The Design Collection by Neenah features luxuriously tactile and colored papers available for commercial printing. It houses 15 different papers in one place, and features a richly colored grades like Stardream, Esse, Oxford, So…Silk, Plike, Slide, Astroking and Wild. That’s only half the story. Texture is the other word synonymous with The Design Collection. With finishes like Canvas, Felt, Pearlized, Heavy Vellum, Hi-Tech and Diffused, creatives have plenty to choose from. Options are good, right? Sometimes it makes it difficult to decide exactly what paper to use with a specific technique. That’s one reason why we love samples so much. Creatives and clients alike are visual. Thankfully, there’s Neenah’s new lookbook, The Design Collection – Surface Issue.
THE DESIGN COLLECTION – SURFACE ISSUE
The piece focuses on five elements: Luxury, Form, Beauty, Function and Taste. Each aspect is explored using the papers from The Design Collection paired with different print and production techniques.
LUXURY
The element of LUXURY explored through the use of subtle texture. And sophistication. The idea being “ luxury is not crafted…it exists in the details where beautiful meets thoughtfulness.” Neenah demonstrates this by pairing Eames Architecture Diffused White with a simple yet luxurious gold foil stamp. Note the translucent finish. It allows the image on the following page to peek through.
And Neenah gives further examples of simple luxury. A metallic tone on tone effect achieved by using Esse Pearlized Latte with a gold-tone four color process image printed digitally. Yes, this is done on an HP Indigo, proving you can have the best of both worlds. And that short run digital production can yield equally beautiful results.
FORM
The concept of FORM demonstrates how texture and color can combine to create design that excites and adds dimension. Here we see a blind emboss pattern on Stardream Fine Gold featuring a die-cut that gives way to the lineal emboss texture of Stardream Tiara Hi-Tech overlaying a rich, four color image on the velvety matte Astroking Cover. Turn the page and see the clever detail of a French fold that allows for a hidden die-cut to feature a square insert of So…Silk in Shocking Green. Oh, and don’t miss that metallic foil stamp emphasizing the nautilus staircase.
BEAUTY
The idea that BEAUTY can awakens our perception to the impact of the ordinary is evident in the next spread featuring a winding four color image with magenta holographic foil on Oxford Path that gives way to a die-cut half page that features more monochromatic tonality with a copper foil stamp on Stardream Copper. Shining through die-cut circles is the beauty of Stardream Quartz printed digitally.
Turn the page to reveal full coverage, four color digital printing that looks every good as offset – and challenging our perception of what beauty can be achieved through digital production on luxe paper.
FUNCTION
Here, Neenah gives credence to the notion of FUNCTION being a pleasing aesthetic solution to practicality by selecting papers that are equally durable and beautiful. As is evidenced through the use of Canaletto Grana Grossa subtly paired with a registered emboss and deboss – this Italian paper has a touch of cotton lending durability to its tactile beauty. And if one needed more proof of this concept they merely need to turn the page to experience it.
Here Neenah matches classic mid-century modern design with a paper whose finish was inspired by the very team synonymous with the era, Eames Canvas in Solar White.
TASTE
Finally, we come to explore the concept of TASTE. The effectively gratifying idea that one does not have to choose between nourishing and necessary. At least not when it comes print. You can have tactile beauty, color and stunning print results as we see first hand on the final spread featuring the soft-touch finish of Plike in Orange featuring a tonal four-color water color image on one side and grid pattern with gold foil type on the back. Even more satisfying to our paper palette is the heavy ink coverage typically reserved for coated papers we see demonstrated on the final spread featuring four color process on Natural Evolution in a Vellum finish, Yes, vellum.
With the Design Collection – Surface Issue, Neenah clearly demonstrates the proof is in the paper.