When it comes to finding just the right color, creatives are a fickle bunch. Myself included. And while it’s never been easier to find beautiful paper options for print projects, the one thing I hear repeatedly from the design community is that finding that “perfect” color can be challenging. Especially when it comes to on-trend color palettes like teal, blush and those dusty shades of blue, pink and green. Add to that the frustration creatives experience after finding the perfect color only to learn it’s not available in both cover and text weights, which is essential for projects like invitations and announcements. Well, I’ve got some good news. Dreamy color palettes await designers, as Mohawk launches Keaykolour in North America!
I first discovered the news when I arrived at the sample studio yesterday, and found a puffy kraft mailer on my desk. Always one who enjoys getting packages in the mail, I ripped open the zip strip to find these colorful samples with my name all over them. Oh Mohawk, you know the way straight to my heart.
THE MAKING OF A ‘KEAYKOLOUR’ PALETTE
Keaykolour, manufactured by Arjowiggins Creative Papers and distributed by Mohawk in North America is made up of 43 colors in two weights – 80# Text and 111# Cover! I can hear stationery designers across the country squealing with delight. In addition,Keaykolour has a lush, tactile vellum finish – adding just the right amount of “toothy” feel to a print project.
Keaykolour’s palette is the result of a color study commissioned by Arjowiggins Creative Papers with Atelier 3D Couleur in Paris. “ Over 20 R&D experts collaborated with Arjowiggins’ marketing and Atelier 3D Couleur to bring these new colors to life, “ says Christophe Balaresque, Luxury Brands and Marketing Manager for Arjowiggins Creative Papers. The entire color palette, that’s 43 colors, was designed in a way that each one can work on its own or within an overall grouping of colors.
KEAYKOLOUR FLASH CARDS
And to spark our creativity, Mohawk worked with Hybrid Design to develop these fab little flash cards of color. Designed to be a specification tool to encourage exploration of color combinations through play. “Color should be fun and Keaykolour allows designers to mix, match and play with color. We wanted to capture that feeling in a simple tool that lets designers mix and match colors to their hearts content,” says Hybrid’s Creative Director, Caleb Kozlowski.
I spent at least an hour playing with this paper sample, mixing and matching the cards to form color combos. I went from lining up gradients of monochromes, to grouping bright colors, to pairing up pastels.
I’m in the midst of specifying paper for my own project. I’m getting ready to go to press soon with another set of box wraps for The Parcel, and Keaykolour has me all “Ooh, la, la,” with paper possibilities.
