Flexibility and Appeal at a Low Cost
The Kalamazoo Book Arts Center needed an update to their merchandise packaging, but the designs had strict requirements. Everything needed to be printed in-house, with a printer that could handle a max size of 11"x17". Second, the design could only be in black and white, saving on costs.
The designs focused on three isometric patterns, filled with different objects related to the KBAC: bookbinding, printmaking, and type. The text and layout design referenced traditional handset type decorations, mixing modern and traditional styles.
These three patterns were then applied to different merchandise tags and packaging, all customized to fit the products sold by the KBAC. These included pinned tags for aprons and apparel, bands for handmade paper and journal, 1" and 2" stickers, and others.
To include a splash of color, I created a sample book containing the wide variety of colored papers from the French Paper company, a Michigan-based artisan paper mill. The high contrast designs will work on just about any color, including the KBAC red.
