PaperSpecsGallery.com Presents: Mikimoto Card Mimics Jewelry (Video)

"The pearls are de facto debossed on the opposite side of the sheet — and look equally fabulous. This is a rare instance of being able to have it both ways!" — Alex Chirivas, DataGraphic

When printer DataGraphic teamed up with cultured pearl retailer Mikimoto to invite new homeowners to visit a nearby store and receive a free gift, their mission was to create a two-sided invitation that would capture the look and feel of high-end Mikimoto jewelry.

DataGraphic duplex laminated two very different papers together to create an elegant double thick sheet that provides both an eye-catching and tactile experience for the recipient. Side one of the invitation features gold, flat, foil stamped copy and an embossed image of a pearl necklace in registration, printed on Neenah’s Plike 122-lb. Cover in Cream. The gold clasp, charm and beads are foil stamped, then embossed with the pearls. A second, pearlescent foil on the front that registers with the pearl image is cleverly used here and there to mimic how the pearls would naturally catch the light. Side two, printed on Dali Doré 107-lb. Cover in Nero, features a gold, flat foil stamp.

The deep-impression, sculptured embossing was pressed through both stocks. “This makes the bruise on the back just as important as the relief on the front,” says Datagraphic’s Alex Chirivas. “Our team paid very close attention to the die-making process, as it applied to the thickness of the final piece, to make sure it worked perfectly. I love the detail on the gold charm and latch, and the perfect registration of both foils to the embossing. Against the soft feel of the Plike surface, it’s really very nice.”

Chirivas also calls attention to the fine copy on the Dali Doré Nero surface: “We always pay special attention to the depth of impression and make sure the foil edge is clean and sharp to make sure it looks perfect but also feels right.”