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Retro Newsweek Mad Men Tribute Issue

Grab a copy of of Newsweek on magazine newstands now. In it you'll find 1960's ads and the whole issue has been retrofied to commemorate the premier of "Mad Men".  Here's a look at Domtar's ad for their popular "PaperBecause" campaign. “A lot has changed since the 1960s, but we wanted to use this retro theme to make a serious point,” said Lewis Fix, Domtar’s Vice-President of Sustainable Business and Brand Management. “There are several studies that prove there’s a value in reading on paper that helps people learn and communicate.”

There’s a real buzz going on. You can vote for the best ads at these three spots -  here and here and here.

Good Design still Matters

Hatch Show Prints is a great American poster shop in Nashville, Tennessee. For more than a century, Hatch has produced show-posters for legends such as Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, the Beastie Boys – and now Domtar.  A Hatch Show Print poster produced today is still created the way it was in the late nineteenth century –  letterpressed – that is hand-carved, hand-set, hand-inked and hand-cranked. Hatch has created a poster in support of Domtar's donation to  AIGA's "Design for Good" intiative – an effort to recognize and support pro bono social engagement design projects.

“‘Design for Good’ is more than just pro bono design projects. It is a broader movement to encourage and enable designers to bring their creative problem solving to the assistance of their communities as they approach community and social problems,” according to Richard Grefé, executive director of AIGA. “‘Design for Good’ offers a means for creative professionals to play a central role among concerned citizens, demonstrating their commitment, talent and leadership to power change in ways that are important to others in their communities.”

You'll be able to get a copy of this limited edition Hatch Show Print at Boston’s HOW Design Conference June 21st thru 25th.  It's letterpressed on Cougar, Natural, 80 Cover.

Sappi's Pumped Up Kicks

Just got my copy of the latest Sappi promotion on McCoy called Peace, Love and Understanding. The book documents what top designers of this year's AGI Congress created with Sharpies on America's most iconic blank canvas: The Chuck Taylor Converse tennis shoe. They were given a fleeting 60 minutes to capture their personal interpretation of the this year's theme of the Congress in Chicago.  78 works of art were created which have been curated and collected in this commerative book.
AGI is the Alliance Graphique Internationale. They are an elite society of graphic designers and artist who design for the world's top corporations and institutions. In 1952 AGI incorporated in Paris with 65 members from 10 countries. Today there are over 370 members from 32 countries.

Besides the great imagery of the book, the printing of the piece is beautiful.  McCoy, Gloss, 100 Cover is printed with Kaleido UV four color process, metallic silver and a spot reticulating dull UV varnish and then it was overall gloss UV coated. Lot's of print processes combined here but well executed. You can feel the canvas texture of the Chuck Taylor's. The Kaliedo UV process is a printing process that allows you to achieve 6 to 7 color printing results with just four color process.  This is UV printing which means the ink cures instantly under ultra violet light on press. The interior pages are conventionally printed hi-def four color process with a match silver metallic McCoy, Silk, 100 Text. This phenomenal book was designed by VSA Partners. Quantities are on their way to my sample room.

Lynx Opaque Ultra: Paper on Tap!

A new Lynx Opaque Ultra swatchbook is now available. With that, I rang up Domtar and ordered some more of their most recent print promotion on Lynx called  "Lynx on Tap".  I don't know if this piece was so popular because of the subject matter or the mouth-watering graphics.  That said, not everyone got to belly up to the bar for a round.  If you haven't guess it already, this is a microbrew-themed promo filled with stout graphics. It was designed and produced by our beer-loving, designerly friends at Caliber Creative.  Check out their link for more behind the scenes info about this rough assignment on their site. Raise a pint and enjoy paper on tap! 

 

Your Virtual Paper Cabinet

  

As if the new, complete Classic revision wasn't enough, Neenah is still busy with more useful stuff. CABINET™ is a their new app.  It's not designed to replace your Neenah swatchbooks. It's designed to help them work better. Cabinet™ allows you to compare, search, filter and even mark your favorite Neenah stocks virtually. Keep track of your paper specs on printing jobs and more. And because Cabinet™ automatically updates itself over the Internet via Adobe Air®, you always have the latest and greatest information right at your fingertips. That said, Cabinet™ is an app that runs from your desktop and not the internet. It has an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that allows you to customize it just the way you want it. I hit the download button yesterday and can't wait to spend more time with this new tool. I'll give you my two cents on it next week. Download yours, play and tell me what you think.

Classic Revision: A Perfect 10

A week ago, Olmsted-Kirk got a sneak peek at the new Classics. And what a introduction! Neenah Paper has never updated all of the Classics together until now. And it was for good reason - the Perfect 10. Each and every Classic Paper now has 10 common colors. Brilliant.

But I think the biggest news is what they are introducing into Classic Crest.  Two new finishes - Eggshell and Stipple. Absolutely stunning. The Antique Gray and Epic Black Stipple finish are to die for. And the eggshell finish feels and looks soft with just the right tooth. We have these new items in stock already in preparation for the official October 3rd launch date. So they are ready for you to specify and print on right now if you just can't wait. I will be out and about showing it around. Call me or email me for a sneak peek. My quantity of give outs should arrive later this week. With the "official" launch date so much more is coming with it - great promotions, swatchbooks, even a new app! What great paper news to start the week!

French Paper Takes Flight on Speckletone

Ready for take off? I just received a box filled with this krafty promotion from FRENCH PAPER. Another creatively designed piece by CSA DESIGN CO. and printed by STUDIO ON FIRE.  The printing is letterpress in two colors on French SPECKLETONE, Kraft, 140  Cover/18 pt. MUSCLETONE. Once assembled, the "Air Kraft" will actually take flight. Be sure to follow the assembly instructions. And Studio on Fire says to tape a dime into the nose of the plane. This will create a good glide. Speckletone Kraft is a great paper choice for designers who are in love with chipboard. I often find myself explaining to a designer that you cannot control the color you'll get when you order a batch of chipboard. The truth is that it all depends on what went into the pulpler. Some chipboard batches can be brown, some can be gray and I have even seen some reddish and green. That said, you can always depend on French Speckletone's color to remain the same and you can even get envelopes to match. Speckletone comes in 18 colors and 4 wieghts.

 

Sundance Promotion makes an Impression

I got to preview a new promotion that will be hitting my sample room in the next few days.  It's on Neenah SUNDANCE. It highlights the American Southwest. Such appropriate subject matter for a paper with a color palette that includes names like Cactus Green, Coyote Red and Harvest Yellow.  Thumbing through, I stopped on the gorgeously detailed sculptured, blind embossing of a rope. I could actually not only see but feel its texture. Instantly, I sent out a email to Neenah asking for a picture of the actual die. I was delighted to get the image you see at the bottom of the copper die that was crafted and used. It is approximately 10" wide and just half of the whole impression was used for the "From the Heart of the American Southwest" promotion. I do love embossing. It reveals text and cover paper's ability to be molded so that the sheet itself becomes the image. The die used and seen here is handtooled. The rest of the promotion does not disappoint. A wide variety of printing techniques is included from overprinted foils, metallic inks to digital demonstrations.

Sundance is an affordable paper to spec that comes in smooth, felt and linen finishes with weights from 24 writing to 110 Cover. Not only light on the printing budget, it's a green choice, too. When you get your copy of this piece, take a look for yourself. And make sure to check the back cover. Neenah wants to know what you think and they will give you a $5 giftcard for your feedback. My next lunch is on NEENAH.