Two designers count the ways
Perhaps no one loves paper more than the artists and designers who rely on it to make creations come to life. Carol Quade, creative director for Bay City, Michigan-based The F.P. Horak Company, and Jeremy Slagle, principal of Columbus, Ohio-based Slagle Design, weigh in on why paper sets their hearts aflutter:
- It’s fun and friendly. Take, for example, Slagle’s miniature astronaut design that pops out of a flat sheet of paper and folds into a 3-D toy. “The opportunity to create something that lives in a 3-D world but is made of something as simple as paper makes it friendly for people,” he says.
- It’s touchy-feely. For Quade, holding a finished design piece fresh from the printer—“something you can turn in your hand, touch, and see”—brings her ultimate satisfaction.
- It’s how I work out my (creative) issues. “I spend a lot of my time working out and solving my creative problems on paper,” says Slagle, referring to his sketches, mock-ups, hand-drawn illustrations, textures, and other artistic outlets that start on paper.
- It’s unique. Quade distinctly recalls the first time she saw paper made from ultrathin pieces of wood. She remembers the grain of the wood and how different sheets appeared lighter and darker: “It was pretty amazing, actually.”
- It dresses up nicely. Whether the paper itself features a pearlescent shimmer, the feel of velour, or the look of wood grain, Quade says, “You can do more things with paper that can really catch your eye.” That includes special finishing touches such as embossing, debossing, and foil stamping.
©Photo by Jeremy Slagle on behalf of SpaceJunk Media