clean green slate

The digital edition of the January 2012 Professional Photographer Magazine is now online for digital subscribers.

For this column I got to review eco-friendly / “green” products by Miller’s Professional Imaging, Moo.com, Botanical Paperworks, Loktah, HB Photo Packaging, Globe Guard Products, Kraft and Jute, Nashville Wraps, Rice Studio Supply, ReBinder, and ProDPI.

There is also a supplemental mini feature by Nathan Welton of Dreamtime Images that discusses carbon-offsetting for your business with carbonfund.org.

Click the magazine pages above to read a larger .pdf version of the article. You can also find the article on page 78, page 80, page 82, and page 84 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes – and you can see the online supplement here. Plus you can download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.




If you went to Imaging USA 2012 in New Orleans, you might have seen Paperie Boutique and Buttons & Bows Photography sprinkled about. Here are a couple of peeks if you missed it:

You can see more over at our Facebook page! Thanks to Ryan at HB Photo Packaging for these photos!

If you have photos from Imaging USA 2012 that you’d like to see published here, contact Robyn at: robyn AT paperieboutique DOT com




It’s the New Year and it’s time to restock your arsenal. A few of our favorite merchants are running sales!

1. HB Photo Packaging – 15% off through January 22nd with code
    WinterBlues

2. Moo.com – 10% off all printed products through January 25th
    with code MOOPRINTJAN

3. ReBinder – 20% off all ReSleeve and RePlay products through
    January 31st here

Hope everyone is having a wonderful 2012!
-Robyn & Todd

eco-friendly

A beautiful “green” packaging feature / guest post, and a special lab contest, on tap today…

My name is Brittany Langfeldt, of B. Langfeldt Photography, and I am a custom on-site photographer from the Chicago area.

I have always tried to keep my business as “green” as possible and had previously begun using organic and natural materials for my albums and CD cases. But once I saw Caroline Ghetes’ article featured here on Paperie Boutique I was truly inspired. I began trying different ways to package my products and quickly realized how difficult it can be to find organic or recyclable materials.

I bought a copy of Caroline’s resource list and felt like I hit the jackpot! I ended up using a lot of the same vendors or types of materials and ideas that Caroline uses but the only exact item we share is the CD box. I love all the natural products not only because they are eco-friendly but they also have such a unique and beautifully simple look to them.

My albums are made of all natural materials. They are packaged in this beautiful slipcover with a beaded closure.

For my prints I use black recyclable folders in various sizes wrapped in ribbon.

I tied up 2 tags in the ribbon; 1 stamped prints and 1 stamped with my logo.

My CD cases are made of all natural and organic materials not to mention they are gorgeous! I package them in the same box that Caroline uses and again tie them up with ribbon and 2 tags and add a sticker to the lower left corner.

I stamp my info directly onto the CD.

I include a hard copy of my print license printed on natural handmade paper in a matching envelope. I also have a secondary envelope containing proper storage information, business cards and my refer-a-friend program.

View of the print license.

Everything all put together!

Although I didn’t use a lot of the same items as Caroline, I did use a lot of the vendors provided to me through the resource list she sells. Therefore I can’t disclose my vendors, but I can tell you if you are interested in this style of packaging you should definitely buy a copy of her list! All the proceeds go towards funding for mission trips!

Thank you Caroline for the wonderful inspiration!

(And thank YOU, Brittany, for sharing such lovely packaging with our Paperie readers!)

We’d love to feature your packaging here as well! Please e-mail robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.




Color Inc. Pro Lab is having a Facebook Photo Contest. Photographers can send in their favorite image of a child / baby and they will add it to an album on their Facebook page.

The image with the most “LIKES” wins a $300 Color Inc. lab credit.

• Contest started Wednesday, March 9th
•  Entry deadline is Friday, March 11th
•  Voting Ends Monday, March 14th
•  e-mail to send images to:  contest@colorincprolab.com

Learn more about the Color Inc. Facebook Photo Contest here!

the hunt for green October

The digital edition of the October 2010 Professional Photographer Magazine was released today.

(P.S. Keep reading for a special discount from Sassy Designs, Inc. Plus a new packaging feature and the winner of the Paint the Moon contest!)

