“Show don’t tell.” It’s a motto followed by everyone from blockbuster movie directors to bestselling novelists. And it’s great advice for printers, too, as this business card for a high-end wine and spirit label printer clearly shows.
Designed and produced by Etiqus, each card doesn’t simply list all of the Mexican company’s printing and finishing capabilities – it demonstrates them!
Digitally printed CMYK, the card comes in 1 of 4 different finger-pleasing stocks, including Avery Dennison Fasson Bright White Felt and Fasson Estate #8 Black, each guaranteeing a memorable visual and haptic experience for the recipient the moment they touch it.
From a design standpoint, it instantly commands attention by the artful way it approximates the look and feel of a high-end wine or spirit label, from the bearer’s signature (think of those whiskey-master scrawls on labels) to the “stamped on” appearance of the mysterious “Vito Alessio No. 4173” in Red on the White version of the card. (This turns out to be the street address and was Screen Printed.)
And should you prefer not to type in the URL provided, there’s also a QR Code for easy scanning. It’s a testament to the neatness of the design that this doesn’t stick out nearly as much as these codes so often do.
Continuing the label theme, the edge of the card has been Die Cut with “postage stamp ridges” – another great visual/tactile detail.
“Come on, Sabine,” I hear you say. “The Foil – get to the Foil.”
Yes, I have indeed been saving the best for last!
Just like everything else with this card, Etiqus has gone the extra mile by adding a unique look and texture to their Hot Foil Stamped logo.
The first thing I notice is that the Foil is a registered emboss, which means the foil and the Embossing match up perfectly. A closer look, however, reveals that the die used contained a pattern in all the letters that is so finely detailed, it could only be rendered with Micro-Embossing.
Yet with all of the amazing details we’ve just seen, the true pièce de résistance of this handy demonstration of the label printer’s capabilities is this: The card itself is a genuine pressure-sensitive label! Simply peel it off and slap it on a bottle to inspire your next great label design!
“Show, don’t tell,” this card demands. And, like the finest wines and spirits, it leaves us wanting more.
