Offset printing Archives - Page 2 of 6

Ligature Journal by Tiliqua Press and Billy Blue students

February 1, 2016

Agency: Tiliqua Press with students from Billy Blue.
Publisher: Felix Oppen.
Stocks: Grange Offset 300gsm/110gsm.
Printed by: Seed Print Group in NSW.
Printing specs: CMYK Offset printed.

Every once in a while, someone dreams a little dream, yanks it out of the matrix, thrusts it into reality and watches it take shape. It’s a beautiful thing. This is the case with Felix Oppen, who recently launched the inaugural Ligature Journal, a publication made in collaboration with a bunch of hard working and enthusiastic students at Billy Blue College of Design.

If you’re looking for a fresh compilation of ripper content featuring local artists and student work that spans graphic design, illustration and photography, call off the search party. One of the many cool things about Ligature Journal is that every aspect is student managed from content to press checks to building the digital version. While some may be dismissive of a student magazine, it totally stands up on its own as a top shelf, relevant publication. This is exactly the vision Felix had for Ligature Journal – that it would add to the design and creativity discourse in Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

The team chose to release print and digital versions of Ligature Journal. Felix believes the future of publishing is to let each medium play to its strengths but work together. Smart. It is intended to be a tri-annual publication and you can already buy Issue Zero here.

The stock chosen for this work is Grange Offset 300gsm/110gsm, an economical, bright white uncoated paper which Felix says punches way above its weight and is regularly mistaken for a specialty paper. We agree that the print job looks bang-on, and we look forward to watching the development of the concept across future issues.

Pictured: Students reviewing layouts and the running order of articles, with Kuen Kam – the Billy Blue lecturer/mentor.

Pictured: At the launch, a very happy contributor, Neil Barnett (centre) and is partner, Vicki (left), with Neil’s article on raw food. Kuen Kam (right) is the Billy Blue lecturer/mentor for the students.

Our 2016 ‘Best in show’ calendar low down

December 11, 2015

Agency: Seesaw (VIC).
Stocks: Finesse Cast Coated 250gsm, Wild 150gsm, HannoArt Plus Gloss 200gsm, Knight – Smooth 140gsm, SKIN Curious Collection – Pink 270gsm, Curious Metallics – Virtual Pearl 240gsm, Envirocare 100% Recycled 250gsm, Cambric – Colonial White 270gsm, Tablex – Textures Wrinkles 280gsm, Kaskad – Peacock Blue 160gsm, Sovereign A2 – Silk 250gsm, Barry Bleach Board 170gsm, Rives Design – Brilliant White 250gsm, Sovereign Offset 160gsm and Sovereign A2 – Digital Gloss 200gsm.
Printed by: Rawsons Graphics. Spot UV Gloss by Horizon Graphics, emboss by Goldcraft. All in NSW
Printing specs: UV offset and Indigo digitally printed.

Bring on the 2016 Doggett calendar, as voted by YOU! Featuring many of our favourite papers and a few bells and whistles, ‘Best in Show’ is a celebration, a paper and poochie bonanza showcasing the most popular images dating back to 2000. The fate of the calendar was put in the hands of our customers, paper lovers and social family and over 1000 people submitted a vote. So a huge thank you, to everyone, who participated.

The cover and December artwork is by paper genius and friend Benja Harney. That man can fold paper like nobody’s business and also happens to be the loveliest guy. Benja also made the paper rosette worn by 100 pooches from around Australia that took part in the ‘Pimp my Pooch’ campaign.

What is this you speak of?! Pimped pooches?! We offered all our customers the opportunity to have their pooch feature as the January star in a custom Indigo printed calendar. Some of the stars are shown below and you can check out others on our Insta page.

To all of our lucky customers that receive a calendar, your rep is coming around in the weeks before Christmas with your copy. Enjoy!

