We’re so trendy…
In September of 2008, Rocket Science moved from downtown Mason to Deerfield Township, into a sprawling new office with a fresh new color palette and more room than we knew what to do with. Also with the new move came a new identity for the company, which is still evolving to this day. Little did The Big Bossmen know that the fresh new color palette they established for the new space would be a precursor to PANTONE's unveiling of turquoise as the Color of the Year for 2010.
As our brand has developed over the past year, PANTONE 7472 C emerged as one of our primary brand colors, which looks like a sister next to PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise. You could say we're the Nostradamus of popular color choices.
Holiday Card Production Notes
Recently, I released print-ready files for our holiday card. While the card is certainly unique, cool and clever it does not utilize any earth shattering printing techniques—it was printed with four spot colors. What was unique, however, was the creative thinking needed to transform a multi-layered Photoshop file into a usable file with color separations in less than four hours.
There are several ways to do this, and many of them can be done in the production department of the printing company. But, due to the unique timeframe to accomplish what we wanted to do, we decided to do as much prepress work as possible in-house. Our printer, The Merten Company, really appreciated the extra help.
Like I mentioned there are several ways to do this (see DCS files). This can be a very difficult and time-consuming process so I needed to figure out another way.
Here is what we did:
I asked the designer of the card to create one separate layer for each color. Since we knew from the start that we wanted to use four spot colors (from RS+D identity) he kept the layers pretty well separated from the start. This step did include some good planning with the illustrator, selection tool magic, and layer merging.
Once the layered Photoshop file was in my hands, I created four individual grayscale tiffs (grayscale psd files will also work in this situation). This would allow me to place the tiffs into Illustrator and assign the spot colors.
In order for the grayscale tiffs to work properly, they need to be ‘leveled’ (i.e., in areas where 100% of the spot color was intended, the tiff needed to register 100% black). The best way to do this is to create a new levels (or curves if you prefer) adjustment layer. This will give you the ability to go back and tweak later. Also make sure you do not over compress the mid tones. This step can be a bit confusing because it will be visually disconnected from the intended final output.
Next I imported the grayscale tiffs into Illustrator. I put them in the order we determined we wanted the colors printed. We chose the order based on certain colors overprinting. Then I applied the spot colors to the individual layers (tiffs).
The last step (and probably the most tedious) was to make a print, check it against the original and make adjustments (using the levels or curves adjustment layer) in Photoshop. I also included production notes in the Illustrator file to help communicate with our printer.
We got the files ready and into the printer’s hands with about two minutes to spare. The final product looks great.
Choosing A Caffeinated Holiday Beverage Based On Design 2009
I dread the premature onslaught of Christmas decor (October? Seriously?) but even I'll admit to joining the holiday coffee bandwagon a bit early this year. And while the varied seasonal drink offerings of popular coffee chains are all delicious, I sometimes find myself judging them by their covers...cups, sleeves and all. Because, let's face it, if you're spending $3.50+ on a cup of coffee, it better come dressed in its holiday finest.
Now that the holiday season is officially in full-swing, I bring you the [unofficial] guide to "Choosing A Caffeinated Holiday Beverage Based On Design 2009."
Exhibit 1: Starbucks Coffee Company
Boasting over 16,635 stores in 49 countries, Starbucks has a lot to live up to. And their gingerbread latte— my personal favorite—never disappoints. This year, the world's largest coffee company took a handmade approach to cup design. The ever-popular red cup utilizes "cut-paper" tree and ornament graphics. I'm drawn to the handwritten text and the coordinating coffee sleeve. Design Grade: A
Exhibit 2: Caribou Coffee
Caribou really stepped it up this holiday season. Not only are they touting new gourmet chocolate in their drinks, they also set themselves apart from the competition with non-traditional graphics and colors. I especially like the metallic silver coffee sleeve, the brown chocolate type/graphic and a unique brown lid. Whimsical nature graphics and ornate type make this cup my favorite of the four. Design Grade: A+
Exhibit 3: Panera Bread Company
Taking the minimalist approach to coffee cup design, Panera conveys a seasonal message with a basic red cup and clean typography. While it may not be the most ornate approach, it's simplicity does stand out against competitors' louder designs. My one beef with this design is the lack of holiday graphics after putting a sleeve on the cup. Design Grade: B
Exhibit 4: McDonald's McCafé
I was pleasantly surprised when I purchased a McCafé latte and found their cup just as decked out as those of the pricier competition. A chocolate brown, deep red and gold color scheme maintains ties with McDonald's tried-and-true red and yellow palette while achieving a more elegant, high-end look. The font isn't fantastic (in my humble opinion), but this company has come a long way with their packaging design. Design Grade: B+
The bottom line: The holiday season offers a great opportunity for companies to think outside the box in their product and packaging design. The competition for business amongst coffee-craving holiday shoppers is fierce, and design is yet another way companies like Starbucks, Caribou, Panera and McDonald's make their products more desirable to consumers.
How are other companies utilizing the holidays to push their products and achieve noteworthy design?
Our 2009 Holiday Card
This year, we actually had time (barely) to design our very own Holiday card. Check out Elfis there at the bottom.