We collect what we treasure. The binder has become a widespread method for holding onto these collections and keeping them safe.  For avid sports fans it means pages of baseball or football cards.  For the younger generation it may be pages of Pokemon cards, or coin and sticker collections. 

The binder has really been put to use as a photo album as well.  It’s kept together collections of old faded photos. Wedding albums display the big day and baby books show off the new arrival.

For those who like to go above and beyond photo albums there are scrapbooks.  Scrapbooking albums  come in all shapes and sizes. Scrapbooking continues to gain momentum and has now become the most popular craft segment.

Finally, it may be used to store all of the secret family recipes, and perhaps some of the not so secret recipes as well.  Whatever it’s use make sure to pick out a binder that fits your function.

For more information visit:

Scrapbook Dreamer

Cartoon Stock

Economic troubles of 2009 have left consumers cautious and penny-wise going into 2010. However,  companies can cater to this mentality in their marketing  programs.  People are appreciating coupons, discounts and free samples more than ever before.   Market and advertise to your customers using these  avenues.

Coupons don’t have to be expensive mass mailings either.  Offer coupons online through your website or social media.  This will also entice your customers to return to your sites for future discounts.

Other avenues you may consider include sending company calendars, magnets, chip clips, travel tags, pens, binders and other useful items.   These types of promotions help you connect with your customers.  They also ensure that your brand becomes a common household item.

What method you choose will depend on your company budget and the products you offer.  However, get creative and don’t underestimate the value of ‘on sale.’

For more information visit:

Sunpack Store

You may have out grown your trapper keeper days, but it’s unlikely that you’ll outgrow the need for a 3-ring binder.   It keeps you organized, efficient, and did I mention eco-friendly? That’s right, this little contraption is so much more that you imagined.

The way you organize often depends on how you think.  To some it makes sense to place things alphabetically. To others it makes sense to organize according to time, project, client, or subject matter.  Luckily any system that works for you will work for the binder.   Within your system of organization you can further organize by using tabs or separating sheets.  You can also attach cd holders to store masses of information.  You may be thinking, “I know a binder’s organizational uses.”  Fair enough, but do you know all of the ways it can make you eco-friendly?

We’ll start with recycling. Many of the dividers and CD holders are being made of recycled material.  Additionally, they’re being made of material that can be recycled.  The binders themselves are also being made of recyclable material, whether it be from recycled plastics or papers.   For example, take our eco-binders.  They are made from 75% post-consumer recycled material and are functional as well as dirt and grime resistant. Additionally, you can reuse binders from one project to the next making them an efficient way to stay organized.

For more information visit our store at:

Sunrise Store

It could be argued that color is one of the most important choices one makes when choosing a packaging design.  Whether it’s done well or poorly, color evokes emotions.

It’s known that serving diners food on a blue plate will encourage them to eat less, while serving food on and orange or yellow plate will encourage them to eat more.  Colors like dark navy, hunter green, burgundy or black can evoke tradition, respect, or even somberness, and deeper purples can evoke royalty, status or class.  Pastel colors can often be associated with children, while reds can evoke desire, passion, authority, happiness, or conversely fear.

Color can be used well or poorly.  One opinion of color used poorly is below.

Of course, poor color choice is selective, but why was this design chosen specifically?

Green is a good color to promote a feeling of nature, or a feeling of money (especially in the US).  It is also a good color to be used to catch someone’s attention.  On the other hand, once their attention is caught, what part do we pay attention to?  Do we really see the apps over the overwhelming green of the background?

it is one writer’s opinion that if the above color was on packaging for a product, the packaging would not work.  While it does have a ‘wow’ factor, the green of the packaging, like the green in this picture, would seem to shout louder than the product.

However, it would be interesting to notice that if the same picture was in a different color, such as a similar color like teal, how the message of the product or applications might have stood out over the packaging.

Using Apple as an example, here is another example of color choices.

Both packages pictured above use colors to emphasize and brighten without overpowering.  The ‘natural’ and the ‘white’ state traditional while caring about the environment, while the colors used in the center add balance, freshness, and ‘likability.’  Although they don’t scream “Look at me” like the above example, they do say, “I’m trustworthy.”

The summer is coming to an end and school will be starting soon…How did the time pass so fast?

The following is a list of tips and hits to make the back-to-school transition easier.