Printing specs:

Cover: CMYK plus emboss on Finesse Cast Coated 250gsm.
Credits page: CMYK on Wild 150gsm.
January: CMYK on HannoArt Plus Gloss 200gsm.
February: CMYK on Knight – Smooth 140gsm.
March: CMYK plus 4 hits white ink (title of month) and 2 hits white ink (dates and image) on SKIN Curious Collection – Pink 270gsm.
April: CMYK on Curious Metallics – Virtual Pearl 240gsm.
May: CMYK on Envirocare 100% Recycled 250gsm.
June: CMYK on Cambric – Colonial White 270gsm.
July: CMYK on Tablex – Textures Wrinkles 280gsm.
August: CMYK on plus 4 hits white ink (title of month) and 2 hits white ink (dates and image) on Kaskad – Peacock Blue 160gsm.
September: CMYK on Sovereign A2 – Silk 250gsm.
October: CMYK plus Spot Gloss UV on Barry Bleach Board 170gsm.
November: CMYK on Rives Design – Brilliant White 250gsm.
December: CMYK on Sovereign Offset 160gsm. ‘Pimp my pooch’
Custom January month: Indigo CMYK on Sovereign A2 – Digital Gloss 200gsm. Please read the contents page and blurb of calendar.

Check out some of the ‘Pimp my Pooch’ entries. Woof!

Dot Georgoulas’ pooch Diego

Helen McGeachin’s pooch Finn

Renee Stead’s pooch Snoop

A little about us, a little about the calendar:
Dogs for Doggett seems a logical connection. But it wasn’t always the case. In the early 90s (hello purple, green and orange corporate colours!), David Lancashire suggested we should incorporate dogs into our marketing material. It took a fair bit of persuading to get Ken and John across the line. Who would have thought a funny name like Doggett would turn out to be such an asset! Fast forward to 2016 and ‘Best in Show’ is a celebration of doggie themed calendars from the last 15 years. It’s worth mentioning that over the years, the calendar has been just as much about the students/emerging talent that create it, as it is about dogs. Each year we brief in the doggie theme and are blown away by the creative ideas we get back. We’d like to say thanks to the students, lecturers and creatives that have helped us make the Doggett calendar such a success.

McKellar X Doggett for #themakeproject

December 4, 2015

We always say it’s not about our paper, it’s what you do with it. And you’ve got to admit, this is a pretty rad example of taking paper and making it pop. The project concept itself is also pretty damn rad. McKellar Renown Press have been running The Make Project for a while now, each month releasing a new print piece that showcases design, print/embellishments and paper, direct to people’s mail box. Yes, that’s right. a DM piece. Who would have thunk it in this ‘digital age’.

The offset printed combo is Knight Smooth White 400gsm on the outer with Pop’Set Cosmo Pink 320gsm in the middle. We love the Kate Pullen Draws illustration and the hint of gold foil bling. It doesn’t take a lot to just print something, but it does take the attention and skills of a printer who cares, to make a piece look this good. We’re loving the installments of #themakeproject so keep em coming McKellar Renown!

New product – King Kong Hi-Bulk goes bananas!

December 2, 2015

Go bananas for King Kong Hi-Bulk! Like its name, King Kong Hi-Bulk is a formidable new player in our coated product range. Boasting a bright white double-sided art board with gloss finish, it delivers on ink lay down, scoring, folding, laminating and spot varnishing.

For its price and class, you would think this beast of a sheet is off limits, au-contraire paper peeps. It’s surprisingly economical and highly reliable so you can feel confident about great press performance whilst keeping your budget in a happy place. Did we mention it also requires minimum drying time? Available in 260, 310, 360 and 420gsm, you can really go to town with applications including business cards, direct mail, folders, POS, stationery and swing tags to name a few. Coated is the new uncoated, remember that.

