The order, a simple presentation folder intended for use within the company, was a no-brainer for the employees at manufacturer Stylecraft Printing, Canton, Mich. "I entered the order as an exact repeat," says Andrea Pesci-Jones, vice president of the company. But when she received the first proof, the order wasn't an exact repeat-it was something better.

Pesci-Jones uses presentation folders to show prospective customers samples of Stylecraft Printing's work. "Basically, it's the best of what we've done," she says. The folders often contain unusual jobs that required special finishing, which is one of the company's strengths. Sometimes the folders are beefed up with samples specific to a client's needs. For example, if a client is particularly interested in medical forms or flow sheets, Pesci-Jones will add appropriate samples.

While some presentation folders are given out at trade shows, the majority are mailed with a pitch letter. Pesci-Jones says Stylecraft Printing used to hand out sample folders at trade shows as if they were candy. At the time, the folders were thin and fairly inexpensive to produce. But today, they're dealing with a higher quality-and more expensive-product. Pesci-Jones now targets prospective clients at trade shows, gathers their information and then mails them the folder, with samples and a pitch letter, and then follows up when trying to garner a sale. "It's expensive to mail, but money well spent," she says.

When Pesci-Jones placed an order for 1,000 presentation folders for in-house use, she assumed it was pretty much a done deal. But when it went through production, several employees knew something had to be done about samples bulging out of the folder. So they took it upon themselves to improve the folder's design by increasing the capacity of both pockets and the spine so it would function better with a large number of samples. They also changed the single-scored pockets to double-scored pockets. "I was unaware of the improvement until I was given the first proof," Pesci-Jones says. "Now it looks like a finished book."

The result: a 4-color presentation folder printed on 15-point Carolina paper, coated on one side. The folder is double-scored and die cut for two 5-inch-deep pockets each with a 1/2-inch extra capacity. The capacity of the folder's spine also was increased 3/16 inch. The finish trim is 22 x 18 inches, which folds to 91/2 x 12 1/2 inches.

Pesci-Jones says typically the pocket on the left side contains marketing information, a credit application and a tax certificate. With the larger capacity folder, currently the left pocket holds 15 marketing pieces. The right pocket holds 78 samples-a number so big that even Pesci-Jones was surprised when she sat down and counted them.

Only part of the run was laminated so Pesci-Jones is free to make changes to folders that weren't laminated at a later date. "The lamination is one of the features that really sets this folder apart from the ordinary," she says.

Pesci-Jones' clients often hold on to her company's sample folders, so they have a file of ideas when working with future end users. She hopes that the improved presentation folder now has a better chance of staying on a client's shelf even after a sale is complete. "It's attractive. It looks nice," she says. Lamination improves the folder's appearance and durability, ensuring its functionality over a long period of time.

Pesci-Jones was pleased with the improved presentation folder, as she's well aware of the importance of making such a simple product memorable. How do you make a presentation folder unique? Make it an unusual size or shape, something that can be accomplished with a die cut, Pesci-Jones says. She also suggests adding a matching label with removable adhesive as a means of keeping samples orderly inside a folder. Finally, Pesci-Jones says she often polywraps folders in case they get scrambled during the shipping process.

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