So here (courtesy of Empire State College, NY) is a helpful guide to alleviate a frequently heard question: should one put the period inside or outside the parenthesis?

Short Answer: Punctuate correctly in and around parentheses. If a whole sentence is inside parentheses, then put the period inside the end parenthesis. If only part of the sentence is in parentheses, then the period goes outside of the end parenthesis.

Examples: Parentheses are like polite back seat drivers. (They interrupt to explain additional information that the reader should know.) Parentheses can hold explanations, illustrations, or clarifications forty (Byron was 36; Nathanael West, Rimbaud, and Robert Burns were 37; Thomas Wolfe and Pushkin were 38; and Dylan Thomas was 39). I told him I absolutely believe in marriage (as a cure for the temporary insanity of infatuation). Parentheses are also used to set off dates, provide reference information, and to enumerate a list.

• Angela Merici (1470-1540), an Italian, founded the Ursulines in 1535, an unconventional religious order in which women took vows but lived at home and taught in the community.
• The Chinese poet Li Po (c.700-762), a “lighthearted winebibber,” fell out of a boat and was drowned when he tried to kiss and embrace the moon’s reflection in the water (Hendrickson 111).
• The reason there are so many popular bike trails outside of Washington, D.C., is that the land is mostly flat (see contour map on page 6).
• If your toddler does not sleep through the night there are several questions to ask: (1) Have you developed a soothing bedtime ritual? (2) When checking on your child, do you accidentally wake him or her? (3) Is your toddler afraid of the dark? (4) Is your toddler waking regularly in the night hungry or thirsty? (5) Does your toddler use a pacifier or “cuddly” so he or she is able to comfort himself or herself?

How to create a company newsletter: a popular theory

Repurpose our general campaign creative. Extract products from our catalog. Give everyone a heads up on our Spring promotions. People will read it. It’s a NEWSLETTER, after all. True?

Enter the faux newsletter. The domain of marketers who either don’t respect their readers (i.e. customers and clients) enough to provide substantive content, or of marketers who are just confused.

A company newsletter is most successful when it opens and maintains an intimate conversation between real people. It is generous in content and in spirit. It avoids even a hint of self promotion. It is journalistic in style and pointed in its attitude. It’s more about substance than style. It proves that you have a story to tell, or if you have none.

In the Internet Age, reach and repetition have become something of a commodity; real communication remains more elusive.

Wanna’ talk more about newsletters? Check out our newsletter event; it’s your last chance to register.

It’s interesting to note that of these firms, the Postal Service accounted for 21% of the revenue generated, but required 62% of the 1.253 million employees to generate that combined pool of $343B in revenue. Looking at it that way, maybe a 1 cent increase in postage isn’t all that bad after all!

Business Cards: Full Color, gorgeous glossy stock, printed both sides or front only.

1000 cards for $49 plus tax and UPS delivery.

Just upload your PDF file using upload page. We’ll contact you to arrange payment and shipment.

Starting next month first class postage will hit 42 cents, postcards 27 cents, each up one cent. Standard class mailers will see modest increases, in most cases under a penny.

If you’ve got a mailing coming up, and would like to beat the deadline, make sure your project is ready to mail by May 12. Direct mail is still and important marketing tool, despite all efforts to the contrary.

Online Postage Calculator from the US Postal Service

LATE UPDATE: Click here for information on the new NCOA regulations and special offers from Copies&Ink

A question heard frequently at Copies&Ink is: What’s the postage tab for my upcoming mailing? Here’s the easiest way we’ve found to calculate postage for your business mailing, and also compare the costs for various types of mailing services offered by the USPS.

To be completely accurate, you’ll need to know how many of the destinations in your mailing list will be sorted into 3 digit, 5 digit, carrier route, etc. Of course, this is nearly impossible without software to analyze your list directly. (That’s a service we offer at Copies&Ink.) But for a rough estimate, it’s usually safe enough to guess that your mailing will mostly fall into the “3 digit” category unless it’s going to just a few cities in a focussed area. If you mailing for a certified non profit, you can apply for a special permit to mail at greatly reduced rates. Check out the latest rates at the official USPS online calculator site.

Postage is often one of the largest costs in your direct mail campaign, so it pays to understand the “rules of the road.” When in doubt you can contact your regional USPS business center. We find that for the most part, you’ll find helpful and knowledgeable assistance just for the asking. In our Santa Ana, CA region their phone number is 714-662-6483.

Finally, don’t forget that a well designed mail piece will keep postage at a minimum, while at the same time optimizing response. So the sage advice is: don’t cut corners in the planning stages. Wanna’ know more? Sign up for our InkBlot newsletter. We’ll keep you up to date on all matters print and direct mail.