To really show off what this big boy can do, we’ve created ‘scratch n sniff’ A5 postcards with big bright yellow bananas that smell just like…a barn yard. Just making sure you’re paying attention. Smells like b-a-n-a-n-a-s. Pretty cool huh? Printed offset by Whirlwind, the scent was screen printed by TLC. The result came up a real treat, rich in colour with a lovely gloss sheen. And for some super lucky customers, we’re giving out banana lollies.

Finally, we have also created King Kong Hi-Bulk A3 print tests to further demonstrate its on-press performance. Printed offset by Print Graphics with Reflex blue, process black and an overall machine varnish, the blue dried well and the press operator was very happy with the sheet.

Be on the look out for your friendly rep who will be by soon to drop off some delicious smelling (and tasting) goodies. Remember, you can always visit our website for more information. Enjoy!

A surprise package for your ah-hum, package.

November 27, 2015

Agency: Knobby Men’s Underwear
Designer: Rob Rand
Stocks: Buffalo Board 332gsm/610UMS
Printed by: Platypus Graphics Brisbane and Limehouse Press. All in QLD.
Printing specs: Offset printed.

Knobby Men’s underwear you can only get by subscription. What a concept! Started by Rob Rand, a man who harboured a quiet hatred for poorly made, over priced undies that lacked imagination (plus he really didn’t like going to the shops). If you don’t like something, change it right? Fast forward to present day and the Knobby brand is growing in leaps and bounds with thousands of members worldwide.

So what’s makes these undies so great? Well, the swanky packaging for one! Printed offset on Buffalo Board 332gsm/610UMS by Platypus Graphics (QLD), Buffalo Board is an ideal choice for packaging plus it’s extra strong, durable and made from natural kraft fibres that are fully recyclable. The new subscribers welcome card is printed on Buffalo Board too, by Limehouse Press. And most importantly, each pair of briefs is made to breathe, quick dry and stay put (no wedgies or riding up to see here). And they look pretty damn nice too.

Keen to wear a Knobby? Firstly, become a member and each month for a small fee of $20 you’ll receive a new pair of limited edition undies direct to your door, no delivery fees, no hassle. You’ll never get the same print twice, so every time you open the box you get: ‘A surprise package. For your package’. Is that not the best tag line ever?!

Based in Queensland and shipping worldwide every day, Knobby men can be rest assured there’s no more shopping or running out of undies. Oh, and there’s a female line launching next year for the ladies. Bonus.

Bailey catalogue by Hoyne Design

November 22, 2015

Title: Bailey
Agency: Hoyne Design (VIC)
Stocks: Curious Matter Goya White 270gsm, Sovereign A2 – Silk 150gsm and Strathmore Premium Enhance Ultimate White 118gsm.
Printing specs: Offset printed plus clear gloss foil, black gloss foil, spot gloss UV, embossing, die cutting and laser cutting.
Printed by: Bambra Press (VIC).
Design and photography: @lyntoncrabb.

The latest Bailey Luxury Bedding catalogue by Hoyne Design really is a work of art, showcasing the best of the best in layout, photography and print production. One flick through its pages and you’ll be wanting to deck-out your bedroom in their beautiful, sumptuous bed linen which includes throws, pillow cases, sheets and duvet covers.

Hoyne Design did a stellar job of creating the catalogue using subtle, beautiful details like the satin material tag on the spine, embellishments and use of textured and glossy papers. It makes flicking throug the catalogue a really interesting, tactile experience and tunes into the right senses. The enviable list of embellishments include a clear gloss foil, black gloss foil, spot gloss UV, embossing, die cutting and laser cutting. It’s no wonder they were nominated as an AGDA Award finalist (Design Craft category) this year. The cover is printed on Curious Matter Goya White 270gsm plus Sovereign A2 – Silk 270gsm and Strathmore Premium Enhance Ultimate White 118gsm for the text.

