Resources Archives - Parse & Parcel - Delivering Paper Inspiration

Neenah Launches The Naturals Swatch Book: Environment & Royal Sundance

April 16, 2019 by Jill DiNicolantonio

Naturals-swatch-book-parse-parcel

Most creatives we talk to love working on print projects. It affords them the opportunity to use color and texture in a way they don’t get to explore when designing for digital. Most have a very clear idea of how they want the finished piece to look and feel – and the papers specified are a big part of the overall design. The frustrating part for some creatives is in navigating industry resources. It can feel a bit like reading a foreign language. I often hear creatives comment, “I know what type of paper I want to use, I just can’t find it.” The good news is that the paper makers are listening and creating better resources with the creative community in mind. Based on market feedback, Neenah recently launched The Naturals swatch book. The Naturals combines two of their most popular grades – Environment and Royal Sundance.

Touché Papers Relaunch – Neenah Introduces New Colors in the Soft-Touch Grade

September 29, 2018October 24, 2017 by Jill DiNicolantonio

So apparently shrieking in the middle of a sales office is a no-no. Sometimes I forget people are actually behind the cubes working as I am walking through to the sample studio. But I couldn’t help it. I just opened up the box Neenah sent and inside were the brand new Touché Papers swatch books. It’s not that I’m unfamiliar with the grade – but this is the first swatch book since Neenah acquired the grade. And I have to say, they’ve made some stunning additions to the offering. While the colors are gorgeous, wait until you experience the soft-touch finish of TouchéPapers.

A Classic Brand Gets a Refresh – Neenah CLASSIC® Papers

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017 by Jill DiNicolantonio

By definition, the word classic means “serving as a standard of excellence : of recognized value.” In other words something that stands the test of time. Neenah’s CLASSIC® Brands have been around for 55 years. And that’s saying something in an industry that’s pretty fickle when it comes to paper grades with staying power. To give you some context, I started in the industry around the same time Survivor first aired. I’ve seen more papers come and go than torches snuffed out by Jeff Probst. So yes, it’s safe to say the CLASSIC® Papers live up to their name. But how exactly does a brand that is so iconic and classic undertake a refresh? Well, that was a collaborative process between Neenah Paper and Design Army that was a year in the making. I say it was well worth the wait because the results are stellar.

15 Ways to Find the Perfect Kraft Paper

September 29, 2018October 12, 2016 by Jill DiNicolantonio

15-ways-to-find-the-perfect-kraft-paper-parse-parcel

Trying to find the perfect kraft paper can make any graphic designer feel a bit like Goldilocks. This one’s too light, this one’s too dark – you get the picture. Before you know it, you’ve spent hours looking at paper samples and you’re still haven’t found the perfect one. Sound familiar? At Parse & Parcel, we get more questions about kraft paper than other type of paper out there. So we dove dive deep into The Swatchbox and put together this guide to help designers find the perfect kraft paper.

The Magic of Digital Metallic Inks

August 2, 2016 by Jill DiNicolantonio

Magic-digital-metallic-inks-parse-parcel-01

So I’m going through the new promotion from Domtar, Mark Your Mark, when I saw something that stopped me mid flip. While the piece itself is about identifying different market segments, what really caught my attention was the design for the restaurant segment. This particular sample set contained a menu, coaster, order pad and business card. I immediately noticed its elegant simplicity – black and white illustration with a pop of gold ink. I flipped to the production notes and read two words that stopped me in my tracks. Digital Gold. Wait, what? Yes, gold digital metallic ink. Now my print peeps are going to tell me this technology has been available for a while. And yes, gold digital metallic inks have been available for a few years. But the print results I saw in this piece looked so much better than anything I had ever seen done before. What I saw was true digital metallic inks – gold flecks and all.

5 Surefire Signs of a Good Sales Rep

July 20, 2016 by Jill DiNicolantonio

Finding a good rep can be challenging. You may prefer a certain company, but your rep might but be less than adept. On the other hand, you may find a certain rep to be a delight to work with, but perhaps her company’s products/services are too limited. We’ve all been there. And as someone who has been on both sides of the desk, I know all too well the pitfalls many reps and clients face. I thought I’d share my list of tell tale signs a good sales rep exhibits.

The Design Collection – Color & Texture That Wows

May 18, 2016 by Jill DiNicolantonio

The-Design-Collection-Color-Texture-parse-parcel-01

I’m tired of the little black dress. Yes, I’m guilty of having one in my closet that I rely on way too much. On paper it checks all the boxes: it’s black, it fits and I can wear it to a number of events. So yeah, technically it works. But does it WOW? No way. And I have to admit, sometimes I want a little wow factor. Well the same can be said about the paper specified for print. Basic white papers are fine for everyday projects. But if you’re looking to create a project that wows – the package that’s too irresistible to touch or the catalog to beautiful not to take – then color and texture are where it’s at. Lucky for us we don’t have to look too far, because Neenah Paper gives us the best of both worlds with their comprehensive new swatchbook, The Design Collection.

You Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover

February 25, 2016 by Jill DiNicolantonio

Oh, really? Tell that to Jessica Hische. She’s built a pretty fab career designing book covers (among other things) for Penguin and Chronicle Books, with the sole purpose of being judged.

The reality is our work is being evaluated all the time. And I can think of no other profession where judgment is more intense than in graphic design. When someone is paying you to literally make their brand look good, you can believe they’re judging you and your work long before you ever meet them.

How to Access Sample Services – Even if You Don’t Have a Rep

September 29, 2018October 7, 2015 by Jill DiNicolantonio

sample-services-parse-parcel
I recently asked a group of designers if they ever felt like their comps looked better than the final results. The comments are ongoing, with reasons ranging from unrealistic expectations to lackluster production, but one point keeps coming up – it’s about the relationship designers have with their suppliers. After working with creatives for a while now, I know this to be true but am baffled by the number of suppliers who don’t understand the concept. So many reps fail to do one critical thing – do what you say you’re going to do. So often designers will meet with a rep initially, listen to their pitch, actually like what they see/hear enough to engage with them when they have an appropriate project, only to be let down when it comes time to the rep actually providing the service they need. It gets even worse if the designer is a freelancer. Whether that thing is a quote, suggest options, or provide sample services, there is no relationship without trust.

New – Mohawk Superfine Swatch Book

September 29, 2018October 3, 2015 by Jill DiNicolantonio

Mohawk-Superfine-Swatch-Book-parse-parcel There’s something about a bright, new paper swatch book that makes me giddy. To me, it’s the same feeling I had as a kid when I got new school supplies – I’m all excited about the possibilities it holds for future projects. So when the new Mohawk Superfine swatch book arrived in The Sample Studio this week, my wheels started turning. Aside from the fact that I am a huge fan of Superfine (our P&P letterhead and envelopes are printed on the eggshell finish), it also happens to be one of the most versatile sheets out there.