The only way to get the duplexed stock was straight from the Gmund paper mill, which provided the ready to print A4 sheets, however not too cheap the result looked great. (Note that local printers were not too confident about duplexing a 430gsm Mohair with a 300gsm Color System sheet due to the difference in weight.) The paper came delivered in a beautiful bespoke box made of Gmund Savanna Bubinga, an embossed wooded texture dark brown paper.

Due to the unusual texture of the paper, some letterpress printers were not too confident about the job either (even though the stock is certified with letterpress), but thankfully the brilliant TYPORETUM letterpress studio took on the job and produced some test prints (see below) that looked nice and sharp. The job is now being printed by TYPORETUM in the following week.

More pictures coming soon.

This is a new innovative and ‘educational’ initiative to make their range of speciality graphic papers (re-) discovered by the design, print and paper community. The complete series will feature ‘all’ Zanders graphic papers with different processes and finishing accompanied with their own technical/printing fact sheet.

The first edition take the lucky recipient of the mailer to Japan with Zanders T2000 with a fold-out flyer/poster featuring calligraphy and artwork printed in 2 colour. “T2000 … is to create new scope for creativity”.

All this will fit in a custom made portfolio box (to assemble yourself), printed with 3 PMS and 1 HKS colours on Zanders Zeta color, for a handy inspiring paper collection.

This is a cotton based paper (10, 50 or 100%) with a warm traditional feel to it, and will now be part of the high quality papers GFSmith distribute the UK.

Gmund is a traditional paper maker from Germany established in 1829 with an history in environment, quality, innovation and tradition.

As a celebration, a 3 years design/photography project entitled A Better Project saw the light. From 2007 to 2009, 3×10 photographers from around the world have been briefed to document “the experience of one man’s spare time”, “their personal view of the modern city” and to report on companies/entrepreneurs “who have distinguished themselves thanks to a work policy which embraced sustainability, creativity and solidarity”.

The result is a 3 books set, 300x300mm hard back, each featuring the photographic work on  the high-quality paper range from Cartiere del Garda.

A Better Time, A Better City & A Better Business.

The first 2 using the GardaPat 13 KIARA 150gsm, while “A Better Business” feature the entire “Excellent Collection” of papers (GardaMatt Art, GardaGloss Art, GardaCover Hi-Fi, GardaPat 13 KLASSICA & GardaPat 13 KIARA), with each paper stock match to specific photographs that match best the surface to enhance the visual impact.

About Cartiere del Garda:
“A business that started 50 years ago with one production line, an entrepreneur, a hundred collaborators and a great deal of good will, Cartiere del Garda has become one of the most modern and respected paper mills producing woodfree coated products in Italy, and continues to build on its time-honoured ethos; the respect for the environment and consideration of the community.”

The 3 books were directed and designed by the Italian, Milano based design agency, Imille.

Photographers include:
A Better Time: Silvia Morara, Julien Oppenheim, Borut Peterlin, Kathryn Cook, Anja Teske, Johan Markusson, Matilde Gattoni, Ingvar Kenne, Sharron Lovell, Susana Raab
A Better City: Stuart Isett, Stephen Gill, Frank Rothe, Alexey Titarenko, Missirkov & Bogdanov, Massimo Siragusa, Weng Fen, Atul Loke, Jordi Bernadó, Yannis Kontos
A Better Business: Espen Eichhöfer, Stefanie Grätz, Yann Mingard, Amanda Calluf, Burkhard Schittny, Paul Kranzler, Rafal Milach, Ziyah Gafić, Fabio Mantovani, Wei Leng Tay

This new site is being updated constantly, so bare with us while the content grows.

Check out boxedpaper.com

Available colours: cream, light green, light blue, blue, pink, mauve, red, orange, golden yellow, yellow, poison green, dark green, black

White shades: white & high white

Since recently – 1 or 2 years ago – Zanders updated the colour range but also added a Special range to Spectral, a range of 3 white translucent stock with pigment/pattern effects finish: dots, squares & lines.

The Spectral range is available in 100 and 200gsm, while Special is only produced in 100gsm.

Alternatively, Zanders proposes the T2000 range, a white tracing paper. This range of translucent paper stock is available in a wider range or weights, from 80gsm to 200gsm.

All Sprectral, Special and T2000 are FSC and PEFC certified and come with matching envelopes and is distributed in the UK by James McNaughton.

More information about Spectral and T2000 can be found on the Zanders website.

(Pictures from the Zanders Spectral Promotional look book)

This sort of place and products (perfume packagings), will most definitely engage all your senses at once. The shops’ music to your hears, the colours popping to your eyes, the smell in the air, the texture of the packagings and the taste of the cold hard cash, all fighting for your attention.