• Start going to bed earlier and getting up earlier to getting used to the schedule.
• Stock up on the variety of breakfast foods.  Don’t forget that breakfast is the most important meal.
• If your child is new to the school visit the school before the first day to become familiar with where everything is.
• Check out Green Seal’s list of green office supplies.

Shelf Impact magazine recently ran an article on the value of touch in packaging. In the article they say, “Tactile surfaces invite shoppers to pick up a package and inspect it. Once a package is pulled from the shelf, a sale often follows.” You’ve heard us saying the same thing, so it’s nice to have a little back up.

The article focused on three supermarket items like gum, dental floss, and diaper rash cream. Each of these products have packaging that stands out from the crowd both visually and to the touch.

The article made me think about a recent binder that Account Manager, Nick Rude did for LMPWeddings.com. Their turned-edge binders were made using a specialty wrap material called Nuba Silktouch that is soft to the touch.  It has the “pass around” factor that the article mentioned.

The next time you are considering binders, consider also the “touch factor” and how user experience can be enhanced with specialty materials.

From lists to directories, to informational articles, the following 7 resources will help any planner make their next event more environmentally-friendly:

1. A 10-step checklist to a more environmentally-friendly destination event from Blue Green Meetings.
2. Three reasons why green meetings are a good idea from the Association for Green Meetings and Events. Not only are green meetings good for the environment, but there are also economic and social benefits that come with it.
3. Article: Green Meetings Are Free from Meeting Professionals International. Going green does not have to cost you a lot of money. By reducing and reusing, you can save money that you could invest in other green expenses.
4. Information on environmentally-friendly cuisine from MeetingsNet.com Look for organic, local foods and foods that can be reused if not eaten at that meal.
5. A list of GreenHotel.com members by state, so you can be sure the hotel you are using is truly environmentally-friendly.
6. How to calculate your meeting’s carbon footprint from http://www.greeneventsource.com/. Being aware of your carbon footprint can help you see how much you are affecting the environment, where your problem areas are, and how you could improve.
7. Don’t forget to use eco-friendly name badges, luggage tags, folders and ring bindersthat are reusable and recyclable! All of these eco-friendly products can be created to match and coordinate with each other and with your meeting or event. Then you can just send them back to us to recycle when you are finished.

Bonus Resource: The Meeting Planner Survival Guidefrom MeetingsNet.com

Sure biodegradable Eco-Binders sound like a great idea for the environment, but I bet you’re wondering if they will actually last or if they will simply just fall apart on you. You should not have to give up durability in order to be environmentally-friendly, so we decided to put our Eco-Binders to the test.

One of our Client Relations Representatives, Kelly Jo, took one of each of our paperboard Eco-Binders home for her kids to use for the school. Day after day, all semester long, these binders were thrown around and squished in backpacks–we all know how kids treat their homework.

With this kind of handling, would our Eco-Binders be able to compare to plastic binders and last the semester?

So how did they turn out? As you can see, the Eco-Binders, with some added artwork, went through plenty of wear and tear. Some of the edges were starting to tear after so much use, but they were able to last strong through the whole semester.

We were happy to hear that our Eco-Binders lasted through the handling of Kelly Jo’s middle school kids, but we wondered how they could be even stronger.

A new idea was to make binders from heavy-duty corrugated cardboard. These would be even harder to destroy, while still being good to the environment.

It just goes to show that you don’t have to give up durability in order to be environmentally friendly.

Branding, Marketing, and Sales are intimately intertwined and for the most part, what you say about one, you can say about the other. I get a lot of newsletters on a variety of topics. And one topic is Sales.

The prevailing message since October has been: “Get out there and do something – anything – to stay in front of your customers.”

One way to stand out is to revise your packaging. New packaging shakes things up and gets you noticed.

You can do something simple like keeping the same shape and size while changing the graphics however you can be bold and completely change the size, shape, colors, texture, and message of your packaging.

If you choose the latter, you could design a limited edition, upscale package that is designed to be a collector’s item.

Whether you have a series of CDs and DVDs, a book, other printed materials, or a product composed of several elements, you need packaging and you deserve the best.

Here are two examples to get the creative juices working – Binders and Boxes:
The middle binder is a printed clear overlay binder that can be customized to its contents with a printed cover insert… A great way to maximize using it company-wide.

