PaperSpecsGallery.com Presents: Lee Lee's Bakery

Making your bakery stand out in New York City is tough, even if you’ve been serving up the best rugelach - a tasty Jewish pastry - for years and years. Yet DataGraphic managed to help Lee Lee’s Bakery do just that by crafting packaging that deftly captures what has made it a beloved Harlem institution for decades - the personality of its founder, Alvin Lee Smalls.

Though rightfully renowned for the gourmet rugelach he bakes up fresh every day, Alvin’s smiling face is another reason why people keep coming back to Lee Lee’s Bakery…and that face is front-and-center on the top of these distinctive carry-out boxes. The portrait has an almost zine-like feel, instantly calling to mind the handmade quality of his pastries.

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The real triumph is in the way the box uses subtle diecutting to mimic the distinctive look of Lee Lee’s Bakery - particularly the storefront’s retro red-and-white awning.

Screen printed on 122-lb. Neenah Plike White Cover, it was then duplex laminated onto 80-lb. Neenah Classic Crest Smooth Imperial Red Cover stock, with the edges diecut to resemble the ruffles at the bottom of the awning. The glossy red ink, in particular, really catches the light beautifully.

And while this already makes for a stunning carry-out box, the beauty lies in the details. On both sides of the package Lee Lee’s tagline, “Rugelach by a brother,” as well as a variety of cooking utensils, were screen printed with a slightly raised gloss clear ink.

The packaging design also ties into the colors and design elements found throughout the company’s website. Meanwhile inside, the tasty treats nestle invitingly in a digitally printed fly sheet.

This box contains so much personality, you simply can’t help taking a second glance. And if the buzz about Lee Lee’s most outrageously delicious rugelach is to be believed, you can’t help going back for seconds there, too.