Paper Tips: Printing on Uncoated Stock

Uncoated paper has a soft finish and tactile quality not possible with most coated papers. But uncoated stock also interacts differently with ink than it coated cousins. Follow these tips to ensure the best results.

Creative Pro (2004). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Quick Footwork in a Dull Market  

Right now the paper market is stable. So should you relax and enjoy the calm? Hardly. Now's the perfect time to test new paper sheets and negotiate better financial terms with your supplier.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1997). Articles>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Ready, Aim, Write: The Value of Identifying Your Target Reader

One of the most important first steps when preparing to write a white paper is to determine who will be reading the document. This article will help you perform this critical step in the needs assessment process.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Audience Analysis>White Papers

Recycled Papers

The demand for recycled paper is on the rise and more and more paper manufacturers are producing recycled paper in the same categories and range of choices as virgin stock. However, because of the variations and inconsistencies in the raw materials used, paper that contains recycled fiber tends to he at the middle to lower quality levels of each paper grade.

Boston Broadside (1992). Articles>Publishing>Prepress>Paper

Reusability 2.0: The Key to Publishing Learning  

What would you do if you had to develop and deliver personalized training to 900,000 employees, located in 34,000 different locations globally with a complex set of variables that changes training on a location-by-location basis? The key is reusability 2.0. While technology-delivered training has become mainstream in many organizations, most are still not fully leveraging the power of reusable learning content to meet their instructional needs.

Chapman, Bryan. Xyleme (2007). Articles>Content Management>Instructional Design>White Papers

Reusable Information Object Strategy: Definition, Creation Overview, and Guidelines  

Cisco Systems recognizes a need to move from creating and delivering large inflexible training courses, to database driven objects that can be reused, searched, and modified independent of their delivery media. This effort is called the Reusable Information Object Strategy. This strategy defines the standards and process for designing and developing Reusable Information Objects (RIOs) at Cisco Systems.

Cisco Systems (1999). Books>Information Design>Content Management>White Papers

Roughing It  

Not in the mood for smooth? Consider going rustic with your paper and design.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1998). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Seven Steps to Writing White Papers More Efficiently

Read about a seven-step process used when writing write white papers and other complex documents.

Gandia, Ed. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>White Papers

Sheet Smart  

'Going against the grain' is more than a cliché when you're weighing the merits of one paper characteristic over another. Learn how paper's grain direction affects the finish of your jobs.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (2004). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Six Ways to 'Sell the Boss' on Outsourcing White Papers

Calculate the time of the manager and your time to do edits. Determine the cost to the company based on average salaries. Chances are it's costing MORE than if it was outsourced.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Outsourcing>White Papers

Taking Stock of Paper

Paper stock makes a big difference in the appearance of a product, and even though prices have come down recently, it's probably the most expensive element in your print run, so you need to make it count. Though budget is probably the biggest factor in choosing stock, here are several other considerations.

Dahlman, Gayle. Editorial Eye, The (1996). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

The Top Five Writing Mistakes in White Papers

A compelling topic and an attractive design will initially draw readers to a white paper. But those readers may lose interest if the paper contains any of five common writing mistakes.

King, Janice M. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>White Papers

Tree-Free at Last  

'Tree-free' paper - made from fibers other than wood - isn't just a gimmick.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1996). Articles>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

Understanding Paper Weights  

The system of paper weights used in North America dates back to medieval Europe. It is important to understand this system, in which 50# (50-pound) paper can well be thinner and lighter than 24# (24-pound) paper.

Copresco (2002). Articles>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

What Is a White Paper and How Is It Used?

White papers have grown from just another piece of collateral to a super-powered marketing tool. Everywhere you look in marketing, you will see something labeled a "white paper."

Stelzner, Michael A. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Writing>White Papers

White Paper Resources

This page includes external resources you may find valuable in your white paper projects.

WhitePaperSource. Resources>Writing>Business Communication>White Papers

White Paper Writing Guide  

The words 'white paper' in the title of a document no longer indicate a detailed and authoritative report. Many white papers today are overly long product brochures weighed down by weak organization, confusing content, unsupported assertions, and poor document design. If you follow the instructions in this guide, you will write real white papers: authoritative business communications that achieve marketing goals by explaining technical ideas clearly with a compelling presentation of business value.

Kemp, Al. Impact Technical Publications (2005). Books>Writing>Business Communication>White Papers

White Paper Writing: Breaking the Monotony of Technical Writing    

Preparing to write your first White Paper? Promila provides you a 360-degree view of white paper writing and the subsequent information that will help you envisage the bigger picture.

Chitkara, Promila. International Journal for Technical Communication (2007). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>White Papers

White Papers in Technical Communication: Results of a Survey

With this survey, I sought to address the question, 'To what extent are practicing technical communicators involved in writing white papers?'

Willerton, Russell. Texas Tech University (2005). Articles>TC>White Papers>Surveys

Who's Writing Your White Papers? The Never Ending Debate of Technical Knowledge Versus Writing Proficiency

A common mistake that many companies make when starting a white paper project, is the assumption that a technical subject matter expert who has used, developed, or is highly knowledgeable about the topic is automatically assumed to be best qualified as its author.

Kantor, Jonathan. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Research>White Papers

Why a Good Title Makes a White Paper

The title is your white paper's absolute first impression. In it rests success or failure for the words that lie beyond, waiting for a reader. If the title does not encourage someone to read further, the ink that coats your white paper will never be seen.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>White Papers

Writing When You Are NOT the Expert

Have you ever been asked to write a white paper about a topic that is completely foreign to you? If not, you most certainly will. This article will help you set your foot down the right path.

Stelzner, Michael A. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Business Communication>White Papers

You Get What You Pay For: What's Your Business Image Worth?

Unfortunately it seems that more and more companies are choosing the lowest price in deciding which white paper writer to engage. Why would a business that would never bat an eyelash paying for a high-quality website, choose the low price provider for a white paper?

Kantor, Jonathan. WhitePaperSource (2006). Articles>Writing>Marketing>White Papers

You Get What You Pay For...Sometimes  

Buying the quality you need isn't just a matter of checking the price tag.

Sidles, Constance J. Adobe Magazine (1997). Design>Document Design>Prepress>Paper

The Technical Communicator's Transformation: Publishing On-Time and On-Quality  

Results from Aberdeen’s study of over 360 technical publications department indicate that most organizations adopting topic-based authoring see benefits primarily in terms of project schedule improvements. However, a few see consistent improvements to authoring budgets, localization costs, and the quality of communications. Aberdeen’s research suggests that these differences largely result from how topic-based methodology is implemented and supported. Making the transition to a topic-based authoring requires a dramatic shift in the daily operations of a technical communications department. Meeting the challenges transitioning to a structured authoring approach can result in a wide range of performance benefits. Failing to adequately address these challenges can add an unprecedented layer of complexity that can significantly burden technical communications projects. However, findings ways to successfully evade these obstacles provides the opportunity to achieve greater value from the initiative. This report identifies the attributes most common to the Best-in-Class and provides a guide for organizations attempting to realize the potential of topic-based authoring.

David Houlihan. Aberdeen Group (2008). Organizations>Technology>Technical Writing>White Papers