This box uses canvas-wrap material and a rope handle to create a unique sensory experience with users?

custom packaging canvas-wrapped boxes

When you’re ready to shake things up, Sunrise is here to help you create the right packaging for your product.

Loose leaf binders are a great way to present and organize information. Salespeople regularly carry binder to hold product information and other materials they need to be effective. Teachers and students rely on binders to protect their work. Businesses use binders to store documents.

STEP 1: Depending on your need, there are many types of binders to choose from:

Clear overlay binders are versatile and customizable for smaller projects

Clear Overlay Binders are a cost-effective, convenient binder that can be used for many projects. When you need a binder, you create and print out cover and spine identification and put them in place. For projects that require only a few binders or when each binder is completely unique, clear overlay binders are a great choice.

Screen printed binders are great for simple artwork and larger quantities.

Screen Printed Vinyl or Poly Binders are great for presentation materials, directories, catalogs and manuals when the cover artwork is not complex and does vary much from binder to binder. Screen printing is most cost-effective when you need 1200 or fewer binders. The cover artwork will be the same on each binder and with poly or vinyl binders you can have a clear pocket sealed to the outside cover or spine that will let you customize or identify the contents inside.

Offset printed turned-edge binders are an elegant choice!

Offset Printed and Turned-Edge Binders are an elegant option for your most important projects or when you need a large number of binders. The outside cover can be almost any material you want. And when you incorporate offset printing, the graphics can be very detailed. Offset printing is the most expensive type of printing and is most cost effective when you need a minimum of 1000 binders. You get the greatest latitude for customizing the covers with turned-edge binders. The cover can be made from a variety of materials like:

• Paper
• Cloth or canvas
• Vinyl or poly
• Metal or foil
• Leather, bonded leather, or faux leather

Printed or unprinted, eco-binders protect and organize your materials while also protecting the Earth!

Eco-Binders can be offset printed, screen printed, or undecorated. They help you demonstrate your commitment to the environment. Premium eco-binders are made from sturdy chipboard construction and have either a curved or flat spine. Lightweight eco-binders are made from white or natural coverstock paper. Your materials are organized and protected in binders that help protect the Earth!

STEP 2: Once you’ve determined they type of binder and the best printing method, there are other considerations to making the exact binder to fit your needs.

How much material the binder needs to hold. The number of pages and other materials the binder needs to hold will determine the size of the ring metal your binder needs. A good rule of thumb is that each 1/2” holds about 100 pages of standard copy paper. Ring metals start as small as ½” and come as large as 4”. They are measured from the base to the widest diameter of the inside of the ring.

Even greater capacity are found in qua can vin and Trojan expandable mechanisms:

What type of use will the binder be made for? Binders are made for many different environments and usage. Some binders are opened only a few times a year, others are referred to every day. Some binders sit on a shelf and are not taken from place to place. Other Binders need to be transported and are carried in a briefcase, bag or backpack. When you describe how your binder is to be used, we choose the materials and construction methods that will create a binder that will last as long as you need it to.

Add pockets so your binders do more

What else does the binder holdbesides paper?

• Does the binder need to hold a business card or two?
• What about a CD or DVD?
• How about pamphlets or other materials?

You can have standard sized or specially shaped pockets added to the inside covers of your binder for holding loose objects

Pockets or foam CD/DVD hubs can be added to hold discs. Even if you have a VHS tape or audio cassette that goes with your printed materials, we can add pockets or trays to securely hold tapes too.

Pockets, trays and hubs can add functionality to your 3-ring binder to fit your exact situation and your unique needs.

What color should the binder be? Clear overlay binders usually come in white and black. Screen printed binders are usually vinyl or poly and they can come in many different colors to compliment your artwork. Turned-edge binders can be made from many different types of materials in just about any color and texture that will evoke the response you want to generate.

Background colors can really add a punch!

What specialty decorations your binder needs? You cover can be decorated using a variety of specialty decoration methods like: foil stamping, embossing, debossing, tip-ons, lenticular printing, and appliqué. Lamination can be glossy or matte lamination depending on the look you want. We can spot screen print or spot laminate to draw the eye to a particular feature of your cover artwork.

Depending on your needs, there is a clear overlay or custom binder that will serve your needs and your materials. Sunrise Packaging is your binder solution expert!