The Bailey brand has quite a story to tell too. A bespoke bedding manufacturer, they partner with top craftspeople from around the globe to create their collections. To produce Bailey’s Belgian linen for example, they worked with masters of linen – who move the flax into the factories, make the yarn and undertake the finishing. Italian weavers from the historic milling town of Biella are chosen for their reputation in producing high quality wools and yarns. Mills nestled in the north east of Scotland produce Bailey’s cashmere throws. If you like the sound of this, visit their site for more juice. It’s a pretty amazing story.

Interested in getting a look-see at the exceptional printed piece that is the Bailey catalogue? Please contact your friendly paper specialist.

Comfort Room Forms, a book by Matlok Griffiths

September 2, 2015

Artist: Matlok Griffiths
Designers: Shane Loorham from Liquorice/Silent Partner (VIC)
Publisher: PubPubLishing
Stocks: Kaskad Oriole Gold 100gsm, Kaskad Leafbird Green 100gsm, Kaskad Bullfinch Pink 100gsm, Knight Smooth 120gsm, Buffalo Board and Knight Digital Indigo 120gsm.
Printing specs: Offset, Digital and Letterpress + Opaque White ink.
Printed by: The Hungry Workshop, On Demand and SS Printing (part of Documents on Call). All in VIC.

We love a good page-turner and Matlok Griffith’s book ‘Comfort Room Forms’ is no exception! Combining an exotic blend of drawings, vibrant papers and print techniques, it is the complete creative package.

Designed in collaboration with Shane Loorham from Liquorice/Silent Partner (VIC), the 80 page book is a mix of full colour and one colour reproductions of Matlok’s drawings, made while he lived in the tropical island city of Dumaguete in the Philippines, surrounded by the smell of fried chicken and gasoline.

We picked Shane’s brain about the creative: “The book was designed in very close collaboration with the artist. We had been collaborating for a few years, designing and in some cases, hand-printing exhibition catalogues for him with a heavy degree of DIY coming through in the production. We were excited when this opportunity to create something a bit larger and more involved came up.”

Matlok’s original drawings were completed on a varied mixture of Filipino commodity papers, many of which were pretty bright and cheerful. In an effort to best reproduce them in printed form, the book was primarily printed offset in one colour on a variety of vibrant coloured stocks including Kaskad Oriole Gold 100gsm, Leafbird Green 100gsm and Bullfinch Pink 100gsm and Knight Smooth 120gsm. The credits and title pages were printed digitally on Knight Digital Indigo 120gsm. But wait, there’s more production goodness…

Shane explains: “We chose Buffalo Board for the front and back covers and had them letter pressed using Opaque white ink by our friends at The Hungry Workshop. Printing the covers this way was a bit of a gamble as no one was quite sure how the white ink would reproduce on the board. We were ready to change the colour at the last minute if need be, but the guys at The Hungry Workshop worked their magic and did a wonderful job for us!”

To see more of Matlok’s beautiful work, you can visit his website here http://matlokgriffiths.com/ or you can ask your friendly paper specialist to show you a printed sample the next time they pop by your studio.

The Merchant Apartments brochure by Them Advertising

August 5, 2015

Title: The Merchant Apartments.
Agency: Them Advertising (SA).
Stocks: Buffalo Board 283gsm (slip case), Sovereign Offset 250gsm cover and 160gsm text (brochure).
Printing specs: Offset, CMYK + PMS + Pantone Blue 072 U and Pantone 7579 U.
Printed by: Graphic Print Group (SA), binding by Chasdor (SA).

We’re featuring this brochure as part of #kwdpropertyweek this week. We were keen to find out a bit more about Them Advertising’s approach to the project so we spoke to Robert McHale from the agency.
The project involved creating the brand identity for Emmett Property’s latest development in Bowden. The agency’s strong reputation in the field of property development marketing has gotten even stronger with the release of this piece. We dig it.