But what gets my attention is the variety and quantity of papers and printing processes or finishes used to create perfume packaging. The design sometimes even wins awards, like the Flower by Kenzo packaging using an Artic Paper stock. All brands and products have their own values that are being transcribed into a printed design piece. This leaves us wondering how much work and research, is used to achieve the right (or wrong) result? I believe science plays a big part in the decision process, whether it is haptic, colour psychology, science of olfaction, demographic studies, print psychology, ect.

Like the packaging itself, the impregnation board (or paper strip used to test fragrance) put up with the same processes and finishes.

As you would expect, all papers used are uncoated but with a finish that can go from textured, rough or smooth. Most existing printing processes and finishes are used, and most of the time, using custom shape for the strip. From a first look, fragrance for men and women use different ‘pallets’ of processes and colours (see pictures). Fragrance for men mainly use angular shapes and simple pallets, with 1 or 2 colour/process maximum. Women perfumes seem to choose a more diverse selection, with varied shapes and richer colour pallets and printing processes, giving the design a more emotional aspect.

The study

But does all this actually reflects the essence of the fragrance itself? Here are two quick analyses of a male and female perfume test strip, to find first elements of response.

I: LOOK by Vera Wang

• “The bold, modern, captivating scent of Vera Wang Look embraces a woman’s confidence and creates a seductive effect through complex textures and layers of fragrance notes.”
• The rectangular test strip, displays an orange print of the fragrance name, the bottle’s shape embossed in a light grey with the embossing topped with a gloss varnish (see picture).
• The colour orange suggest physical comfort and sensuality, while the embossing and varnish will relate (for females) to femininity, glamour and sometimes luxury.

II: dunhill LONDON

• “dunhill LONDON defines masculine elegance through a meeting of quintessential appeal with modern desirability – a charismatic Otiental Fougere fragrance for the modern gentleman.”
• The minimalist design uses blind debossing, the name in silver metallic foil blocking and die cut to shape the strip to the image of the bottle, with a solid black reverse (see picture).
• For males, the embossing may slightly suggests femininity and/or luxury while silver relate to masculinity and luxury. The colour black links with safety, sophistication and excellence.

In the above examples, the fragrance’s values seem to somehow connect/relate with the potential emotions that the processes and finishes used in the design may generate. Like “woman’s confidence” and “seductive” for LOOK, and “masculine elegance” and  “desirability” for the fragrance by dunhill.

This is obviously a simplistic analysis, but it highlights the possible connection between emotions and printed design. emotions that can be predicted and defined by the different processes used, and will most definitely impact on how the product will be perceived and attract its target audience.

In today’s mail was the new House Industries‘ typeface catalogue or ‘typographical treasure’. A beautiful 114x213mm piece of print and design. House Industries is a type foundry based in Yorklyn, DE and they use this little booklet to showcase their font collection (love the Studio Sable). This was printed with 2 colours on the cover and 2 spots (with one metallic bronze) on the inset, with the addition of a subtle layer of varnish on the cover. They mention the stock used for the cover ‘Riegel Jersey plate’, a red leather textured stock, but I could not find a manufacturer or distributor online. The closer I got was with this Jersey Cover by FiberMark. Would love to know the actual paper mill/manufacturer and any link.

One thing I love, is the smell of fresh print. Each print/paper has its own tactile signature, but also olfactory. And this one is no exception, or actually is as it smells like walnut. It has this distinct nutty smell that I think matches well the organic quality of the graphics and typeface presented. Not sure if this is done on purpose or how it happen at all.

Also needs to be mentioned, House Industries also produce beautiful design objects and cool clothing (can’t wait to get my t-shirt delivered).

I recently came across the family of paper Cromático, -ca.® by Thibierge & Comar, a French paper mill. They manufacture a collection of translucent papers in 15 shades and 8 weights with matching envelopes.  The collection includes, Extra White a white translucent paper, Transparent, a clear translucent stock and 13 beautiful colours.

On top of this, the stock is FSC certified, and apparently dries faster than other translucent papers…

Also available, TransWhite, a clear tracing paper in 8 different weights.

Thibierge & Comar also has 4 other collections, Evanescent (pearlescent papers), Dentelle (translucent papers with motifs), CANEVAS (herringbone pattern) and Nantucket (laid paper).

Those stocks are easily available in France and other continental Europe countries, but unfortunately for us in the UK, they do not have a distributor here. However, you can order directly from them and they will deliver straight to you, thanks to their very helpful team.

For specifications, samples and contact details, visit their website www.thibierge-comar.com