I get a lot of emails from new designers asking me questions about paper and printers and anything stationery related. I am a huge advocate for information sharing (everything that I have learned is because someone blogged it or shared it with me) but the busier I get, the less I am able to send long winded emails and am trying to figure out the balance of being helpful and valuing my time. I like to at least point people in the right direction, so I thought I would share some great resources for those interested in learning more about the behind the scenes details in the stationery biz. The Minted Forum I don’t know how long I was on Minted before I figured out their forum, but let me tell you, if you are interested in anything from paper, printers, design tips and tricks, copyright laws, and just other designers’ general opinions than this is the place for you. The Minted design community is very open and encouraging and people share great info. Over the past year or so Minted has grown so much that the forum is a getting large and there are a lot of repeated conversations. I would recommend doing a lot of research first, but if you aren't finding something, don't be afraid to ask a question yourself. And while you are at it, sign up for an account and enter a challenge. You won't regret it.
Let’s Talk Stationery Forum This is a lesser known forum (among my friends) and is not free but a great resource as well. I signed up last year and immediately thought it was worth the $50ish (don't quote me) fee for a year subscription. I never have had the time to participate much myself, but it can also be a networking tool to meet other stationers.
There is no one right printer or paper supplier, no perfect answer to every question, but these forums are a great place to start. You can only get out what you put into this kind of thing, so dig in and start researching!
