We recently had the pleasure of making business cards for Patricia Hildebrand, AKA Patricia Karina. It was a fabulously collaborative project. Patricia is an artist down to her bones and has very strong ideas…Me too! We talked a lot about directions we could go, questioning and retrying each iteration, and in the process grew to enjoy and respect each other very much. This is one of the greatest things about my business — getting to know and befriend my clients. Because we trusted each others’ instincts so much, it was a very satisfying ongoing conversation that bought us to the finished product you see above (and after her essay below). Would it be horizontal or vertical? What ink colors would be used? Would it be too much to use foil? What effect would be gained by this or that decision?
In the end, I decided to reverse out her PK monogram, using our new favorite “cappuccino” colored pearlescent foil. The PK plumps out from the pressed-in foil, for a super 3-D pillowing effect. In counterpoint, her very clean sans serif typeface, in black ink, presses deeply (but not TOO deeply) into the cushy paper. Altogether a feast of textural scrumptiosity. Yes, we love them and we are so happy she does too. Soon to come; matching thank you notes and envelopes!
Here is Patricia’s story. I told her I really didn’t need to do anything but lift it straight off her blog and blush with pleasure from all her complimentary words. Thank you, Patty. My pleasure:
600 gsm(s) of Paper Goodness
June 13, 2009
It started when I was really young. Not sure exactly when, I just know my business card fetish developed at some point during my childhood. I can remember my father handing out his business cards, proudly, as most entrepreneurs do. He used to have a collection of hundreds of business cards he had gathered from different business contacts and would meticulously store them in a black vinyl business card folio. As weird as it sounds I used to love playing with that thing! When most little girls were playing house, I was picking out my favorite business cards, taking them out of their designated slips, and pretending to hand them out to big potential clients. Gosh, I’m sooooo my father’s daughter!! I couldn’t wait to have my own REAL business card and that day came when I was 16. My friend and I started a t-shirt printing company and the first thing on my priority list was a business card!! We got what we could afford……and I was devastated!! Like I was bawling my eyes out devastated!!! My friend couldn’t understand why it was such a big deal, and although at the time I really didn’t know marketing lingo and principles, it was very clear to me that I was devastated because our cheap little cards didn’t reflect who I was nor left a good first impression. We were kids but I wanted to be taken seriously, and our business cards didn’t help!
Since then I’ve worked several jobs and have been given many business cards. Mostly ones decided upon by pharmaceutical companies. However, not till now have I had a business card that helped heal the trauma I experienced when I was 16. Really, to this day I still cringe when I think about my first card! I’m now the proud owner of beautiful, thick-as-a-piece-of-chewing-gum, Crane’s Lettra 600 gsm paper, stunning, letterpress business cards!!! They’re so amazing I had to blog about it! But more amazing is Zida Borcich and her outstanding team at Studio Z!! I’m convinced Zida is the Mother Theresa of the letterpress world. She was so patient and attentive with me and helped me throughout the entire process. Working with Zida was such a great experience that I’m hoping to run out of business cards soon so I can do it all over again!! She on other hand may want a break from me…..for about 10 years! Seriously, the woman is a saint and ridiculously talented!
So thanks to Zida and her team for helping me create such an impressive business card that truly reflects my business and who I am. It’s a card that I’m proud to hand out and doesn’t make me want to cry!!
Thank you to my husband for being my hand model. Sadly, his hands look better than mine these days.
Studio Z Mendocino 