Short and sharp, the brochure is a real showstopper. After undertaking extensive background research, the print piece was designed to reflect the lives of the large number of merchants living in Bowden during the 1800s. Distinctive elements such as the unique, seamless sewn spine were incorporated to pay homage to Bowden’s rich culture. The paper was chosen to complement the history too. Robert explained: “Buffalo Board (the reverse side) was used for the sleeve as it gives a raw and earthy texture which ties in perfectly with Bowden’s history. Sovereign Offset was chosen for the text and cover as it’s an economical, top-of-the-range uncoated stock that provides rich colour and a smooth feel.”

We also wondered, why add a print piece into the mix? In this digital age, does a printed piece really matter that much? Robert said: “Having a printed piece to complement the website added to the entire experience of buying a Merchant Apartment. The unique Buffalo Board sleeve allows prospective buyers to have a practical place to store floor plans and other information. It gives an indication of the quality, look and feel of The Merchant Apartments, helping to sell the overall lifestyle.” Seriously, what a killer idea. Giving the slip case a dual purpose is really clever. Every element of this piece is great: the hand stamped ‘M’ on the front, the use of a packaging grade and design/layout.

We also hear that the printers, being as good as they are, helped the team a lot. It meant there were no challenges when it came to printing the piece. Happy client, happy designer, happy printer (should that be a t-shirt slogan?). And, the development almost entirely sold out within just six months of its release. Nice.

Maine Recycled 2015 campaign ‘capturing beauty’, by Thursday Design.

July 21, 2015

Title: Capturing beauty.
Agency: Thursday Design (NSW).
Stocks: Maine Recycled Silk 150gsm (brochure) and 350gsm postcard.
Printing specs: Offset, CMYK, drytrap gloss varnish, PMS877 and all over satin varnish.
Printed by: Oxygen (NSW).

This is the third incarnation of the ‘Maine girl’ and quite possibly our favourite. We’ve worked with Thursday Design in NSW and Christopher Nielsen for many years on the Maine Recycled campaigns and we love the chance to collaborate with them. This year’s added bonus of a Paris map, showing some of the Maine girl’s stops in her daily travels, is an absolute, hands down winner.

‘Capturing beauty’ is the tagline for this year, following on from ‘A beautiful journey’ and ‘A natural beauty’. In 2015 our aim was to bring attention back to Maine Recycled’s fantastic environmental credentials.

The tagline ‘Capturing beauty’ stands for many things, whether it’s capturing beauty in the world, every day moments in Paris as the Maine girl cycles around with her trusty French bulldog in tow. It also represents the print qualities of Maine Recycled, a bright white sheet that captures colours beautifully.

Maine Recycled has a truly amazing environmental story to tell. It’s made with 60% FSC certified recycled fibre which is all post consumer waste and it’s also certified carbon neutral. The French mill that makes the sheet is conscious of its community, reducing its environmental footprint each year.

Rather than tricking up the promotion, we wanted to show how the paper prints with CMYK which is how most people are going to use it. To demonstrate how it handles embellishments we added a silver PMS 877 on the inside covers and a drytrap varnish on two pages. More on drytrap as a technique below.

Drytrap varnish technique
This technique involves printing the coloured inks first then allowing the paper to dry before going back through the press to print the varnish. Doing this provides better hold out and less absorption of the varnish into the ink. It can be executed by any printer as it only requires a standard varnish plate. We used two hits of the varnish on the Silk stock for extra oomph. On a Gloss stock, you’d probably only need one hit. It’s a good technique to use for art catalogues, high end property jobs or appliance catalogues when you want to life an image off the page. And it’s not very expensive either.

Carbon offset program
Maine Recycled has a new carbon offset program, the Acre Amazonian REDD+ project in Brazil. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel.

Photography
Thanks to the following people for their reportage style photographs! We loved seeing Paris through your eyes. In no particular order: Elisa Balaresque, Sean Conaty, Catherine Doggett, Georgia Hopkins.

For any further information on the promotion, speak to your trusty paper specialist.

This is the drytrap technique. It comes up as a subtle watermark effect here.

