After receiving samples of The Sage Colleges Overview Book we reached out to Sarah Statham, Art Director for The Sage Colleges, to find out more about the piece.

The overview book was printed on Finch Opaque, Bright White, Vellum, 80 lb. cover and 80 lb. text.

Finch Paper: You have been with The Sage Colleges for eight years and before that you were in Georgia. Do you find there to be significant differences in the way the two areas approach design?

Sarah Statham: In Georgia I worked for a large, urban state university. I currently work for a small private college in New York, there are many differences including being a one-and-a-half person design shop compared to working alongside seven designers. The great part is that my current duties range from selecting an interior paint color palette for the college to designing admission viewbooks.

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It’s no surprise that a solicitation for great design on Finch Paper would lead to many impressive projects being brought to our attention — some more memorable than others. A Travel + Leisure mailer featured on Under Consideration’s FPO blog recently, printed on Finch Opaque, Smooth, Bright White, 100 lb. cover, certainly fits into the “memorable” category.

The mailer was created by Jill Sabato, art director at Travel + Leisure. Jill told Lauren Dickens at FPO, “The goal of this mailer was to promote the Annual Travel + Leisure 2011 Design Awards issue. Typically for this project I like to create something that is fun and not the traditional ‘sell sheet’ to grab attention and to make the experience more interactive. I aim to have the piece double as a keepsake that clients will hold on to and maybe even keep on their desk.”

We contacted Jill to continue a conversation about her approach to design. (more…)

For a company like Sierra Guitars, the need to communicate personality, quality and passion is huge. Finding harmony between design goals and production budgets can be a dicey matter, but with the value of Finch Paper, it’s easier to hit the high notes.

The Sierra Guitars 2010 product viewbook was printed on Finch Fine Smooth, Bright White, 100 lb. Text, and was a component in their submission into the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Addy Awards “Mixed Media” category, for which Sierra Guitars was awarded a bronze.

We reached out to Tim Richerson, print and production coordinator for Musicorp, to find out more about the project.

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There are papers that are made for color and automobiles that are meant for speed.

The pairing of Finch Paper and Acura’s ZDX made for a design that travels from zero to sexy in the turn of a page.

The oversized brochure features an outer mailing wrap with a massive blind emboss of a question mark. The mailing wrap was printed on Finch Opaque, Vellum finish, 80 lb. cover by Primary Color, while the 20-page brochure is a self-cover printed on Finch Opaque, Vellum finish, 100 lb. Text. The combination of the great design by RPA & Associates and the gorgeous photography makes it impossible not to want to experience the ZDX firsthand.

“As the first car conceived at the new Acura Design Studio in California, the creation of the ZDX presented a unique opportunity. Rethink the steps by which a vehicle progresses from lines on paper to a finished product. Keep what works. Alter what could work better. Streamline some processes and expand others. Designers were given absolute freedom. Collaboration among different fields of expertise was maximized. In the end, the ZDX emerged as the most refined Acura yet and the new benchmark for all Acuras to come.”

This statement mirrors how Finch Paper feels about the design process. It is our hope that our uncoated paper can be a bit like the Acura Design Studio, and allow designers to work without boundaries to achieve things previously unimagined.

They say clothing makes the man, we say design makes the message. The design on this Haggar piece says, “You’re going to look fine.”

Designer: Adam Hallmark, Creative Director, Haggar Clothing

Project: Haggar 2010, New Orleans

Paper: Finch Fine

Printer: Ussery Printing

How long have you been designing? 15 years professionally

Is designing for one specific client different from working as a freelancer or a part of an agency? As Creative Director for Haggar Clothing – it’s easier. I don’t have a client to answer to. At an agency or studio you need to please the client and often the best ideas aren’t received as well as you would hope. As a freelancer you often have to please the agency you’re freelancing for and ultimately the client as well. As far as designing for one specific client, it’s sometimes a struggle to keep things fresh while adhering to a brand standards. But if you’re the one that created the standards, you give yourself a little creative license. (He who makes the rules can break the rules, right?)

Are there unique challenges to designing for a clothing line? Technically, yes. We have to photograph the product to look as close to reality as possible, and since body shapes vary, we have to do some pinning and tucking to make the fit better. But not so much as to be deceptive. Stylistically–a big yes, since the intent of the look book is to impress editors and stylists so that they will to use our product or write nice things about it. We have to make the product look impressive enough so it doesn’t get discarded in the massive pile of other brands’ collateral pieces.

How did you determine the color scheme? The location dictated the color scheme. The worn, rich color of preservation hall in New Orleans made for a great backdrop for our images.

What made you decide to use uncoated paper versus coated? Since the location was weathered, an uncoated sheet seemed the perfect choice. A natural shade helped enhance the images.

Why Finch? The job was printed digital and we wanted a soft white shade. The printer, Ussery Printing in Dallas, ran some press proofs and Finch was the unanimous winner. The images looked phenomenal on the sheet.

Do you have a design pet peeve? Not that I can think of at the moment. I’m sure that there are several.

A favorite site for inspiration? lovelypackage.com

We’ll admit as makers of uncoated white paper with a focus on quality and affordability, we are not real thrill-seekers. When the Sunday Slacker quarterly newsletter, printed on Finch Fine, Ultra Smooth, 80 lb. text, arrived we were all taken with the gritty images. The entire publication marries passion and knowledge, making for a genuinely entertaining read whether you are a closet ’40s fan or a Sunday gearhead.

Sunday Slacker purrs on Finch Fine.

When it came time for BET Networks to create their 2010 Upfront Kit they needed a paper that mirrored the vibrance and energy of their offerings. The substantial piece was printed on Finch Fine, Bright White, 70 lb. text, 80 lb. cover, and 130 lb. double-thick cover. “We really liked the smoothness and quality of Finch Fine,” said Noelle Mullins of BET.

We are always proud of Finch Fine text and cover, but this particular piece gave us a shot of star power.

Getting fit can be hard. It requires motivation, time, resources and support, not to mention a way to avoid boredom. The impediments to making it a priority come from all angles, so you need a plan. Maple Ave Boxing created an invitation to participate that answered the usual fitness questions and more. Creating visual elements that promoted the sport of boxing, while communicating the connection to getting fit opened their business to a whole new audience.

The designer of the piece, David Braddock, explained, “My Clampitt Paper spec rep brought great printed samples and Finch has a great price point!” We like to think of Finch Paper as being fit, able to accomodate both price and quality. A TKO!

The mission of the Waterford Country School:

Waterford Country School is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to enrich the lives of children and strengthen families through specialized programs, resources and community services.

For the Waterford Country School Annual Report 2009, Kyle Olson of Miranda Creative, chose Finch Opaque Smooth 80# Cover as it offered “consistent quality and value as well as flexibility for design and ease of folding.” Read more. (more…)