Mohawk Introduces 'A Maker’s Field Guide to Texture and Color' Resource

COHOES, N.Y. – June 28, 2016 — Mohawk, North America’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers, envelopes and specialty substrates for commercial and digital printing, has announced an ambitious and comprehensive new printed tool designed to serve as a hands-on resource for the creative community.

A Maker’s Field Guide to Texture and Color will serve to inspire and educate printers, designers and end users and to demonstrate how using high quality materials, such as textured and colored papers, can transform printed communications from ‘Good to Great.’

The Field Guide was designed as a comprehensive resource to help printers and communicators choose their materials.

This comprehensive resource was created by Hybrid Design of San Francisco, and will be the definitive guide to using texture and color to amplify printed projects, underscoring the importance of using materials as a powerful communication tool.

“The new Maker’s Field Guide is the latest expression of Mohawk’s commitment to the creation of practical tools to help make printed communication more beautiful, effective and memorable,” explains Bart Robinson, senior VP of marketing at Mohawk.

A Maker’s Field Guide to Texture and Color was created to uniquely complement Mohawk’s line of completely redesigned swatchbooks and the Mohawk Maker Quarterly, an award-winning publication which highlights the beauty and tactility of fine paper that has been enthusiastically received by makers and creatives worldwide.

Featuring stunning photography by Kennett Mohrman and David Prince; extraordinary illustrations by Lab Partners and Olimpia Zagnoli; and printed examples featuring a variety of makers and creatives that have been featured in past issues of the Mohawk Maker Quarterly, A Maker’s Field Guide to Texture and Color will truly become a must-have for anyone who loves working with paper and print.

“The competition to command an audiences’ attention has risen to a fever pitch,” explains Dora Drimalas, principal of Hybrid Design. “Audiences are overwhelmed, bombarded with more-more-more, with less and less impact. What we make needs to matter, to make an impression, to elevate itself from the endless churn of communication.”

In the spirit of the Mohawk Maker Quarterly, the Maker’s Field Guide contains thoughtful content and compelling design, and showcases everyday printing techniques on a variety of distinctive colored and textured papers to demonstrate the beauty and technical quality of Mohawk’s expansive Text and Cover portfolio.

The Field Guide showcases variety of distinctive colored and textured papers.

“Paper is a powerful tool, on par with copy and design in its ability to deliver, enhance and create memorable impact. Just as food delivers more than simply nutrition, the flavor and presentation of a meal plays a role in how we enjoy and remember the experience,” offers Chris Harrold, VP of business development and creative director at Mohawk.

“Equal parts inspiration, education and conversation, the Maker’s Field Guide aims to equip printers, communicators and designers with practical strategies and powerful demonstrations of how persuasive uncoated textured and colored papers can be when fully understood and utilized,” continues Harrold.

Designed to appeal to distinct audiences – printers and designers/communicators – the Maker’s Field Guide features customized wraps providing specific information to help each audience maximize its contents.

Content was developed to entice readers to consider new ways to select and use materials to maximize the power of print.

Materials – The power of materials as a key component of communication

• Materials Matter: Materials are the ingredients of a printed project.
• Materials Speak: The way a paper feels is the secret power of a printed piece. Featuring a touch test to demonstrate how printed materials can convey unconscious messages.
• Materials Communicate: Through embodied cognition, our brains translate the feeling of touch into distinct emotions and impressions. Each material contains a message, making material selection increasingly important.
• Materials on Message: Like words, print and design, materials can be used to elevate a brand.

Texture – Time-tested strategies to get the most out of textured papers

• Match/Contrast Texture: Printed communications can be enhanced by matching or contrasting textured papers to content.
• Unify with Texture: Unify components of brand by using texture across all printed touch points will make every piece distinct and recognizable.
• Unlimited Possibilities: Texture elevates the tactility of printed communications, while also enhancing imagery, lending additional character to photography.

Color – Strategies to heighten the impact of printed projects by maximizing color

• Use Paper as the Fifth Color: Used with four-color printing, colored paper can become the star of the show or can be as impactful as the image/illustration itself.
• Enhance Photography: As a unique and often surprising layer of interest through the use of colored papers.
• Emphasize Materials: To make an elegant statement, let the materials do the talking through the use of a simple emboss, deboss or foil treatment.
• Transform with Color: Affect the mood of your design through various colored papers.

Resources – A gatefold guide to Mohawk’s paper grades and resources is included for readers seeking additional education and inspiration

•  Inspirational resources: Mohawk Maker Quarterly, Felt & Wire, Printed Samples
• “Ask Mohawk” Series: Paper Basics, Printing Basics, Envelope Basics
• Tools: Mohawk Swatchbooks and Mohawkconnects.com

The design of the Maker’s Field Guide rivals the inspirational content contained within. The tool features a wide array of printing techniques including offset printing, foil stamping, and embossing processes on 32 distinctive colored and textured papers drawn from nearly every Mohawk paper grade, including: BriteHue, Carnival, Via, Loop, Options, Superfine, Strathmore and Via, as well as papers from The Curious Collection.

The Maker’s Field Guide was skillfully printed by Sandy Alexander, Inc., Clifton, N.J., using four-color printing, 2^nd black, 4^th white, match blue, match red, match brown, match purple, match pink, match orange and match gold.

About Mohawk
Mohawk is North America’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of fine papers and envelopes which are preferred for commercial and digital printing, photo specialties and high-end direct mail.  Mohawk fine papers and envelopes include the signature brands Mohawk Superfine® and Strathmore, as well as proprietary treatments Inxwell® and i-Tone®. With a culture of innovation, Mohawk’s business model now extends beyond paper manufacturing into new areas of growth, which connect designers and printers to new markets.

As a leader in environmentally and socially responsible business practices, Mohawk was the first U.S. manufacturer of commercial printing papers to match 100% of its electricity with wind power renewable energy credits and the first U.S. premium paper mill to shift toward carbon neutral production. Mohawk’s portfolio of recycled papers is certified by Green Seal and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Mohawk is a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated business based in Cohoes, N.Y., with global sales and operations located throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Source: Mohawk.