Wondering What to Expect?
It's Made in the USA
Sullivan Paper has been doing this for over 80 years in Massachusetts. Made in the US means a lot of things...
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We're keeping the money local, investing in our workers and their families, giving back to the community, and sourcing from other local suppliers.
Additionally it means we're held to a higher standard - our workers receive living wages, insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
We're subject to (and pass with flying colors) regulations from the EPA (other agencies), so the water we use in our inks is reclaimed and reused and recycling is at the forefront of everything we do. And did you know that paper is one of the world's most recycled products, with a recycling rate of 71% in Europe and close to 70% in North America? Made from renewable resources, it forms a perfect example of circular economy.
2.
It's all about the design and artwork
Good gift wrap has great design!
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Good gift wrap has a great design. It could be the cutest baby animals to wrap a gift for a baby shower, that birthday print that makes you laugh out loud, the print of Santa that has you yearning for the magic of Christmas as a child, or your corporate logo popping just right for a promotional project.
Sullivan has an in-house Design team, second to none. Every year they refresh a third of our stocked patterns. However they also have extensive experience working with outside designers and collaborating with creatives to bring your signature look and branding to life on gift wrap. In addition to our stocked designs here, we have thousands more patterns readily available, and a portfolio of work from collaborating with firms such Caspari, Estee Lauder, and Coach.
When working with Sullivan Paper to create gift wrap from custom art, one of the most important steps is putting artwork into a workable repeat that fits our presses. Thankfully, we're pretty good at this, and you'd probably be pressed to look at our designs and figure out where the repeat is. Our printing is accomplished on large frame presses where we print roll to roll. As the paper passes through the press it will hit different stations, the number of stations is determined by the number of colors in the art, and at each station a chrome-plated printing cylinder is mounted. These cylinders are laser engraved with your pattern - thousands and thousand of tiny "cells" are engraved into the cylinder that work to roll through an ink station, filling the cell with ink, which is then pressed into the paper.
3.
Great paper and other specs
If it's not wrapped it's not a gift!
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If it's not wrapped, it's not a gift. We've all experienced the disappointment of opening a gift wrapped in thin waxy paper. There is no satisfying tear as you rip open the paper, and the paper has no feel to it. None of fine embossing options or paper finishes that Sullivan offers.
The good news is our paper is the "good stuff". Every gift is guaranteed to have the satisfying tear when opened, and if you're the one wrapping it, this is the good paper with the satisfying scissor glide when cutting.
We stock dozens of paper grades, suitable for a wide variety of projects. When quoting a project, we offer a wide range of papers to get the look and feel you're going after. Our Timber Tough swatch book features many of these substrates, which you can check out in our catalog here.
4.
Pricing, Samples, and Approval
Our pricing, sample, and approval process has a few simple steps…
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Typically a job can be priced pretty early in the process once some basic questions are answered.
- Design print complexity/requirements
- Paper finishing options - any embossings or special packaging?
- Finish sizes
- Quantity
This is a large component of pricing and Sullivan is the only producer boasting no minimums. Setting up a printing press for a print run can take several hours, followed by several hours of clean up to get ready for the next job. Unfortunately these steps are not cheap, so the larger the print run the better we can spread those costs out, meaning the larger the run, the better we can price for you. Typical print runs are 5,000 lineal feet to 20,000 lineal feet, but we've run jobs anywhere from 100 lineal feet to 1,000,000+ lineal feet. - Samples
We're always happy to offer samples free of charge and this is no different with a custom project. Unfortunately there is no economical way to create press trials for a job, so we've equipped our Art Studio with state of the art mock up equipment that let us generate 13" x 19" samples of your print on the same substrate we'd print your job on with our larger presses. Our sample department is also fully equipped to sample our different printing substrates and examples of past work showcasing the same finish and options you're looking at. - Approval
It takes roughly 2 to 4 weeks to go through artwork revisions, approval, and for us to have engraved cylinders that are ready for printing. Every project is different though, and timelines can be shorter or longer. Approved sample colors are then expertly matched on press with our state of the art X-Rite Color Matching system.
