Navigation Guide to Better Finishing
By Debora Toth, Project Editor -- graphic arts online, 1/1/2001
When D.L. Die Cutting, a Minneapolis-based print finishing solutions provider, moved into its new 50,000-sq-ft facility in the spring of 1999, the 100-employee firm developed a new marketing plan. It wanted to reach out to individuals in the design and ad agency community who might not have the product knowledge of finishing techniques, plus it wanted to broaden its customer base.
The solution was to produce the Navigation Guide, a 26-page booklet demonstrating an array of services from D.L., including foil stamping, embossing, and diecutting.
D.L. turned to Spangler Design, a 16-member identity branding firm based in St. Louis Park, Minn., to help create the theme and oversee the project.
Local sport, but timeless
"We originally gave Spangler three different themes for the book," recalls Bill Haskell, a sales associate for D.L. "But we narrowed it down to a navigation theme for several reasons. In Minnesota, a lot of people enjoy boating for recreation. Also, we felt that the navigation theme was visually more exciting and a timeless subject, something that would still be relevant in 15 years.
"But most important, the theme best conveyed our desire to help print providers navigate through their projects, especially on the finishing side."
The project took one year to complete, mainly because of the many components of the guide as well as the fact that D.L. needed to approve print forms and schedule the finishing at its own site while producing work for its own clients.
Haskell says the most difficult part was keeping track of the 26 different foils and 60 different dies used in the piece. Some parts of the job called for seven passes through a press, which in some cases kept a machine tied up for an entire week.
Result worth the effort
But the finished product reflects the care and time taken to complete it.
For example, one page of the book features a diecut of a window with a star-filled night sky accented with holographic foil and refractive dies. The six-color cover features illustrations of nautical equipment highlighted with debossing, embossing, foil stamping, and three varieties of diecutting.
Spangler chose for its substrates Georgia-Pacific's Solutions in Carrara White smooth 100-lb. cover, Proterra Chili, Ginger, Iris Antique 80-lb. cover, and Feltweave Hemlock 80-lb. cover.
"The textured, uncoated paper enhances the main objective of the Navigation Guide," says Julie Mitchell, Spangler Design's senior art director. "It performs well with the diecutting and embossing techniques, and also supports the nautical theme by giving the piece a rich, textured parchment feel."
Printing the piece
Diversified Graphics Inc. (DGI), a commercial printing company located in Minneapolis, handled the printing of the Navigation Guide using a 40 six-color Mitsubishi sheetfed press.
"This is an ambitious and demanding project in terms of the intricate work on the finishing side," says Jane Perman, DGI senior vice president. "Registration, which is extremely important for this piece to work the way it was designed to, depends heavily on paper runnability and ink holdout.
"Coordination involving the diecutter, designer, printer, and paper supplier was key to ensuring that everything would perform up to expectations," she adds. "The job printed clean and crisp, and the ink holdout was excellent."
Perman also says that DGI conducted several trial runs with different inks to attain the desired results. "The papers selected for the project performed beautifully throughout the tests and in the final piece itself, giving us more options to perfect the project," she states.
Effective prospecting tool
D.L. produced a total of 30,000 copies of the Navigation Guide, half for Georgia-Pacific and half for itself. A D.L. ad in a local Minnesota printing magazine generated a list of prospective clients expressing interest in learning more about D.L.'s capabilities. All received the Navigation Guide.
"The Navigation Guide has proven to be a winner on different levels," says D.L. sales associate Bill Haskell. "It's our own book, featuring our unique capabilities, that we can hand out to prospects to generate more business. Also, it's something so well done that people will keep it on file as a reference."
