March 2007

Dear Members:

As your ARA president for 2007-2008, I hope to inspire continued excellence in our industry, and remind you that we are Seeking Perfection in our lives, businesses, and ARA.

One way to move forward with ARA is to come to Atlantic City, NJ, from March 15 to 17, where we will host the best show for the awards and recognition industry on the East Coast. The 2007 ARA East Coast Awards Market at the Atlantic City Convention Center will feature hot new products and hundreds of unique product ideas, show specials, and networking opportunities.

This year's educational seminars menu promises the most up-to-date techniques and education—information and knowledge you need to help you "perfect" your business skills and prosper. ARA members who attend these courses also have the opportunity to earn the industry's recognized marks of distinction—the Certified Recognition Specialist (CRS) and Certified Recognition Master (CRM) designations, by acquiring education units (CEUs) at designated seminars.

Click here to read descriptions of ARA educational sessions that will be offered in Atlantic City. To register, please call 800/344-2148 or visit www.ara.org.

Ed Hunt
Seeking Perfection

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Education Advocates Needed for ARA East Coast Awards Market
Education Advocates introduce seminar speakers at ARA events using a provided script. It is fun, easy and a great way to get involved in your association and support the ARA education program at the 2007 ARA East Coast Awards Market in Atlantic City (March 15–17). For more information, please contact ARA Education Manager Daniel Weinstock at dweinstock@connect2amc.com.

ARA 2007 Regional Education Events
ARA Regional Education Events allow you to expand your skills and acquire CEU credits without traveling to an ARA trade show. These one- and two-day seminars are held at the facilities of hosting supplier companies. Each event is also a good occasion to learn more about your supplier's products and services. All seminars will conform to ARA's standards for quality, adhere to ARA's policy of non-product promotion, and comply with anti-trust regulations. Each seminar will be available for CEU credit for those who are enrolled in the ARA Certification Program.

Here are the Educational Event sponsors and dates for 2007. Look for a location near you:

Customized Shipping Discounts for ARA Members!
Through a unique partnership, ARA has made it easy for members to save on all types of shipping services. We've teamed up with the leading transportation providers in the industry, including Yellow Transportation, Roadway Express, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, DHL, USF & New Penn. Whether you ship envelopes, packages, or heavy freight, these carriers have a solution.

• Save at least 52% with Yellow Transportation and Roadway Express on North American LTL freight
• Save 20% on international air freight and 45% on heavy North American air freight with UPS Supply Chain Solutions
• Save up to 25% with DHL on express air, ground, and international services
• Save at least 52% with USF and New Penn on regional, next day less than truckload freight services throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada regional next day less than truckload

To take advantage of your ARA member benefits, or to find out how much you can save on your next shipment, call your shipping benefit consultants at 800/MEMBERS (636-2377) x303. For more information about the ARA Shipping Program, visit www.1800members.com/ARA.

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March 12–14, 2007
CorelDRAW Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973

March 15–17, 2007
2007 ARA East Coast Awards Market
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, NJ
800/344-2148

April 12–14, 2007
CorelDRAW Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973

April 19–21, 2007
CorelDRAW Boot Camp
Cave Creek, AZ
800/736-8973

May 3–5, 2007
Awards and Custom Gift Show
Fort Worth Convention Center
Fort Worth, TX

June 7–9, 2007
Awards and Custom Gift Show
Charlotte Convention Center
Charlotte, NC

July 12–14, 2007
Awards and Custom Gift Show
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, MD

August 9–11, 2007
Awards and Custom Gift Show
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
Long Beach, CA

September 6–8, 2007
Awards and Custom Gift Show
Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome
Indianapolis, IN

January 14–17, 2008
CorelDRAW Boot Camp Cruise
Miami/Eastern Caribbean
800/736-8973

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In the March 2007 Issue:

Participation Counts!
Although some youth athletic organizations are rethinking their practice of giving medals or small figurines to every age group, the reported "death" of participation awards has been greatly exaggerated.

Your Business Card: More Than a Piece of Paper
Business cards are no longer a matter of a printed phone number and address. They represent an opportunity to create an impression that is either pedestrian—or exceptional. Read more...

Creating GIF Files for the Web
Having covered the basics of creating content for the Web in the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. Foster Coburn turns his focus to creating GIF files in CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT.

Ready, Set, Here We Go Again!
The time of year that we all love to hate is right around the corner. The season of long hours, last-minute customers and short tempers is almost here. Here are 10 tips to help you prepare.

Resources for Laser Engravers
Taking advantage of several resources can do wonders for keeping you informed and improving your laser processing skills. Diane Bosworth explains some of them.

Frame Utilities
Pradhan Balter offers several important edits and controls related to frames before he begins covering edits for Paragraph Text.

An Industry Bedtime Story
Gather 'round children: Donna Gray, CRM, wants to tell you a story that could happen to any company in our industry.

Impressive Imprintables
ARA members honored three companies for their ingenuity in the Best Imprintable category at the 2006 International Awards Market.

An Imposing Presence
Rutgers Scarlet Knights fullback Brian Leonard is the second recipient of the annual ARA Sportsmanship Award, a national honor the association created for NCAA Division I College Football. Read more...

Las Vegas Products Showcase
Here's an exciting preview of some of the exhibiting ARA companies and the awards items and accessories they'll be offering in Las Vegas.

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If you're an ARA member with computer access, simply visit www.ara.org, log in to the members-only section using your member number, and select ARA Ask an Expert. Find the topic and expert you're looking for, then ask your question(s). More often than not, the ARA expert will have the solution you need.

? My laser engraver seems data confused. If I draw a 1-inch box it engraves or cuts a dimension of 1.5x2 inches. Drawing a 2-inch box results in 3x4 inches—the x axis becomes 1.5 times the size, and the y size is doubled. Have you have heard of this before and do you recall the cause?

Diane Bosworth responds: My best guess is that your vector scaling is set wrong in the driver. To check this, go into the driver, go to preferences and select advanced page, and then select vector scaling. This should be set at 1.00 for both the x and the y axis. If this does not fix the problem, let me know, because I may have other suggestions to offer. Good luck!

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