Stamp of Approval

It is hardly surprising that the cover of the glossy promotional brochure for the Renaissance Orlando Resort at Seaworld prominently showcases the convention resort's exquisite Venetian aviary.

After all, the aviary, located inside the hotel's 10-story-high atrium, is visually and symbolically the boutique hotel's focal point. A team of Italian craftsmen spent nine months handcrafting each piece of the 50-foot-high aviary, which was then shipped to Orlando and assembled inside the atrium.

What truly is surprising is how Peake Printers, Inc., Cheverly, Md., masterfully reproduced the Venetian aviary on the cover of the promotional brochure. The aviary—which is beautifully embossed, stamped with a smoked gray foil, and features many exact details of the Italian craftsmen's handiwork—is a stunning example of fine printing.

"We do magic here," says Peake Printers account executive Michael Klyn. "Everyone who sees the piece oohs and aahs over it." So, too, did judges for the Printing Industries of America 2002 Premier Print Awards competition, in which Peake Printers won a Best of Category ("Benny") award in foil stamping, embossing/debossing for the piece.

The Renaissance Orlando brochure is a prime example of what is attainable when talent, financial resources, and a commitment to excellence team up. The client, Marriott International, wanted a handsome brochure. It hired a talented designer, Cheryl Nemazie, and spared little expense.

For Peake Printers, the project was all-consuming. Paper stocks were selected and rejected, and multiple proofs were a fact of life. "It was one of those projects that you're not sure where you're going until you get there," Klyn relates.

The brochure's unsung hero is Universal Engraving Inc., Overland Park, Kan., whose artisans created a hand-sculpted and extremely detailed brass die of the atrium. C&J Graphics, Inc., Baltimore, embossed the atrium image using a Bobst SP 102 diecutter, and added a smoked gray foil.

C&J also diecut a silhouette of the atrium on the right side of the cover, enabling the rear cover's gatefold to be tucked behind the atrium, thereby creating a temporarily sealed cover.

Peake Printers produced 10,000 copies of the four-color 83/4x111/4" brochure on a 40" six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102 sheetfed press using INX inks. The cover stock is Curious Papers' Popset 89-lb. Cyber Gray, which "behaved nicely," says Klyn, who added, "It's a beautiful sheet." The flysheets are Reich Paper Chartham 24-lb. Inclusions Iridescent, and the 24 pages of text are Sappi McCoy 100-lb. silk text.

The Renaissance Orlando is very pleased with the brochure. "It's been well received by the public," says Paul Kiley, director of sales and marketing for the resort. "People love it."

C&J Graphics customer service manager Jackie Tull attributes the cover's success to the company's dedication and years of experience. "We're one of the most experienced embossing companies, and the largest on the East Coast," says Tull.

Likewise, C&J enjoys technically challenging projects. "We do things that other people talk about doing but won't do," she says. "That's how we keep our edge in the marketplace and remain competitive."