I love a beautifully designed calendar as much as the next person, but I can’t remember the last time I saw one that actually gave me a sense of time passing. Not so this handsome piece from our good friends at Japan’s Ichikudo Printing Company [projects / website].
Through simple Die Cuts, 2 types of Foiling, and expert planning, this calendar doesn’t just sit nicely on your desktop throughout the year…it grows!
Designed by frequent Ichikudo collaborator Hosoyamada Design Office [projects / website], the calendar arrives in this subtle-yet-stylish box.
The Green of the Hot Foil Stamped pine tree on the lid pops nicely against the White of the Biotope paper, suggesting a Christmas tree in a snowy forest – an image that, for many, brings to mind the end of another year.
The calendar name and year are also Hot Foil Stamped on the lid, as well as instructions for how to use this unique calendar.
Opening the box reveals a pine tree pattern Screen Printed in Metallic Silver, Green and Black on the inner lid, resembling a forest path leading up to the tree-shaped, 3-dimensional calendar inside.
This is a tree you can twist and turn and admire from all angles.
There is a solid tree “trunk” – in this case a cedar wood base upon which rest several cone-shaped cards – Iggesund Invercote G – that nest one inside the other, mimicking a tree canopy.
The calendar begins, naturally enough, with January on one side of the visible cone and February on the other. The month and day are Screen Foiled on the card, which has been flooded with Green ink.
Wait – Screen Foiled? That’s right. This technique, still rare in North America, prints your artwork as a Spot UV coating on paper, adding Foil to those areas using heat and a little bit of pressure. (PaperSpecs PRO members, get the lowdown on this exciting technique in our PRO Guide to Screen Foiling!)
When it comes time to change the calendar card, simply remove the wooden base, lift off the “outdated” card and slide it into the bottom of the stack. Replace the Green tree top and Voila – the next 2 months are visible!
And like any good tree, as the months pass, this calendar actually grows taller – a powerful effect achieved by the different sizes of the cones, which stack one upon another as the next calendar card is moved to the bottom.
By the time November and December come around, not only has the calendar tree grown taller, showing off several layers of different Green hues, but there also is a Gold tree topper – our friend Screen Foiling again – perfect for the holiday season!
All of which proves that if you can envision it, the printed creations you send out into the world can take root…and grow and grow and grow.