For this month’s article, I reviewed several press-printed “client gift idea” products by Moo.com, Miller’s, WHCC, CPQ and ProDPI.

Click each of the magazine pages above for a .pdf version. You can find the article on pages 54, 55, and 56 of the print-version when it hits mailboxes. And you can also download the digital edition now if you’re a PPA member or digital subscriber.

And to celebrate her templates being featured in the above article – Sassy Designs, Inc. is offering 50% off a purchase of $25 or more – today through 10/31. Just use the code PBPPMAG.




Today our guest post / green packaging feature is by Heather Armstrong Photography. If you’ve been wanting to go green with your business, this is an excellent resource!

I live on the west coast of Canada, the Gulf Islands, in a very green-conscious city. We have a fantastic recycling program, lots of eco initiatives, and government sponsored programs to help homes cut cost and live more environmentally friendly. As both a business owner and a parent it’s important to me to honour the Earth and do my part to keep as much garbage as possible off it.

Over time my packaging has evolved to become more Earth-friendly, producing less and less less waste as I find better companies to do business with. My brand is all about being organic: my style of portraiture is very natural and easy-going, and I want my packaging to reflect that…but not at the expense of the planet. I do not put in client “welcome packages”, medallions, advertisements or samples in the mail – packaging is about showcasing and protecting your print, and the more your client has to dig through to get to it, the worse it looks.

All invoicing, information and pricing communication is done electronically. If something does need to be printed, I print on renewable hemp paper and encourage my clients to recycle after they are done. I even use biodegradable pens and pencils for signing forms!

I work only with labs that will ship and package in the most environmentally friendly way possible. I understand that some products may require bubble wrap, but in the last year (thanks to some pushing and inquiring with the heads of various companies) I’ve only received four packages that included it…which was then reused. 99% of the time my labs ship to me in cardboard packaging with either shredded paper as a buffer, or corn-based packing peanuts (completely biodegradable with exposure to water). I recycle all boxes and bags that come to me; our local recycling depot will take plastic sheeting if you drop it off directly, and yours might too! Be sure to check with your city!

When my clients receive their prints, they’re packaged in unlaminated boxes with matching photo folios and CD sleeves. All are made with post-consumer recycled materials, and fully recyclable themselves.

Inside they’re wrapped in recycled tissue paper and sealed in a biodegradable corn-based bag (the PH level is not friendly to photos when kept inside for a long period of time, so tissue paper must be placed as a buffer between them). Instead of stickers, I use a custom rubber stamp with wooden handle and earth-friendly inks. Instead of cloth or plastic ribbons, I use biodegradable “crinkle paper” ribbon or wraphia. Instead of laminated thank you cards, I print my own messages on hand-crafted plantable paper and thank my client for choosing a green company. (Plus, it gives them the extra gift of wildflowers in a few weeks’ time!)

I even print my business cards with a company that uses only vegetable-based inks, post-consumer recycled materials and energy efficient printing techniques.

The completed packaging: 100% biodegradable and recyclable – nothing needs to be thrown away, and anything that accidentally does can break down easily in a landfill. And the waste I produce? Just one tiny piece!

In the last six months my business has produced less than one pound of non-renewable waste – both in my home, and my clients’. I keep a compost, have my recycle picked up twice a month, do research into the companies I purchase from, and keep tabs on my power meter to ensure that I’m using as energy efficient business practices.

It isn’t hard, nor that expensive, to be a green company. We can all do our part by caring about the environment and going the extra mile to find green products: every step counts. You don’t have to sacrifice style, brand or presence, and your clients will thank you for the effort you put into preserving our planet for their children to enjoy.

My products are purchased from:
1. http://www.greenprinteronline.com
2. http://www.ricestudiosupplies.com
3. http://www.goodplanet.com
4. http://clearbags.ca (look for their corn-based, biodegradable bags!)
5. …And local businesses committed to providing earth-friendly products




And the big winner in the Paint the Moon contest is…Kaley Lein!

Congrats to Kaley, thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks to Paint the Moon for yet another amazing giveaway here at Paperie!

