I’ve said it before, I’m kind of a voyeur when it comes to design. I walk the dog at night just so I can check out the interior design of homes in my neighborhood. And if it’s a home of particular note, I let my pooch have a good long sniff around just so I can get a better look. Luckily, when it comes to paper and print design I don’t have to go to such lengths. Many of the paper mills and industry publications host design competitions and share the details with their audience. I got my fix recently when Appleton Coated sent us their new print promotion, O1NE, featuring the 2015 U360 winners.
Every year Appleton Coated holds a juried design competition. What began as a peer based competition, U Be The Judge, evolved into what’s now the U360 Design Competition. Submissions to the contest must be printed all, or in part, on Utopia and/or Curious Collection.
“Print has the power to change perceptions, crush question marks, and shift thinking. Compelling design paired with sophisticated papers creates a unified and unmistakably powerful statement…You have a choice, make the right ONE.”
Well, we couldn’t agree more. And the winners featured in the 2015 show book exemplify this philosophy. Best of Show went to a piece for the Denver Art Museum, Nick Cave: Sojourn; designed by Faust, Chicago. The winning submission combined the use of a luxe text and cover paper, Curious Metallics 111# Cover and 80# Text in Super Gold, with Utopia Two Matte 100# Text. By selecting Utopia Two Matte for the bulk of the piece – the text pages, they got a sheet with great print fidelity and a beautiful, tactile feel without breaking the bank. The choice of using Curious Metallics was equally brilliant – an opulent paper that’s eye-catching, but used sparingly as it’s just the cover and end leafs (that’s not even one full size press sheet for a standard size book).
The show book is full of inspiring print work, showcasing designers that clearly make paper specification a top priority. The promotion itself is a brilliant example of how paper choices impact the final product. The cover is done on Curious Metallics Ice Silver 111# Cover and save the knockout type are covered in ink (match red + aqua), plus a die-cut and spot gloss UV design detail on the front. The shimmery metallic finish of the paper enhances the cover design. The interior pages are on the brilliantly white U1X 100# Cover in Silk and Matte – a great way to bulk up a piece by using a cover weight instead of traditional text weights. Want to see the results for yourself? Subscribers to The Parcel will be getting this one in an upcoming box. In case you didn’t know, we love to share. So a couple lucky people who joined our mailing list will be getting this one shipped out to them – be sure to check your mailbox!