5.
Printing
It's finally time for your gift wrap to be printed!
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It's finally time for your gift wrap to be printed! Printing is quite impressive and Sullivan Paper always welcomes you to come visit us for a press approval of your print. If you can't be there to approve, don't worry, our skilled team and computerized color matching system are more than capable of matching your print on press to approved colors and samples.
Once matched up, our presses can print in excess of 1,000 feet per minute!
6.
Finish Converting
Sullivan offers a full suite of finish options for our customers.
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Sullivan offers a full suite of finish options for our customers. When a design finishes on press we have a large roll of paper, that we will first trim the edges on, leaving perfect edge-to-edge printing. Many lower priced printers will leave trim and registration marks in their gift wrap.
Embossing
Sullivan has the world's largest collection of embossing textures. We're hard at work adding all of these to our online catalog, and in the meantime we'd be more than happy to sample options for you that fit well with your project.
Embossing works by using heavy pressure to roll the paper through a textured roll, imprinting the texture into the paper - literally lifting your design off the sheet.
Rewinding
Paper is rewound to your specifications - customers offering in-store wrapping services require different size rolls than customers selling shrink wrapped rolls of paper to consumers. Our automated machinery is ready to meet your exact specifications.
Sheeting
Sometimes a roll of paper isn't what your project needs, in those cases our fleet of sheeting equipment and skilled craftsmen are ready to convert rolled paper into sheets. Sheeting can have many applications - from gameboard backings, to envelope liners, to gift wrap sheets cut to the perfect size of a specified box.
7.
Shipping
Before you know it, it's time to ship your order.
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Depending on your finish converting, Sullivan Paper ships out of West Springfield, MA or East Longmeadow, MA. Our experienced logistics team is ready to provide any details needed to arrange shipment or assist with arranging and quoting shipments.
Closest ports for international shipment are Boston and New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
What is the lead time?
Anywhere from 1 business day to 8 weeks depending on the project! Stock items ship in a day or two, complex custom printing and retail programs can take 6 to 8 weeks to be ready.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the roll size and size of the run. Larger runs drive down the cost, but with that said we have stocked retail roll kits starting at only $99.
What are your minimums?
No minimums on what we produce! We pride ourselves on quoting to your needs.
Is gift wrap bad for the environment?
We aim to make our paper as eco-friendly as possible!
The water we use in our EPA and MA DEP compliant water-based inks and coatings is reclaimed and re-used through our state-of-the-art closed loop water chiller. It means we recycle everything we use that is recyclable – this not only extends to our paper, paper trim, and the water used in our inks, but secondary inputs such as plastics, corrugated, metals, wooden pallets and boxes, and batteries.
We also believe in sustainable energy. This is why ALL products converted at our East Longmeadow, MA facility are done so utilizing Solar Energy.
What brands have you worked with?
We’ve worked with luxury brands like Christian Dior, Coach, and Estee Lauder. Retailers such as TJX, Walmart, and the Container Store. Our portfolio is extensive and covers the gamut – Zippo to Vera Bradley and Brooks Brothers to Caspari.
Can I customize my gift wrap?
Yes, that’s one of the best parts!
Do you work with boxmakers?
Yes, Sullivan Paper has excellent relationships with all of the U.S. based boxmakers.
Do you work with non-profits?
Yes! Sullivan Paper recognizes the value of non-profits and is a passionate supporter of the Boys and Girl Club and has partnered with TJX the past couple of years to create custom gift wrap based on artwork from patients at the Dana Farber Institute – 50% of all sales were donated back to the Jimmy Fund.
Financing options?
Our in house finance team is ready to review all credit applications.
Subscription-based programs?
Not yet, but stay tuned!
Do you work with small businesses?
As a small business, we love working with small businesses!
Do you provide samples/swatch books?
Yes, and they are free of charge! Send us an email so we can figure out what you need.
Quick Contact
Interested in partnering with the leader of environmentally conscious wrap and packaging? We’d love to get in touch.
For detailed quote requests, try our advanced form submission here.