WIGSTON'S MUSINGS
25Feb

February 25 2021
Branding Tips Design Advice
5 Productivity Tools for Graphic Designers
Productivity is an interesting thing. Being productive means doing more but it’s also about focusing on less. Less is more. More is less. It works both ways, yet it’s all too easy to get distracted and end up doing nothing much at all.
Graphic design is perhaps the best example of work prone to unproductivity. While the digital world tempts us with YouTube and social media, work very often gets interrupted by people emailing, phoning and needing help.
Everyone has their bottlenecks. The trick is to recognise what these bottlenecks are and work out solutions. Productivity tools can solve several problems you face, from focusing on tasks and minimising interruptions, to speeding up design processes and coding. We’ve tried plenty, so we have a few in mind to get you started.
Here’s our pick of the best productivity tools for graphic designers:
Dewo is an AI-powered productivity tool that tracks your web and desktop activity to learn what distracts you. It then sets up a deep work environment by automatically blocking notifications from nuisance apps and software with Do Not Disturb. Other features include intelligent meeting scheduling and active suggestions.
Toggle is a time tracking app that tracks your daily activities across your digital work environment. It provides reports and detailed insights into your productivity so that you can optimise your workflow and identify where you are wasting time. It also has integrations for Chrome, Firefox, Android, iPhone, and desktop.
Filestage is a powerful asset review tool used by graphic designers to organise, manage and proof content. It gives designers complete control over the review process, allowing clients and teams to collaborate on uploads. You can leave feedback at touchpoints on design work and create to-do lists for teams to ensure things get done.
Spark is an email client that prioritises email so that important messages sit at the top of your inbox. If you receive a lot of email, this will revolutionise your email by only showing messages from real people. It’s great for teams, allowing you to create email together and share and discuss emails within the Spark app.
The Wigston Paper Lookup Tool finds the best paper for your print media project based on a brand logo or brand identity image. Upload your JPEG/JPG, GIF or PNG image to the tool and it will automatically find the right paper for you. The tool will use the hues in your file to select the best colours from three paper collections.
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Beat distractions with Dewo

Track your daily activities with Toggl

Review and proof easily with Filestage

Control your email inbox with Spark

Find the right paper with Wigston’s Paper Lookup Tool

19Jan

January 19 2021
Love Paper Luxury Packaging
How is Coloured Paper Made?


But how is coloured paper made?
How can a substrate that starts its life as neutral-coloured wood pulp be transformed into a versatile material that comes in just about every colour under the sun? The process is simpler than you might expect, albeit one that has been repeatedly refined over centuries in order to deliver the kind of quality, high-performing papers we have at our disposal today. All paper starts out as vegetable fibre. Whether it’s wood, cotton, bamboo, hemp, or even sugar cane, and whether these fibres are virgin or recycled, the first step in all paper making is the creation of pulp or stock. In this process, plant fibres are macerated using either mechanical or chemical processes, and mixed with water to create a soggy suspension. What follows next is a process of spreading, drying and compressing or rolling the pulp so that it forms a tightly compressed sheet that is both strong and flexible. Paper can be made by hand using this process, but obviously the vast majority of the paper we use is made in huge machines that take in pulp at one end, and pass it along a complex series of drying belts and rollers until a reel of uniform, smooth paper emerges at the other end.

17Sep

September 17 2020
Design Advice
6 Ways To Tackle A Difficult Design Brief

13Mar

March 13 2020
Branding Tips Design Advice
How to Critique Design

02Feb

February 2 2020
Love Paper Sustainability
4 Myths About Paper

- Paper production consumes an excessive amount of water
- Paper is bad for the environment
- Only recycled paper should be used
- European forests are shrinking
13Jan

January 13 2020
Collaborations
The 2020 Letterpress Calendar




03Dec

December 3 2019
Collaborations
Honouring the Fallen with Senses

25Nov

November 25 2019
Collaborations Events
Wigston & Gmund Bio Cycle On The Road




DISCOVER GMUND BIO CYCLE
25Sep

September 25 2019
Collaborations Events
Parisian Chic Meets London Cool For Breakfast



19Sep

September 19 2019
Design Advice
5 of the best mock-up generators
When it comes to digital design, ironically it’s important to show a client how the finished design will look ‘in real life’. Layouts on screens simply don’t speak to us the way that photographs of the finished article do and it’s therefore not surprising that nearly all designer rely heavily on CGI-based mock-up creators to showcase their work. From showing how a site will look on a laptop or mobile, to helping clients to visualise their signage or artwork in situ, mock-ups are an invaluable tool for pitch documents, offering an ‘end result’ visual at an early stage in the creative process.
So if you’re looking for big impact with less hassle, look no further - we’ve compiled a list of the five best mock-up sites on the web for your convenience!
Mock-Up World is one of the few completely free mock-up websites that delivers credible results in a 100% royalty-free format. The site offers a large array of mock-ups for all applications, from the full gamut of Apple devices through to books, posters, billboards and more. There’s also a mock-up generating tool for users who don’t have Photoshop, making this an ideal choice for in-house marketers.
Each photorealistic item is featured together with a preview image or gallery, a detailed description and a link that leads right to the download page. Visitors can use the directory to quickly navigate to the desired category of motive. The mock-ups appear in the form of layered PSD files equipped with smart objects that allow users to quickly drag and drop their own content elements into the image: perfect for showcasing apps, websites, presentations, posters and billboards.
Smart Mockups is an online mock-up generator that doesn’t require Photoshop or even any design knowledge to create compelling, professional-looking mock-ups. There’s a tiered subscription plan that starts from free, which gives you access to a library of 200 free mock-up templates and some basic features, right through to the premium package which is suitable for marketing teams and creative agencies, and includes a library of over 2000 mock-ups, including custom, video and branding templates plus unlimited exports. Smart Mockups is ideal for those with little or no professional design expertise who are looking to create impactful mock-ups quickly or on the go – perfect for small brands to create effective marketing campaigns on a budget or for independent creatives looking for effective ways to stand out from the crowd. There’s also a free one-month trial when you sign up for the first time.
Anthony Boyd is an independent mock-up creator who offers a number of free mock-up resources (for personal use) on his website in addition to a third-party hosted online store with yet more high quality mock-ups for sale. Boyd’s screen-based mock-ups for smartphone, tablet and laptop are particularly good quality and very contemporary in style; he also plays around with vintage tech in some of his mock-ups which is an interesting proposition and sure to create a talking point around the boardroom table! Boyd’s site also has a number of premium textures available to download, and his rendering talent is showcased via a link to his YouTube channel where aspiring CGI artists can get an insight into his work. Donations towards free resources are accepted via PayPal.
If you need a comprehensive library of premium quality mock-ups, all in one place, then PlaceIt is where you need to be! Owned by digital assets giant Envato Market, PlaceIt requires a monthly subscription but for your money you’ll get access to the largest library of mock-up templates on the internet while a user-friendly interface makes it easy to create amazing visual assets regardless of your technical and creative prowess. From social media adverts to business cards, from apparel to apps – PlaceIt has it all, and the library is expanding all the time, driven by a commitment to the latest tech and the most creative team. The platform is fully web-based so it’s accessible no matter where you are, and super fast to use.
As the name suggests, Free Design Resources is a free library of mock-up designs – not designed by the team behind the site, but rather curated from designers all over the world who are willing to offer their work for free, personal use in exchange for credits or backlinks to gain exposure. The site has a comprehensive mock-up library, including everything from outdoor signage to apps to apparel, and also offers a range of custom fonts and templates for social media sites. Each individual download has its own license, and terms and conditions may vary from source to source, so be sure to check before you use.
Read More
- Mock-Up World (mockupworld.co)

- Smart Mockups (smartmockups.com)

- Anthony Boyd Mock-ups (anthonyboyd.graphics)

- PlaceIt (placeit.net)

- Free Design Resources (freedesignresources.net)

08Aug

August 8 2019
Photography Tricks
How To Photograph Business Cards
Apps such a LinkedIn have changed the way people connect in the business world – but when it comes to face-to-face networking, the business card will always have its place. Wigston’s paper is used to produce countless business cards every year for companies looking to create the right impression using fine papers and deluxe finishing techniques – and we’ve become quite the experts at photographing them too!
Taking great photos of business cards is essential for design agencies wanting to show them off in their portfolio, or for businesses wanting to shout about their smart new look on social. With this in mind, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you create professional-looking photos that really showcase the design and printing expertise that goes into making a business card outstanding – and the good news is, you don’t need to be a pro photographer to do it!
Create beautifully tactile images that really appeal to the eye by using light and shade to accentuate textures in your business cards, whether it’s the delicate undulations of a textured cardstock or the sharp relief of an embossed design. You don’t have to be a pro photographer to capture some beautiful texture in your shot but if you’re using some proper kit and you know your way around a camera, you should use a tripod which will eliminate shake, allowing you to use a low ISO for the cleanest possible image. Aperture and shutter speed may vary depending on the depth of field you want to create. For creating razor sharp images of the whole product, you want a higher F-stop and fast shutter speed, but if you want to home in on the fine details, you might reduce the depth of field to draw the eye to a beautiful piece of typography etc.
To create some shadow, you’ll need to set up your shot with some bright, off camera lighting – a large window is ideal but if you’re not lucky enough to have natural light, you should set up a lamp so it shines at an angle across your business cards, imitating sunlight. White light is best for accurate colour reproduction, and you should choose a bright bulb – anything too soft will blur the texture you’re trying to pick out. Last but not least, don’t be afraid to enhance your image in post processing to further sharpen and enhance its tactile appeal!
Business cards are two-dimensional but that doesn’t mean you should settle for a flat image. Play with dimension by layering cards up – fan them, stack them, drop them from height to see where they land or as we often do, use small props to create a layered shot with cards overlapping at different heights. Small boxes, pen tops – basically anything that you can sit a business card on can be used to create fascinating shots that play with focus and shadow for real visual appeal – shoot overhead with a camera or smartphone for instant artistic effects!
Demonstrate the unexpected with product photography that defies gravity. Imagine your business cards poised on one corner, standing up on their edge, or floating in mid-air! All you need to create these imaginative shots is a bit of creative thinking and some skills in photoshop. Levitation photography as it’s known can be achieved entirely in post production but you can save yourself a lot of time with the use of some fishing line and a length of wooden dowelling. Suspend your cards from the dowelling, using a little double sided tape to hold the point in place and prevent rotation if necessary, then set up your tripod and snap away. If the light catches the fishing line, you can simply remove it in Photoshop afterwards.
Make your cards stand out with a high-contrast background – we’ve had great success with black business cards against brightly coloured backgrounds and vice versa. Be warned though – stay away from patterned or busy backgrounds, as these tend to draw the eye away from the detail in the cards. If you’ve got a card with a pop of colour in the logo, or even a card with a coloured edge, consider choosing a background to match this shade and make it really zing.
We all love those soft-focus backgrounds you get with macro photography and they can work beautifully as a foil for the crisp details of a business card – but to create ultimate wow factor, focus stacking might just be your secret weapon. This post-production technique enables you to retain pin-perfect detail in your foreground subject without losing any sharpness in the background, for ultra-defined images that really draw you in. Using this technique allows you to play with interesting, textured backgrounds, or simply to photograph business cards at interesting angles without losing any of the detail in the back of the field. It’s done by taking multiple images of the same setup, all with different focal points, and then blending these images in photoshop or similar to create a single, super-sharp image with incredible depth of field. There’s quite a bit of editing work involved, but done well, focus stacking yields captivating images to rival even the most high-end ad campaigns.
So there you have it – some of our tricks of the trade for taking excellent pictures of your business cards.
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Shadows are your friend

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Layer up

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Defy gravity

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Cool contrast

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Focus stacking

To see more of our photography, follow us (@wigstonpaper) on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
28May

May 28 2019
Collaborations
On The Spectrum
Student, Shaun Keegan discusses using coloured paper to create learning resources for children with autism
While the digital revolution continues unchecked, there are many sectors and situations in which there’s just no substitute for paper resources – and in education, this is particularly important for people with learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorders.
The quality, weight and colour of the paper stock used to produce learning resources and visual support systems can be crucial for these individuals, supporting improved absorption and retention of information.
One person who knows this better than most is Shaun Keegan, a third year graphic design student at Leeds Beckett University, who also happens to have autism. Shaun recently embarked on a project to explore the ways in which colour, grammage, typography and overall quality of paper resources could impact on learning, using paper from Wigston to produce a unique, colour coded visual support system designed to help others overcome the issues he faced in his own education. We asked Shaun to tell us more…
Since I would be debossing onto some card it had to be thick enough to get a deep enough deboss to add to the tactility of the product. To achieve this I chose to use paper from the Senses range. The 700gsm card stock was perfect not only for the debossing on the emotion cards but also the range of colours available meant that there really wasn't any other option. This stock also proved to be perfect as a backing for the communication key-rings too, thanks to the durability of the card.
Since I was creating something for autistic children colour was a big focus, and the Gmund Volume range of corrugated board was the perfect choice to create the box. The colours within the range along with the stock’s ability to bend without tearing the outer paper really gave the box a clean look whilst being fit for purpose.
Overall I think the project was a success, but it wouldn't have been quite as successful without the choice of paper stock. The vibrancy and quality of the stock really help to elevate the work to another level.”
Try our Paper Lookup Tool to find the best coloured paper for your project!
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The Problem
“The idea for this project came from my own experiences going through school as an autistic person. Whilst in school I used Visual Support Systems to assist me throughout the day, but there was always an issue with the physical and visual quality of the supports. More often than not they were simply laminated pieces of 90gsm printer paper, with some clip-art style imagery printed on. This meant that which ever support I was using would likely be creased or have air bubbles under the laminate. The lack of consistency in production quality and visual style was always an issue for me and other autistic people at my school.The Solution
When I was given a brief at university to create my own project, I knew I wanted to create something which could be used to help children who are in the same situation that I was in. This required me to create a system for design first to ensure a visually consistent look. I started by setting some rules for my artwork, set colours of red, green, blue and yellow are easily recognisable and traditionally applied to different emotions. The typography throughout the entire piece is consistent too, the font family doesn't change and the spacing is always consistent. There's a lot of smaller things which you wouldn't see if you looked close but your mind still sees and connects everything together, the radius of curves are the same throughout. Paper choice was a major concern during the planning stage of the project. I knew that high quality and hard-wearing paper was required to create a product which can stand the test of time, and be tactile enough for an autistic child to have fun engaging with.




18Apr

April 18 2019
Love Paper Luxury Packaging
Premium Paper: The Marketing Tool With Guaranteed ROI
Once regarded as an aside to the actual contents, these days product packaging is every bit as as important as what’s inside the box. Perhaps even more so.
The rise and rise of social media has seen the word ‘unboxing’ enter our vocabulary. A whole genre of entertainment based on people who film themselves taking products out of their packaging, with particular focus on unusual or luxurious boxes.
Of course, this whole culture has emerged because, in an increasingly crowded retail space. Brands need their packaging to bring something extra to the table. Having the best product isn’t enough to get you picked off the shelf and increasingly, customers are seeking the kind of experience that only luxury packaging can provide.
The fact that they want to share these experiences online, often for free, in one of the most powerful marketing formats ever, makes investing in packaging a must for forward-thinking brands.
Of course, it’s not only luxury items that benefit. You may have a very ubiquitous product, but with great packaging you can command a bigger share of the market or even sell your product at a higher value than other, similar items. We recently heard a very interesting anecdote about one brand that used a box wrapped in luxury paper to transform a nondescript £1 pen into a covetable £15 writing instrument. Proof that when it comes to marketing, visual perception is everything.
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the facts
And the research backs this theory up. A recent SmithersPira report found that 32% of consumers said that packaging brand and design is a very important or important part of their purchasing decision, while 58% said they would be put off buying a product in store if the packaging was damaged. Meanwhile, with consumers increasingly focused on sustainability and governments seeking to eliminate plastic, paper and board look set to be the future for product packaging – and the possibilities are endless! Paper’s versatility means even small brands on a tight budget can create something that looks and feels really special as well as ticking the eco-friendly box. By spending a few pence more, you can achieve a really premium feel, bringing incredible texture and depth while benefiting from a never-ending array of colours to complement your branding. From paper-wrapped folding boxboard to duplexed card hangtags and stunning printed cards, a suite of beautiful, quality paper elements has the potential to elevate any brand to the next level. Combined with clever design and luxury finishing, paper can be used to create an inspiring experience that captures the imagination and loyalty – not to mention the organic online reach – of your customer. Get in touch with us about your premium paper requirements!06Feb

February 6 2019
Wigston News
Wigston Paper announced as sole UK stockist of the Gmund Colors System
The team at Wigston Paper is excited to launch a new collaboration – having been announced as the sole UK stockist for the Gmund Colors System, produced by German papermakers Gmund Paper.
The Gmund Colors System is the first colour system for paper with a ‘Mix & Match’ guarantee: each of the 48 colours has been designed and produced so it can harmoniously combine with any of the other 47 colours, as the paper for every day and every project.
Gmund Colors is perfect for companies producing a range of materials who wish to improve their visual communication guided by a colour system, for example when creating corporate materials such as catalogues, annual reports and brochures, product packaging and hang tags, stationery and mailouts.
The system includes eight colour ranges, including clear, bright white and natural cream tones; a perfect gradation of grey tones; nude and “non”-tones that can strengthen moods; plenty of blue (because 70% of all companies work with blue in their corporate design); the one perfect red (Gmund Colors No. 92) among the warm shades; the purest yellow and other fruity colours; and a bright mint and a dark olive in the greens.
To find out more about the range, visit www.wigstonpaper.com/gmund-colors/
Rob Walker, director at Wigston Paper explained that the company was keen to take on the Gmund Colors System as its proven success in other countries such as Italy showed that it had great potential for the UK market.
He said: “As a premium paper system that’s already well known across the world, Gmund Colors is a great choice for design and print companies who want to compete in international markets as it offers both consistency and stand-out quality.”
Papers from Gmund Colors are suitable for all common printing techniques, including offset, digital printing, letterpress, silkscreen, blind embossing, hot-foil embossing, paper etching and die cutting. They are available in five different surfaces: matt, felt, metallic and transparent. As each finish has the same colour profile, this offers designers new ways to play with colours and surfaces.
To develop this new colour system, the team at Gmund Paper analysed how colours are chosen by designers across a range of industries and worked to create a brand new system that offers a more simplistic and less confusing choice of colours that work together, which makes it easier for designers to use to truly harness the power of colour.
The Gmund Paper sales team felt an affinity with Wigston Paper as both companies are oriented towards bringing creative innovation into the markets.
They said: “We’re excited to be working together to establish Gmund Colors as an easy to use standard for colour applications. This will enable global companies to use the same colours of paper in any market, as Gmund Colors is already available on all other continents. By promoting Gmund Colors in the UK market, we can help deliver a marketing boost for design-driven global brands.”
To find out more about the range, visit www.wigstonpaper.com/gmund-colors/
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28Jan

January 28 2019
Collaborations
Quality of Senses Paper is ‘spelled out’ in the Paper Artist Collective’s stunning paper art alphabet challenge
The stunning colours and versatility of Wigston Paper’s Senses® range have been ‘spelled out’ by artists around the world, in a paper art challenge run by the Paper Artist Collective.
The collaboration– sponsored by Wigston Paper – challenged 26 artists from 12 countries to create an alphabet letter using three designated colours from the Senses range of papers.
#PACAlphabet was the brainchild of artist Samantha Quinn, a freelance designer who was introduced to the new Senses range through work. She was delighted to agree to a collaboration through the Paper Artist Collective, so that like-minded artists could also have a chance to try out the new paper.
Samantha, who joint leads the collective, said: “None of the artists knew what letter or colours they had been allocated until they arrived in the post which made the challenge even more exciting.
“Our members love any excuse to try out new materials and have really enjoyed using the paper to craft their letters. Senses create the most beautiful smooth and vibrant papers in a broad range of weights and colours.”
Feedback from the artists who took part included:
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- “The paper was beautiful to work with. The smooth surface was great to draw on and then to cut it was clean and strong, even with some finer details and I'm sure it would hold up to even finer work. Some paper can be fibrous and doesn't give a clean edge but the Senses papers definitely cut smoothly without any fluffy bits. The colours are vibrant and I would be very interested to see the rest of the collection in real life based on these three colours alone I will definitely be adding them to my suppliers list.”
- “The Senses paper was very smooth and a pleasure to cut. I was really impressed with the richness of colour in the papers.”
- "I enjoyed working with Senses paper very much! Looking forward to using different colours in future projects.”
08Nov
November 8 2018
Luxury Sectors
Giving Whisky Icons The Edge With Paper
Whisky has been part of Western society since the 15th century. First distilled as a medicine, it quickly evolved to become a much more social remedy – a steadier of nerves, a relaxant, a tonic, a celebratory tipple.
Today, whisky is enjoyed by people from all walks of life around the world and has inspired an entire culture of appreciation by connoisseurs and collectors. Famous distilleries are constantly developing their ranges, releasing new vintages, blends, collaborations and limited editions – and for every new whisky launched, new packaging is essential to help it stand out from the crowd.
Historically, whisky packaging was all about the bottle, but the modern consumer is increasingly looking for a more layered and luxurious experience, so we’re seeing a constant evolution of presentation packaging, with boxed presentation now seen as standard for luxury aged spirits.
Whisky bottles themselves have always leaned towards the conservative; many of the world’s most revered distilleries have hundreds of years of history behind them and in the minds of their loyal customers, the very essence of these brands are tied up in the colour, look and feel of their labels and bottles.
More recently, however, new brands have started to pop up – many of them small, independent distilleries targeting a new generation of whisky drinker with avant-garde packaging and products, from clear corn whiskies to contemporary bottle shapes and even unusual coloured glass that’s a far cry from the traditional green.
As the market for craft spirits continues to grow, those iconic brands – the Glenfiddichs and Ardbegs of the world – know they need to raise the packaging stakes to draw the customer’s eye while staying true to their position as heritage brands.
Boxes offer the ideal solution; providing scope for brands to push the creative boundaries on the outside while remaining true to their iconic image on the inside. Putting a bottle in a box also adds an extra dimension to the opening experience – ‘the reveal’.
Largely user driven, this is a whole genre of online video content built around the physical experience of opening a product, adding an extra layer to the consumer’s sensory experience of the product (often before they’ve even bought it!)
This kind of marketing – voluntary consumer endorsement with potential to go viral – is gold dust to the distiller and well worth the investment in packaging.
At Wigston, our range of luxury papers brings all the nuance of colour and tactile appeal designers need to breathe new life into trusted branding, or help new brands to achieve the kind of premium look and feel they need to compete with some of the biggest names in the business.
Use them to create labels, wrap boxboard or produce innovative swing tags; apply effects like spot varnish, foil blocking or laser cutting and discover how paper can transform a classic into an icon!
To discuss how Wigston Papers could enhance your clients’ brands, get in touch with our team today.
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17Sep

