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 Orphaned Products 
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Okay, I’ll admit in the last 10 years we have accumulated some products that well ... sort of became orphaned and now need a good home. Please check out the traditional "CAD Specials" or the "Graphic Specials" and let us know what might work for you. I have to clear out some room in the warehouse because I am NOT going to move ever, ever, again!
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Officially a DECADE!
Yes!!! CAD Supplies Specialty has officially made it to the 10 year mark. I never imagined 10 years ago where I would end up. I NEVER wanted to have a dozen employees, do service work, nor sell equipment. Graphics & Solvent machines didn’t even exist. Heck, all the paper we sold was for pen plotters or electrostatic. I am getting nostalgic for the smell of ammonia (See Bill’s article).
I would like to thank just a few of my clients who have been with me for the whole ten years. My apologies to whomever I left off -- hundreds ordered our first year, these guys ordered my first month, August 1996: Austin CAD, Jerry Feagans, Huffcut (Pape-Dawson), Rodriguez Transportation, Planned Environments, Bury Partners, Embree Group, Eppright Homes, Carter & Burgess, Huggins & Seiler, Waid & Associates, Cook-Joyce, & Page Southerland Page. All but one who ordered my first month are still around and buying from us. I absolutely never realized how many of my very first customers are still going strong!
Now I would like to take a moment to get serious. We at CAD Supplies are extraordinarily grateful and honored for the incredible business we have. Almost 80% of the A&E market gets their supplies and service from us. That can only happen with the loyal and intelligent client base that is Austin. Too many clients have offered and supplied us with support over the years. It seems that we sign up a new client every day who was referred by a one of our "people."
Thank you from all of us here at CAD Supplies Specialty.
J Christopher Epstein
President
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The Diazo Process
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Blueprints are photographic prints composed of white lines on a blue background commonly used in the past for copying architectural plans and engineering drawings. The blueprint process was developed by the British astronomer Sir John Herschel in 1840. The photosensitive compound, a solution of ammonium ferric citrate and potassium ferricyanide, is coated onto blueprint paper. Areas of the compound exposed to strong light are converted to insoluble blue ferric ferrocyanide, or Prussian blue. The soluble chemicals are washed off with water leaving a light-stable print.
Blueprints have mostly been replaced by diazo prints or whiteprints (or bluelines), which have blue lines on a white background. The blueline process is an instant print, using no developing or washing, other than the ammonia vapors used when the coated paper is passed through the diazo machine. As the diazo process uses ammonia vapor to create an image from a translucent original, the resulting papers are not archival. They are susceptible to light damage and should be stored away from direct sunlight.
The aqueous ammonia developer used by most diazo copier systems is low in cost and environmentally safe. Ammonia is a completely natural substance. It is a basic building block substance, which is crucial to life on our planet. It is composed of only two elements – nitrogen and hydrogen. It is produced by all animals, including humans, as a natural product of the metabolic process. Each person generates about 550 grams per year. According to one source, 500 families release more ammonia each year than 20,000 diazo copying machines. Ammonia poses no long term health hazard when used properly and is no threat to the environment. It is not a known carcinogen and is not flammable. Aqueous ammonia is nothing more than a stronger solution of clear household ammonia. Further, because the "brains" of the system is built into the paper, the equipment itself requires little maintenance. Most diazo copiers remain in use for well over 20 years with a high degree of reliability and little down time.
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 Customer Spotlight:
D & J Blueline
CAD Supplies Specialty thought it was time to bring back the popular client "Spotlight" to the monthly newsletter. Our clients are a very important part of our success, and we know the importance of our role as a vendor to supply you with the finest products and service. This month we have proudly chosen to spotlight D & J Blueline.
D & J Blueline is owned and operated by long time Austinite Dana Burton. Dana's grandfather, Douglas Burton, started Burton Duplicating Service three generations ago in 1953. They specialized in Photostats, transparencies, mimeographing, offset printing, and blueprint services. They were also distributors of Ozalid copy machines and diazo materials for the central Texas area.
Each decade technology was advancing and so was Burton Duplicating Service (D & J Blueline). In the 1960s, they introduced the first Xerox copier in Austin and surrounding Area. (WOW!!) Due to overwhelming demand in the 70s, they started offering self-serve blueprinting services for their contractors. The 80s brought the need for larger copied prints. D & J Blueline purchased a Shacoh copier to fill that need. Dana commented that this Shacoh copy machine was huge and took up a lot of space (9'Lx7'Hx3'W). Keeping up with the trends in the marketplace they had to be more competitive in the 90s and started offering higher quality bond paper prints for the same price as blueprints.
The turn of the century ushered in the digital age. In 2004, D & J purchased an HP5500 wide format digital printer so they could digitally reproduce artwork created by their clients. D & J was one of the first clients to whom CAD Supplies offered Color Management. Our profiling has greatly enhanced the prints, while speeding up the processing. Their latest prestige job was printing the signs for the opening of the new Blanton Art Museum here in Austin.
D & J Blueline is dedicated to finding new innovative ideas when it comes to copying and reproducing while still maintaining that special "Austintatious" feeling. They are now located just east of IH-35 on 7th street. Stop by and see Dana and the crew anytime. I am sure they would love to meet and chat with you.
djblueline.com ~ 1000 E 7th Street ~ Austin TX 78702 ~ T 512-477-6775 ~ F 512-477-0063 ~ djblue@flash.net
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