The question has arisen as to how many paper copies there should be of the
Grex newsletter (whatever we decide to call it).  I have also realized that
there is unanswered the question of what type of paper to use.  Theoretically,
we could use 100% cotton paper, but I dont' think the board is willing to
spring for that.  So how cheap should we be?

These are questions for the board to decide, but for ALL interested parties
to discuss, and get their input in.

'Nighty-night!!

52 responses total.

        Well, does grex have any set "colors" or such? Picking a cheap
colored paper would be cool.

Newsletter 5 is now linked to Coop 113.  Enjoy!

I Grex doesn't have any set colors, although I guess it wouldn't work too well
to have everybody choose their color of newspaper the way we let people choose
their tee shirt colors.  Have we made a decision yet on whether this newspaper
would be on paper or in ASCII?  I don't remember.

Black paper with bright flourescent green ink?

Also, I think printing it on toilet paper might be appropriate. :-)

Recycled paper, with as high a post-consumer recycled fiber content as
is feasible.  Well, given Greg's suggestion, I would steer clear of
post-consumer toilet paper.  :-)

Re #3:  the understanding of the editors is that an online version will be
made, and paper copies sent to any members (and others?) who so request it,
as well as being available for publicity purposes.

This response has been erased.

This response has been erased.

That's in YOUR court !!!  :-)

        Well, there's plenty of colors to choose from. A recommendation-
How often is this going to be published? If quarterly, pick a
seasonal color. If monthly, pick one that works with that month's theme,
or major holiday.

And let's not forget to argue over those colors until we've managed to
discourage the newsletter people from even starting!    :)  :)  :)

I don't know about people covering the costs -- I think the original idea was
to have members recieve it free if they want to, with others paying.  I
don't object, though, to having folks send a SASE or whatever.  (I assume
that as the editor in charge of paper (It'll alos ne in HTML and ASCII
versions, I think) that job will fall to me?

My suggestion is that we print n+35 copies of each, where n = the number of
pre-requested copies.  The remaining 35 could be used as PR and/or go to
people who want them but forgot to ask for them ahead of time.

Paper?  Hey, we're an on-line medium. I say, forget the colour and go with
a close to 100% recycled paper as we can find and whatever colour that's in,
fine.  The exception is if we decide we must have photos.  (We'll be doing
a couple of series of interviews.  I'd prefer a good caricature, to accompany
them, myself.  Too bad I don't draw.)  Then we'd need clay coat paper -- maybe
for anniversary issues or something..

        That stuff looks awful, though!

   Yes, but wouldn't it be fitting to say somewhere in the paper,
that Cyberspace Communications uses the cheapest paper possible
since we're fundementally opposed to the distribution of it on
paper, and then tell folks what url to look at for the 'real thing'?

   I think that would be cool, telling the world that we're capable
of doing paper versions of things we can do online, but that it will
be on the flimseyest paper possible.

I kind of like that reasoning, but if the newsletter is used as propeganda
to garner new users (or members), it might not be as effectie as a nicer
paper.  And by the way, decent quality recycled paper generally costs more
than decent quality new-fiber paper (timber subsidies are effective).  I 
favor recycled paper for environmental reasons, not for frugality.

(What better way to get new users than to make them get online for the real
thing?)

Re #16:  If I saw a newsletter on REALLY cheap paper, I'd wonder, 'In what
aother ways are they too cheap to do it right?'

(Using ancient computers?)

        <chuckle>
        In that way, they'd know what to expect.. If the writing was
good, it would kinda reflect exactly what we are: not so much flashy,
but rich in content!

You want something that says: "Poor, but honest.".

Then I think we need to get paper that we expect to be of reasonable quality,
but not particularly expensive, like ordinary copier paper.  IMHO, of course.

        Well, more and more print and copy shops are placing equal-
quality recycled stock at the same price as its' virgin counterpart,
so the only question truly is- just how bad do you want this to look?
        I must concur with the idea that the newsletter require no
"virgin sacrifices".

If they are the same cost, then go for the recycled, I say.  I hope the board
remembers to give us some direction on how many non-requested copies to print,
and has some idea what to do with them.  :-)

        Well, I can help, as I have experience in the printing industry..

Feel free to chime in!!  Also, as mta is the only one of us in AA, e-mail her
with your ideas.  :-)

I do plan to do a few copies on really nice paper with full colour and pretty
layout.  But that'll be just a very few to be used in my PR attempts.  (Pretty
please, can we leave brochures here?  See, this is who we are and what we do.)

        Mta, have you checked into what kinko's can do for you? As I
recall there's a very strong presence of them in Ann Arbor.. now as to
full-color, _that_ can get to be very expensive.. but high quality black
print on good colored stock is most impressive, at very little more cost
than just Black and white..
        Also, as I work at a kinko's in Lathrup Village, if you want to
go to hte bother of getting the originals to me, I may be able to
arrange a special discount.

Kinko's is +not+ the only printing game in town, just the most expensive
and most obvious. Please look at an offset printing shop. I can think
of Partners Press for one.

Though Kink's may be AA's only commercial round-the-clock
print-it-yourself shop with good computer output devices.
I've never seen them give the cheapest quote for anything,
but they're still my first choice for a lot of things
(being open at 3am is a BIG plus for me :-).

Kinkies does have its place ... so does the Grex bank account - ithink
ajax and i are agreeing here.

tsty, off-set is cheap if you print scads of copies.  but the initial
set-up (typeset/keyline and master plate) is pretty expensive for lower
volume jobs.  advantage is good quality retained in large jobs, and faster,
cheaper per copy cost (for larger jobs).

unless you're talking about k's of copies, i'd go with kinkos who can print
from your disk (ie; no typesetting costs) with fair quality.

how many copies are we printing? whatis the breakeven point?

        Well, I can tell you that to take a job of less than 500 to
an offset printer will get you laughed out of their shop.
        As I didn't see that kind of volume being proposed, I suggested
what I knew to be a good alternative.. if you _were_ talking more like
500+ flyers, I would have suggested offset myself!

I've about 5000 is the break even point

What kind of volume, size, and number of pages do you think the Grex
newsletter would be?

I believe that someone reported an authorization from the board to be up to
two pages, front and back?  (Although I think the equivalent, one 11x17 folded
in the middle would be a better idea; less separate sheets to lose or scatter)

If it would help, I recently picked up a big office laser printer cheap
at an auction. It does postscript, double sided and 11"x17". My cost for
consumables(not counting the paper) would be 0.05 per 2-sided 11x17 page.

So, you would charge Grex $0.05 per newsletter, plus paper costs?  What would
Kinko's charge?

(in that range, I think.  Kinkos would also be able to fold &/or collate for
an extra charge, and the product would be boxed)

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss