There is a freshness to New York Fashion Week that is as much to do with how quickly it all comes together as to the clothes on display. Print studio Highresolution (projects / website) discovered this for themselves when the famed Ford Models agency asked them to create a high-end catalog of their talent to give to fashion houses just 2 weeks before the Fall 2016 event. What they came up with not only demonstrated the tactile power of print, but they also managed to turn it around in just 4 days!
Ford’s in-house designers were already thinking along the lines of a fabric box with a linen feel in which to package a selection of model headshots when they approached the printer, all to make a sophisticated, tactile impression on the fashion designers. However, their budget and super-tight schedule made this specific approach impossible.
Using Highresolution CEO David Drucker’s philosophy of trading off printing and finishing techniques to achieve a designer’s vision on a budget [PRO members: Learn all about this in our Deep Dive here], the printer instead went with an option to increase the piece’s tactile quality that we sometimes overlook: laminating multiple layers of quality sheets.
A Substantial Envelope
The box-like envelope exudes a simple elegance with the Ford name large and proud in Copper hot foil against the White, canvas-like paper: 120 lb. Eames Painting Canvas Cover, to be precise.
To give it a chunky, magisterial feel, 3 sheets of this were laminated together to create a 360 lb. hard-shell envelope that feels almost like wood. To prevent the piece from cracking when opened, the flap was actually scored from the opposite side with extreme pressure. A button-and-tie closure – with the buttons made from the same 3-layer Eames construction and Copper colored thread to match the foil stamping – adds a classy touch while also slowing down the whole opening experience to build anticipation for what lies within.
Fabulous Photo Cards
Many of the models represented by Ford are highly experienced having walked the runways for the likes of Giorgio Armani and other big names, so naturally the agency wanted to communicate this sense of quality in the 20 headshots included in this package.
To give the photo cards a truly substantial feel, Highresolution printed them digitally on 2 sheets of 100 lb. Mohawk Via Vellum Cover mounted together, placing a slight curve on the images themselves in prepress to boost the contrast and details of the photography. A cover card repeating the foiled Ford logo, and another sheet listing the contact details for the models’ agents, complete the package.
And keeping the user experience in mind, the sophisticated headshots can be posted on a mood board or office wall for easy access and further inspiration.
Hot foil stamping brought a distinctive touch of elegance to this piece, but there are so many other ways to get the shimmer and shine of foil. Discover them, as well as the pros and cons of each, in our free Foil Cheat Sheet. Download yours now for a limited time!
