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Mhairi Flett

  2. Mhairi Flett (Page 4)

Pantone Colour – expanding the printable colour range

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pantone swatchbooks

For this installment of Education, we return to Pantone colour and how this can expand the printable colour range. We all know that colour is a powerful tool for a designer. But how can you get more from colour when designing towards a print outcome? The answer may be through the use of Pantone colour. But first, let’s take a quick look at the theory of printed colour, and why CMYK and Pantone colour differs.  CMYK Colour 99% of all printed material uses a CMYK-based colour model. CMYK is based on the principle that printing varying amounts of Cyan, Magenta...

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Formakote Packaging Boards-Whakatane,NZ

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whakatane formakote

Form and applied graphics aside, successful fibre-based packaging solutions require using the right stock to match the product and the demands of the retail environment. As this is such a critical consideration, we asked Brett Keen from New Zealand's Whakatane Mill to shine some light on their Formakote range of specialist packaging boards. Packaging Small-Medium Sized Goods Small-medium goods is a general term meaning; retail products that a consumer buys over a counter, off a shelf, from a website, or out of a chiller. Of course, this encompasses a wide range of products, including dry, fried or frozen foods, beverage...

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Paper Packaging – Naturally

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In the battle against single-use plastics in packaging, board and paper play vital roles as renewable and highly recyclable alternatives. GSM talks with Kellie Northwood, from Two Sides, about decisions made around the design, production and disposal of packaging. A natural, renewable & highly recyclable material The environmental impact of discarded, man-made materials has reached critical levels. Many of these materials can last in the environment for hundreds, up to thousands of years. The existence of this waste can harm Earth’s flora and fauna. There is a greater need, now more than ever, for packaging to be sustainable throughout the...

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Stappa Wines – Plain Black & White

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stappa black & white

When it comes to consumer brands - Alcohol is one of the more congested. With so many choices, it can be challenging for a new brand to stand out. But one recently launched brand caught our attention here at GSM. Not because it was loud or brash - but quite the opposite. Sometimes things are best left in plain black & white. If we go back to the 1990s and earlier—it was reasonably common to see designers working in one or two colours on print projects. This decision was usually driven by cost—black & white printing was cheaper than full-process...

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Flavours to Savour

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recipe book

From both a design and print production perspective - a large recipe book can be quite an undertaking. GSM takes a look at one recently completed example that also doubled as a keepsake and coffee table book. Falcon Brae Villa & Stonefly Lodge Falcon Brae Villa and neighbouring Stonefly Lodge are nestled between three of New Zealand’s most popular national parks at the top of the South Island. Providing exclusive luxury accommodation to discerning guests, they offer the ultimate New Zealand experience. A Recipe Book to Promote the Lodge Owners, Kate & John Kerr, along with executive chef, Michael McMeeken,...

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The Message Stick – First Nations

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first nations message stick

Welcome to the first instalment of our new regular feature, The Message Stick, in the Australian version of GSM. For tens of thousands of years, First Nations peoples commonly used message sticks as a way of communicating between different groups. First Nations people painted, carved or burned messages onto a stick, using symbols and imagery. They then transported the message stick by hand across long distances to the intended recipients. For GSM, the concept of The Message Stick is that the stick will be passed from speaker to speaker to continue our discussion about First Nations culture and traditional knowledge. These...

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Rākau Kōrero – Mātaranga Māori

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mataranga maori

GSM talks to Dr Johnson Witehira (Tamahaki, Ngāti Hinekura, Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tū-te-Auru) about the principles of design from a traditional Mātaranga Māori perspective. Our nation is moving towards a more inclusive future, with an increasing appreciation of the uniqueness and the value of Māoritanga (Māori culture) to our country. Recently, this has extended into the teaching of visual communication. In fact, for students beginning studies in a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) course, there is now a requirement to understand Mātaranga Māori (traditional Māori knowledge) in relation to the Principles of Design. This is a significant step forward. In this article,...

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First Portfolio

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portfolio

If you are a Vis-Com student with your sights set on a career as a graphic designer, at some point, you'll need to create a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential employers. In this article, we take a look at some basics to help get things moving in the right direction. First, let’s get this on the table—creating a portfolio can be challenging. So if you are feeling this way, you are certainly not alone. Aside from the high stakes of ‘getting it right’, this task can be difficult because you are curating your own work. This involves critiquing...

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National Design Awards Class of ’22

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award winner

2022 delivered another great crop of entries into the National Design Awards in both Australia and New Zealand. GSM takes a look at a couple of print -based projects that took top-honours. AGDA & Best Awards The Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) Design Awards and the BEST Awards (hosted by the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ)) are two annual events recognising excellence in our industry. For readers unfamiliar with these awards, entries into both are open to studios on either side of the Tasman. Kiwi studios can enter AGDA, Australian designers can enter the BEST awards. Both AGDA and...

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Quick Chat Print – Provincial Print

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Operating from two different sites in the upper region of New Zealand's South Island, Matt Costello talks to GSM about the unique printing operation he has built, and the pros and cons of being 'provincial'. Blenheim sits amongst the sunny wine growing region of Marlborough on the upper east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. A town of approximately 30,000–the local economy largely comprises of horticulture, wine making and farming. The nearby Lake Grassmere salt works is the only operation of its kind in NZ. It supplies approximately 50% of the nation’s requirements. An hour and twenty minutes drive north-west...

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