If you aren’t following us on Facebook, you might not know that we have been posting some great projects from back in the day. It happens every Thursday, and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s even garnered emails from former employees who remember when.

Our most recent Throwback Thursday highlighted a newsletter PI put out back in the fall of 2000. I got a big kick out of the article “What’s all the .com motion?” that quotes Terry as saying, “At PRO iNK we have been involved with the Internet for the past two years.” Notice her use of the capitalized “Internet.”

Just for the record, AP style is as follows: internet, email, website. And for goodness sake, you don’t need to say “World Wide Web.” Internet works just fine (lower case, that is).

And while I’m on the subject, my new favorite Twitter feed is @APStylebook. (I bet none of us could have conceived of a Twitter feed back in 2000. We were too busy building Web sites in frames!)

It’s no secret we love dogs here at PRO iNK. It always jumps out at me when other companies incorporate furry guys into their marketing endeavors. CB2, a division of Crate&Barrel does just that. I got the new catalog yesterday (love!) and saw that they give photo credits to some really cute pups. Take a look at their blog where they highlight these guys (kind of like PRO iNK’s team descriptions). Another dog-friendly company is cutting-edge fabric designer and engineer, Crypton. Check out their blog, which is also fun and capitalizes on the unique odor-fighting and pet-friendly qualities of their fabrics.

So what’s the scoop? Why are these big companies talking about dogs? I mean, isn’t that sort of beside the point? Shouldn’t they be focusing on selling more furniture or fabric? For PRO iNK, it speaks to the kind of company we are: responsible, caring, fun and willing to clean up messes (ask me about the time Holly ate all of Terry’s picture frames when we went to lunch)! What is it that sets your company or organization apart? Is there something unique about your corporate culture? Can you talk about it? You should!

P.S. This photo of Karin’s dog, Reggie, was one of many out-takes from our staff photo shoot last fall and just cracks me up.

I’ve been cleaning out old files at the office and came across materials I used when teaching editing and graphics in the public relations department at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. Even though the files are more than 20 years old, the principles remain the same. In honor of my long-time mentor and UF professor Charlie Wellborn, they deserve to be repeated. Here are Charlie’s tips for creating readable publications:

• Avoid large areas of type reversed out of black or a color. It’s much harder to read than black type on a white background. It’s even tougher to read on a computer screen. Talk about eye fatigue.
• Remember to keep line lengths short. Too long of a line length or column width is difficult to read. The eye needs to transition from the end of the line to the beginning of the next line. If that distance is too long, readers have difficulty reading rapidly and lose interest.
• When selecting a typeface for a publication, reflect on your reader’s age.
  Older audiences have difficulty with very thin typefaces. All italics, all boldface and all capital letters are also more difficult to read. Use them sparingly and carefully.
• The old rules about serif and sans serif typefaces had some merit. But with the huge number of typefaces available today, a good rule is to select a typeface and then try reading a paragraph or two. Does your eye glide across the words easily and quickly? Do you feel comfortable when reading? If you squint your eyes, can you still make out the letter forms?
• Remember the best contrast for type and paper color is white or ivory paper or background and black type. Be careful of lots of type set in a color, especially lighter colors. Readers will have trouble reading.
• Typefaces are abundant and fascinating. Don’t be afraid to use something different. Too many designers get stuck using one favorite typeface and neglect to explore the beauty and versatility of new typefaces.
• Remember, if the typeface stands out in the publication, it’s probably not the best choice. You want your message to be most prominent, so don’t get too cutesy or too wild.

PRO iNK was established in 1979. 32 years and counting. Terry has seen it all (well, not movable type, but a LOT). She’s been on the edge of trends for ages, both in marketing and media, but also in…fashion! That’s right folks. The girl is well-appointed, always has been. She recently cleaned out her closet and pulled several things she thought I might be able to repurpose. The silks, the covered buttons, the Ikat. The shoulder pads (oh my!).

Everything I kept is going to need some tailoring and I was thinking how cool it would be if I could send it to the woman who writes the blog New Dress a Day. Here’s what she’s been blogging about for the year:

“…the only shopping that I’ll be able to do is that of pieces that have been used and worn already. So long to mall trips and hello to sifting through piles of vintage pieces at flea markets and at neighborhood garage sales. Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found from these places. On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of $1 a day.”

A digital diary! I love it! I know a few people that were posting photos daily, namely local art photographer and friend Nick Forneris. And WordPress started a “Daily Post” campaign this year encouraging people to do just that. I started thinking, what would I post daily? Folks, I have a four-month-old, a six-year-old and an eight-year-old, two insane hounds and a husband. I’m lucky if I brush my teeth daily! But a girl can dream…

Are any of you out there posting daily? What are you posting about? Why are you doing it?

P.S. Check out the Shoulder Pad Week on New Dress a Day. She’d have a hey day with some of Terry’s suits from 1988.

That’s it! If I hear one more Geico commercial I’m going to upgrade my Pandora! I’ve been saying this for about six months, now. But today, I actually did it. The main reason was to get better sound quality, but the fact that I don’t have that annoying gecko interrupting my grooves anymore sweetened the deal, for sure.

It got me thinking about Pandora as a social network. I remember a few months ago I was completely freaked out when a Facebook friend of mine popped up in my Pandora browser saying they liked my music. Ag! My music space! Invaded. It felt a bit creepy to tell you the truth. I quickly made my profile private and haven’t had interlopers since.

Six months later, on the day I upgrade my Pandora, I started to rethink my original position on this topic. I can see the upside. My friends could suggest new music I might enjoy. I might get some street cred with Mark when he sees that I have an Avett Brothers radio station, etc. etc. So I reconnected myself. It’s kind of cool to see what people are listening to!

These cross-pollinations of media are fascinating. And, I’m equally interested in my quickly changing relationship with Facebook. I can’t wait to see what we’ll be doing there six months from now. Just today I heard on the news they will be posting Amber Alerts on Facebook. The possibilities are endless, really.

Ok, I’m off to see what my high school crush is listening to!

P.S. My favorite Pandora stations:
!!! (dancey/electronic music, great running companion station)
Willie Nelson (awesome, classic country filled with Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash)
José Gonzalez (quiet and melodic tunes)

As you may have noticed, we’re a pretty happy bunch here at PRO iNK.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal may have figured out why. In addition to our getting to working with fabulous clients (which, oddly enough, was not mentioned in the Gainesville Sun article), a recent study found that our brains pump out dopamine—a chemical that produces joy & euphoria—while we listen to our favorite music. Anyone who’s visited the PRO iNK office knows that Tracy or I are usually enjoying some kind of music as we push pixels, wrangle words and track type.

Here’s some of what we’ve been producing dopamine with over the last 48 hours: (1) Emergency & I, The Dismemberment Plan; Admiral Fell Promises, Sun Kil Moon (2) Of Misery and Toil, Young Livers; The Brutalist Bricks, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (3) Not Like This, Iron Chic (or as Tracy called it “Iron Sheep”); We Chase the Waves, Sundowner.

One thing I really enjoy about working in Gainesville is how closely connected many of our businesses are. Clients converged on a recent GRU photo shoot just before the new year. Imagine my delight as I scaled 30 feet of ladder (eeks) on the back side of Best Buy in Butler Plaza to find the immense solar array installed by another PI client, Green Energy Development. Terry, do I get hazardous pay for this stuff?