For the Love of Print
Your inspirational resource for all things print, paper, and design
Eat Print Love is meant to inspire all
From sit-down interviews with industry experts, to the creation and curation of expert industry insight, to showcasing amazing works of print – Eat Print Love is building a community of creative individuals who share a love for all things print, paper and design. We’re not just aggregating thought-provoking industry insight – we’re creating it.
FOLD of the week | #541
Moving Pop-Up Self Mailer Modification
We love a good format modification, and this is a great way to add extra real estate to a favorite format of ours, the Simple Moving Pop-Up self-mailer. We’ve featured variations of this fold on episodes 282 and 491—but graphics were limited due to its small scale . . . until now. This design by Staton Creative for client Mitsubishi FUSO Truck of America features the clever addition of an extra panel off the cover. Graphic Visual Solutions of Greensboro, NC produced almost 100,000 of these entirely by machine. Don’t miss this creative and efficient dimensional mail format!
FOLD of the week | #540
“Laptop” Closed Gate Annual Report Brochure
This is the most creative use of a Closed Gate Fold we’ve seen in a long time! This clever annual report brochure looks like a silver laptop (complete with curved corners), and when opened to the interior it reveals a 16-page stitched booklet. Designed by Susan Boettner of Stensland Design in Marina, California, and printed by Community Printers for Monterey-Salinas Transit, this idea is guaranteed to spark your creativity.
FOLD of the week | #538
Circle-Shaped Open Gate Fold
This Circle-Shaped Open Gate fold offers a fresh take (and a fresh shape!) on a classic format. Designed by the team at PLAY Creative in Lincoln, Nebraska, and printed by Docuplex for client Credit Union of America, this creative piece looks like an oversized penny. When pulled from both sides, it takes the shape of three linked circles. This format is a great idea to “save” for the right creative opportunity!
FOLD of the week | #535
The Closed Gate Fold—Done Four Unique Ways
For a fun change this week, we’re sharing four ideas for leveraging the production-efficient flexibility of the classic Closed Gate format. We’ll share three folded self-mailers—each with an entirely different look, feel and orientation—and a catalog with a tipped-in Closed Gate brochure as a featured promotion. You’ll get a fresh perspective on this versatile format!
FOLD of the week | #534
Smart and Simple Hybrid Self-Mailer with Coupon
Here’s a particularly relevant idea for marketing during the holidays! This hybrid self-mailing format from Little Passports features a coupon and the best of two simple formats—the swinger fold, and the asymmetrical double parallel. There are a few additional design and production tricks that make this mailer especially appealing . . . but you’ll have to watch to find out what they are!
FOLD of the week | #533
Envelope Mailer with Belly-Banded Letter Insert
Maybe a pocket isn’t the only way to hold loose inserts after all! This week, we have a long-run mail solution from SPC in Niles, Illinois. It’s a direct mail package they produced for Discover Card. They added a clever little belly band “seatbelt” to an insert that not only draws the eye, but also allows for easy removal of the contents. Trish will share the fascinating mechanics behind the production as well. You won’t want to miss this smart solution for mail!
FOLD of the week | #532
Rolling Self-Mailer with Integrated Response Card and Envelope
Here’s a GREAT idea for anyone who sends mail that requires a response form and envelope. This clever and efficient folded self-mailer from Marketing by Design of Sacramento, California, features an integrated response card and envelope all-in-one! Designed for client Sacramento Tree Foundation and printed by Paul Baker Printing, this smart and efficient mailer offers a truly enlightening solution for response mail.
FOLD of the week | #531
Winged Open Gate Hybrid Mailer
This week, we’ve got a stunning hybrid format idea for you! Designed by Suzie Amsberry at the Kennesaw State University Strategic Communications and Marketing Department, and printed by RRD Commercial Print Atlanta, this hybrid mailer format combines a sculptural winged die cut on the cover panels that gates open to reveal a cross format. Special print effects and bold imagery complete the reveal.
FOLD of the week | #530
Sleeve Mailer with Wrapped Booklet Insert
This promotional self-mailer from Jeep® offers a fresh twist on the classic Sleeve Mailer format. A wrapped booklet insert slides out of the sleeve and provides a layered discovery of imagery, special offers, and messaging. This format has a lot of potential in other verticals, like higher ed, healthcare, retail, and more!
FOLD of the week | #529
The 4-Pull Window Slider
This exciting new format from Red Paper Plane is both compact and interactive. The two-sided, 4-Pull Window Slider features four pull tabs and four windows that cleverly reveal text or imagery in different locations as the tabs are pulled. Great for direct mail, product releases, FAQs, and even holiday greetings, this format is filled with creative potential!
