When Neenah Paper asked Michael Osborne to create this exclusive print for The Beauty of Engraving gallery, the president and creative director of MODSF found inspiration from his personal collection of currency, stocks and bonds. Hoping to educate young designers about engraving, Osborne pushed the boundaries to show what’s possible with this exquisite and tactile (inked areas rise up from the surface of the paper) printing process.
From the nearly matching color of the Classic Crest Saw Grass paper to the three ink colors, you can see and feel the design influence of a dollar bill. To add interest and a little bit of intrigue, there are seemingly disparate elements. The rabbit and bee illustrations, the numerals and initials (each has a special meaning to Osborne) serve as wonderful visual surprises.
The Ligature undertook the engraving and has clear bragging rights here too. The maxed-out width of the printed area, the density of the ink, multiple hand-tooled dies, capturing and holding such fine details … all are beautifully printed to dramatic effect.
Find out more about Neenah Beauty of Engraving.