Happy October everyone! Have a great weekend!
-Robyn

P.S. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

green is the new black

I love the packaging feature guest posts! And today we’re particularly lucky because Michelle Black is stopping by to show off her new gorgeous ‘green’ rebranding. Without further adieu…

This year I decided to re-brand. I kept the same logo but changed the overall feel of my packaging and marketing materials, to better reflect myself as a person. With nature in my blood and having practically grown up in the woods (okay not really, but I was a major tomboy and spent a LOT of time outside, haha) I thought the change was only fitting, and I wish I’d started out with it from the beginning! With all eco-friendly, recyclable, and biodegradable materials, the new packaging just feels good, it gives off a good vibe. Less is more in my book, and keeping the packaging / materials simple, clean, and quietly sophisticated is something that now has a lot of importance to me. My first set of proofs went out the door wrapped in Earth last week and I wanted to share some photographs. I’ll be getting the remainder of the products this month (print folders, mailers, CD cases). I’m also looking for a new portfolio for my prints, does anyone have suggestions? I’ve searched far and wide and haven’t really settled on anything yet.

*Ink on the bags and boxes is acid-free and non-toxic.*

*Borders / frames on the proof image shown above are available for purchase at The Photo Professional [ here ] .*

Order deadline cards were printed at home on natural, recycled paper.

Recycled tissue paper from Nashville Wraps.

Cards with rounded edges from GotPrint who is a green company!

Beautiful soft twine from Hobby Lobby.

Logo on boxes and bags is a stamp I had custom ordered. (Stamp info now included in the comments.) I purchased both brown and black inks – they both look beautiful!

Tags are made at home, printed on recycled paper.

Tags are made at home, printed on recycled paper. *BAGS AND BOXES ARE RECYCLED KRAFT PRODUCTS.*

Thank you so much for sharing Michelle! Make sure you stop by her blog and website “The Photo Professional” to say thanks in person!

P.S. If you’re waiting on an e-mail from me, please be patient. I’m extremely behind right now and doing my best to catch up as fast as I can!

Look around the sidebars and say “hi” to several of our new advertisers. If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. If you are a photographer and are interested in having your packaging featured – or are a vendor and are interested in having your business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured – please contact robyn @ this domain to be added to the posting schedule.

vert classique

Last fall I put out the call for photographers who had “gone green” with their packaging, but unfortunately received no response. Since then I’ve had multiple viewer requests to feature a guest post by a “green” photographer. The problem was finding one, or them finding me. Until now.

Green or not, this packaging leaves me saying “WOW!” It’s simply perfection. So sit back and enjoy the eco-friendly packaging of Caroline Ghetes Photography.

Inside the photo proof box. The box is 100% biodegradable.

Another look at the outside of the photo proof box all wrapped up.

I hand-stamped my logo on this really neat handmade paper. Then I hand-stamped the word “photos” on these recycled chip-board hang tags. I’ve attached all tags & wrapped the boxes in 100% natural raffia ribbon.

Here’s a look at the CD my brides get. A photo is printed on a label and then adhered to the CD.

I use these natural hemp CD cases from Loktah. I LOVE their stuff!

The CD’s are placed on a bed of Natural Coarse Wood Excelsior, inside this 100% biodegradable black box.

Then the CD box is wrapped with Raffia ribbon and more hang tags are attached.

And there you go!

A little peek at the envelope which contains the reproduction release & lab recommendations.

An overall look of the finished product. The shopping bag is a 100% recycled Euro Tote.

Because of her extensive research into green boutique packaging, Caroline sells her vendor and product list rather than sharing it online. The cost for this collected information is $25.00 USD. You can read more of the details at her blog.

“100% of every transaction will be donated to support my missions trip to Romania in 2010, in support of my father’s evangelistic travels. It will involve church revivals, visiting & helping orphanages, remodeling for poor families, photography for the needy & of course some documentary photography as well…In addition to telling you the resources I used to make my own packaging, I will include some more names in there that I did not use, but may work for you.“

Thank you, Caroline, for proving it can be done—and that it can be done to perfection!

There’s much more in store for this week and we’re only half-way through. Don’t forget to check in daily!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).