FOLD of the week | #525
Tri-Fold Self-Mailer with Tipped, Stepped Booklet
We’ve been spending a lot of time lately focusing on style and simplicity—and continuing with that mindset, this week we have a great found sample from Delta Airlines and American Express. The oversized self-mailer starts with a die-cut short panel on the cover that opens to reveal a Tri-Fold format that works as a carrier for an 10-page (yes, 10-page!) tipped-on waterfall booklet. The booklet holds customized content and special offers in an organized, stepped format. This concept could be used for many different verticals, too. Great mail!
FOLD of the week | #521
Accordion with Rolling Belly Wrap Response Carde
Here’s a spectacular physical invitation for a virtual fundraiser! From Susan Boettner of Stensland Design in Marina, California, this beautiful and budget-friendly event invitation was designed to promote a VIRTUAL fundraiser and online auction for client Ganna Walska Lotusland botanical gardens. The simple, accordion folded invitation is wrapped with a rolling “palm frond” that serves as a belly band and, when unraveled, is also the response card! Printed by JANO Printing & Mailworks and sent in a beautiful translucent envelope, this invitation is a refreshing, tangible solution that truly stands out in these days of digital overload.
FOLD of the week | #519
2-Piece Glueless Pop-Up Technique
Here’s a clever idea that uses a very efficient press sheet size and smart production to create an eye-catching 2-piece glueless pop-up format. Designed by Artefact Design, Inc. for client Children First, this smart technique offers creative opportunities across many different verticals.
FOLD of the week | #511
Two Simple Glued Coupon Self-Mailer Ideas!
This week, we’re sharing two variations of the same format—a simple glued coupon mailer. Produced by Bolger in Minneapolis for client Tommy Hilfiger, these engaging coupon mailers are digitally printed and personalized, and feature an efficient production design that we think you’ll be impressed with. It’s a “Low Budget Wonder” that you won’t want to miss!
FOLD of the week | #507
Shallow Stepped Accordion
With all that’s going on in the world right now, we wanted to bring you something light, and simple, and smart to keep in mind for your next marketing project. Our choice was this Shallow Stepped Accordion promotional brochure from Domtar, featuring quarter-inch slivers of stepped imagery that create texture and interest without contributing to production cost. Some of the best ideas are the simple ones!
FOLD of the week | #504
Iron Cross with Gate-style Flaps
In the “cool modifications” category, this week we’re highlighting a creative approach to a Fold of the Week classic—the Iron Cross fold. Designed and produced by the team at Suttle-Straus for client Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, this iron cross design breaks the mold of what is already an exciting folded format. You’ll be amazed to see what two little flaps can do to the opening experience!
Introducing #ColourByNature – a collaboration with the Natural History Museum launching September 19th.
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Original and curated video content that is both informative and entertaining. Interviews with industry experts, showcase videos, tutorials, and more.
eating it up
Original and curated content that draws on our contributors’ extensive industry knowledge. Blogs, podcasts, white papers, and more.
sharing the love
Thought-provoking designs, templates, cheat sheets, and how-to guides to inspire and challenge designers to create beautiful works of printed media.
Increase Margins with Digital Embellishment
Increase Margins with Digital EmbellishmentBy: Eat Print Love | Innovations in print technology continue to revolutionize the way customers interact with printed pieces. Today, digital embellishment technology has made it possible to enhance even short-run print jobs...
Harsh Lessons: What Printers Can Learn from Start-Ups
Harsh Lessons: What Printers Can Learn from Start-UpsBy: Sandy Hubbard | There are lessons printers can learn from other people’s businesses…. especially when those businesses fail. Start-up companies are a good source of research because the timeline is short, the...
Sintra Board: What You Need to Know – with Samples!
Print is Alive! Sintra Board: What You Need to Know – with Samples!By: Eat Print Love | Sintra Board is an industry-leading rigid substrate which has the potential to elevate your next large format design or print job. Thanks to advances in technology, large format...
Eat Print Love video launch
Eat Print Love’s first video shoot at the Kandy Gallery in downtown Toronto’s HotelX Featuring Eat Print Love’s founder, Christine Yardley, and Warren Werbitt of Montreal’s Pazazz printing.
video launch photo gallery
neil dankoff | kandy gallery
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun”
Mary Lou Cook
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Project Peacock
Toronto
In the fifth Eat Print Love original video, Christine Yardley and the Eat Print Love team attend the final Project Peacock event of 2019 in Toronto, Ontario! With hundreds of printers, designers, students, and industry professionals in attendance, it was a printspirational night to remember!
The Howard Iron
Works Print Museum
In the fourth Eat Print Love original video, Christine Yardley and the Eat Print Love team are joined by Deborah Corn and other industry professionals at the Howard Iron Works Print Museum in Oakville, Ontario.
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Christine Yardley
Christine Yardley is Eat Print Love’s founder and resident print-fanatic. With more than 35 years of hands-on experience in print and marketing under her belt, Christine hopes to share her knowledge and love for print through Eat Print Love. Her day job, President and co-founder of an award-winning commercial print shop, keeps her on the cutting edge of what is happening in the world of print.
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