I’ve been revising a client’s logo and corporate identity package over the last several weeks. Each time I send her PDF proofs of concepts and potential uses for her new logo, I take some time to walk away from the process and take a break, so I can come back with fresh eyes and new ideas.
To put this in context, let me describe the project. First of all, I created a logo using a screen printed image of my client’s face, with her head leaning on her hand and her hair vignetted to disappear around the edges of the logo image. My client wanted the logo to have a bit of a sophisticated, film noir feel. The rectangular screen print image rests above my client’s name (first, middle, last), which is set in a classic sans serif face, centered over the name of her company in a modern sans serif face. A thin rule line separates the two lines of type.
The most recent version of the prototype business card uses a vertical orientation with her logo above her contact information. On her initial letterhead proof, I positioned the logo at the bottom right of the page, with the screen printed image to the left of the logotype instead of above it.
As noted, the overall goal (that is, the tone my client wants to project for her business) is to capture an air of high-born glamour.
The Next Step
When I sent my client these two pieces of her corporate identity system, I also asked her to consider how she wanted to use color in her work. So while she gives thought to that question, I have started answering it for myself as well. These are my first few thoughts on the process.
First of all, I suggested that she consider an uncoated, cream paper stock.
Most of the time (in my experience), paper is bright white (often called solar white or blue-white). A blue-white press sheet does not draw attention to itself, but it does reflect light back to the viewer very well and faithfully (without changing the color of the inks or toners). This is usually desirable.
However, in some cases you do want to draw attention to the paper, and in my client’s case, since her image has an antique feel to it, I thought a cream stock (also known as a yellow-white or natural white) might be ideal. In fact, I thought it might give the vignetted image (with its feathered edges) the feel of a brown sepia tone print.
Another benefit of the uncoated cream stock, particularly when you consider the simplicity of the card, is that it would add color to the business card without adding color to the type or image. Presumably the screen print image of my client (the logomark) plus the logotype and my client’s contact information would be printed in black ink, and the only additional color would be the cream background.
Another option would be to print the logo and contact information in a dark brown to continue the sepia toned image approach. (That is, everything would have a brown tint.) My only concern would be whether this would require the use of excessive laser toner for the brown color build (a problem that could be avoided with offset printing by creating a PMS color rather than a 4-color build).
Finally, I suggested that my client consider any textures and/or perhaps speckles in the paper she chose. Particularly for a business card, thinking in terms of tactile impressions is wise, since the hand receives the card (and absorbs its feel and surface texture) long before the eyes are aware of its text and images.
In my client’s case, a textured, uncoated stock would resonate with the older, glamorous image of the business, predating the Internet and other digital communication. The cream color of the paper, plus its rough texture, would make reading the card a more personal experience than reviewing the information on a gloss-coated, bright-white paper. And any speckles in a cream business card stock would draw further attention to the card’s being a physical product.
Thoughts and Potential Concerns
Let’s say you were trying to achieve a similar effect in your own commercial printing design work. Here are some things to keep in mind to ensure your success:
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- Uncoated paper absorbs ink. It’s important to make sure you provide an image (text, logo, etc.) that has defined highlights and shadows. In my own case, I changed the tone curve of my client’s vignetted portrait image in Photoshop. I opened up the shadows slightly, and I also made sure there would be bright whites in the image. I knew that any potential overinking would make the image look muddy and flat. And the uncoated press sheet would be less forgiving than a bright-white coated sheet.
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- In my own case, I liked the simplicity of the design. Not adding a separate color (like a red or brown color build) to highlight my client’s name or logo image would make all art and text hang together (i.e., all black ink or toner), creating a sense of unity. In your own work, make sure your design and paper choices reflect the marketing goal of the business card (i.e., what you’re saying about the company’s image and values). Make sure the client’s brand, the visual design treatment of the card, the color and texture of the paper, and the reproduction technology you have chosen (digital or offset) support one another.
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- Keep in mind that offset printing more often than not provides a superior product (compared to digital toner printing). Show your business card art to your commercial printing sales rep and ask for her/his advice. If she/he thinks the images will plug up using digital laser printing, ask about offset lithography (which will usually cost more). When in doubt, request samples. Custom printing issues of this sort are usually more evident in halftones than in line art or type.
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- If possible, get samples of the paper you have chosen, and print out your mock-ups directly on the printing stock. Although you can simulate color printing on a computer screen, I have really found no better way to simulate the look of custom printing on a colored paper (even just a cream stock) than printing on the paper itself. If your artwork will be printed in black, you can make a prototype easily on a laser printer. If you want to add color as well (let’s say you have some type in red and you want to print on an uncoated cream stock), you’ll have to use an inkjet printer.
- Remember that the paper substrate changes the perceived ink color. If you’re printing black ink on cream stock, that usually will not present a problem. But if you’re printing any other color (let’s say skin tones on a cream stock), this could make for unappealing color shifts. This is another good reason to produce digital color proofs on the actual custom printing stock.
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