous get well cards. But, prospective writers should be cautioned to stay away from over-used and worn out hospital humor concerning hospital gowns, hospital food and so on. Greeting card companies are looking for fresh ideas, not a re-working of old ones. There is also a need for non-humorous get well cards that express appropriate, and sensitive sentiments toward someone experiencing a serious illness. What greeting card companies are looking for here is a sensitive approach to a serious, and even grave situation. Sometimes the sentiment "get well soon" is not appropriate, even for get well cards.
(4) Sympathy. Unfortunately, sympathy cards are always needed. To fill that need, a writer must be able to address the loss of a loved one with good taste and sensitivity.
(5) Love And Romance. Writers of love and romance card ideas will do well to address all kinds of love and different aspects of romance; first love, long-term romantic relationships, marriage, sharing, trust, commitment, renewing an old romance, and so on. The market is good for both humorous and serious cards addressing the themes of love and romance.
(6) Support And Encouragement. This type of card has increased in popularity over the past decade and offers creative writers a good deal of opportunity. These cards can be given to friends, relatives, colleagues, lovers -- anyone who might need to know that they are not alone. The most common message with this type of card is "I'm here for you." These cards offer both encouragement and support, and can be treated in either a serious or humorous manner.
(7) Inspirational Cards. Most companies looking for inspirational cards request messages that address spiritual or human potential. These cards normally deal with some aspect of personal growth, are non-humorous, utilize sensitive language, and require an understanding of the spiritual and human condition.
(8) Alternative Cards. These cards are designed for non-traditional sending occasions. The most common card ideas in this line are those offering congratulations for a new job, job promotion, or raise in salary. More serious issues, such as divorce, terminal illness, and substance abuse, are also top-selling themes in the alternative card line.
The main thing a writer should remember is that greeting card companies are all looking for fresh ideas and messages, not time-worn cliché’s and sappy sentiment. Greeting card messages should be immediate and clear. Writers should avoid wordy or complex messages, and be direct and original. In short, most greeting card companies are looking for ideas they haven't seen or heard before."
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Marking the year's most romantic day has become increasingly popular in India, led by retailers who do healthy business selling rose-colored greeting cards and heart-shaped balloons, and restaurants offering discount candlelight meals for two.
But it has also sparked demonstrations.
About 150 members of the pro-Hindu political party Shiv Sena gathered in New Delhi, shouting "Down with Western culture!" and "Death to Valentine's Day!" as they waved saffron-colored flags.
"Valentine's Day promotes obscene cards and nudity and encourages our youngsters to be publicly affectionate in parks and other places -- this is against our ancient civilization," said Jai Bhagwan Goyal, head of Shiv Sena in the capital.
"This western creation is corrupting our young people and making them have immoral thoughts ... we are already seeing that there are more evil crimes like rape happening in India." In Mumbai, the scene of violent protests in the past, love seemed to conquer all and the day passed off peacefully.
Tens of Shiv Sena protesters burnt Valentine's cards in the western city of Jaipur and tried to enter the city's main park to harass courting couples, but were stopped by police.
In the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir, at least a dozen women covered from head to toe in black burqas, stormed into several restaurants in Srinagar, telling couples to go home and stay away from "unIslamic" Valentine's Day celebrations.
"Valentine's Day is against Islamic teachings, our ethos and culture," said Andrabi, chief of Dukhtaran-e-Milat (Daughters of the Muslim Faith). Satellite television, the Internet, films and travel have led traditionally conservative middle class Indians to adopt more liberal attitudes towards sex.
But public hugging and kissing, even in urban areas, still invite angry stares, lewd comments and even beatings."
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