Latest Rives promo ‘snail mail’, by Ortolan

July 9, 2015

Title: Sail mail
Agency: Ortolan (VIC)
Stocks: Rives Design Bright White 120gsm, Rives Tradition Bright White 120gsm, Rives Tradition Digital Bright White 250gsm, Rives Design Bright White 350gsm, Rives Tradition Pale Cream 320gsm, Rives Design Natural White 350gsm, Curious Translucents 92gsm and JAC Brilliant Gloss White.
Printing specs: Offset and Digitally printed.
Printed by: Mercedes Waratah (offset), Press Print (digital) and JBS Printers (stickers). All in VIC.

‘Snail Mail’, celebrates the idea of love letters, intimate notes and whimsical celebrations. It’s no surprise we are lovers of paper in all varieties so it’s been a real treat to work on this promo that showcases the Rives range. It’s sure to inspire the inner romantic in you all, it certainly has with us!

Created by the super talented team at Ortolan, in particular Kat Macleod and Holly Canham, the Rives stationery set showcases the versatility of the range. There’s a mix of Design and Tradition, printed both offset and digital, with wrapping paper and A5 envelope printed on Curious Translucents for something a little different. We couldn’t go past adding some stickers to the set, printed on JAC Brilliant Gloss White.

This beautiful piece features delicate hand painted scenes of flora and fauna dotted with silver foils, a blind emboss and little die cut bite marks that ties each of the applications together in a delightful combination. We can even imagine seeing this illustration printed as bespoke wallpaper or as a textile pattern for Gorman’s new spring range.

Rives’ premium surface is engineered for beautiful colour reproduction and because we were working with watercolour and illustration, without the complexities of skin colours and hi-end photography, the print experience was a dream. Rives is ideal for all kinds of contemporary communications including stationery, annual reports, cards, direct mail, envelopes, menus, packaging, swing tags plus much more.

Printing specs:

Transparent envelope: Curious Translucents 92gsm, printed CMYK offset by Mercedes Waratah.
Belly band: Rives Design Bright White 120gsm, printed offset PMS489 (peach) by Mercedes Waratah.
Wrapping paper: Curious Translucents 92gsm, printed CMYK offset by Mercedes Waratah.
Writing paper: Rives Tradition Bright White 120gsm, printed CMYK offset by Mercedes Waratah.
A5 tech spec card: Rives Tradition Digital Bright White 250gsm, printed CMYK plus silver foil on a HP Indigo by Press Print.
Stickers: JAC Brilliant Gloss White, printed offset by JBS Printers.
A6 cards:

– Card 1 (leaf): Rives Design Bright White 350gsm, printed CMYK offset plus diecut by Mercedes Waratah.
– Card 2 (blind emboss): Rives Tradition Pale Cream 320gsm, blind emboss plus diecut by Mercedes Waratah.
– Card 3 (butterfly): Rives Design Natural White 350gsm, printed CMYK offset plus silver foil by Mercedes Waratah.
C6 envelopes:

– Envelope 1: Rives Design Natural White 350gsm, printed CMYK offset by Mercedes Waratah.
– Envelope 2: Rives Design Bright White 350gsm, printed CMYK offset by Mercedes Waratah.
– Envelope 3: Rives Tradition Pale Cream 320gsm, printed CMYK offset by Mercedes Waratah.

A bit about Rives:

The Rives range made by Arjowiggins is all about the tactile experience of paper with textures inspired by the craftsman’s hand. The Tradition surface has a subtle and modern, refined felt-like finish. The Design features a fine mesh texture. This timeless and elegant range is also available in Design Digital and Tradition Digital – both Indigo compatible sheets in 120gsm. Rives Design and Tradition are available in 120-350gsm.

We suspect you’ll be itching to get your hands on these beauties but rest assured your friendly paper specialist will be by soon with a copy especially for you. Remember, you can always visit this part of our website for more information about this range or explore our new ‘Colour wall‘ to see the real deal. Enjoy!

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