September 17 2018
Wigston News
The Creation of the Senses® Colour Swatch book – a Very British Invention for a Global Creative Market





19Jun

June 19 2018
Wigston News
Wigston Paper become the global distributor for the Senses® range of trend driven paper and board for the creative and luxury packaging industry.
Leicestershire, UK 14th June 2018. Industry leaders Wigston Paper today announced their global distributorship of a new range of high-quality contemporary paper and board – Senses®.
Senses® is a premium range of 35 modern shades of coloured paper and board designed specifically with creatives and designers in mind. As an alternative high end brand, the Senses® range was developed in partnership with Wigston Paper a family-owned company spanning four generations, established in the UK in 1932.
Managing director Rob Walker explains the reasoning behind the Senses® range, “The world of packaging, printing and design is changing rapidly. The growing trend in influencer marketing means that the “opening experience” is being documented digitally, live with vloggers and on social media channels and so great packaging and presentation has never been more important. We believe that this premium range will fast become a fundamental factor in the creative agency’s design development process as well as offering them a reliable and comprehensive range for their customers that is bang on trend.“
The Senses® range was developed in conjunction with trend reports and in-depth research over twelve months. The range is 100% trend driven and answers the demands of the creative industry for a new modern and inspirational range of creative paper and board for the 21st Century.
New digital print technologies are also enabling printers to produce short run high quality packaging that the market is now demanding and so Senses® is compatible with both digital and analogue technologies.
Rob continues, “Swatch books are available and we encourage customers to request a short consultation with our specialists who are happy to come and visit and go through the range on a one to one basis. We are delighted to be the distributor for this new premium range and look forward to seeing some amazing results with Senses®.”
For more information on Senses® visit:
www.sensespaper.com or www.wigstonpaper.com/senses-coloured-paper/
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29Mar

March 29 2018
Love Paper
Why We Love Paper – And You Should Too!




07Mar

March 7 2018
Love Paper Sustainability
Top 5 Articles on Paper, Recycling and the Environment
Paper and print media takes a lot of flak in the press about sustainability and recyclability. However, with the recent spotlight on plastics and plastic packaging, could paper be the solution after all? With new innovations and invention using paper and paper based products, can we reduce the amount of plastics we use as consumers and will this be the boom we are all looking for in the industry? When it comes to recycling waste within our own print organisations, what are the ways we can improve? Here’s our pick of the best recent articles discussing paper and the environment with the aim of shedding some light on the subject.
1) What Printers Can do to Recycle Waste
Printweek’s Rachel England discusses the various ways in which printers can recycle waste including inks and solvents. The UK is the world’s fifth largest manufacturer of printed products, and while there aren’t any statistics to indicate the level of overall material consumption in the industry, it is probably safe to assume that it’s a significant amount. Read more here…
2) Plastic V Paper Packaging
The Verdigris project is an industry initiative intended to raise awareness of print's positive environmental impact. This weekly commentary helps printing companies keep up to date with environmental standards, and how environmentally friendly business management can help improve their bottom lines. This article details why sustainable print is in the hands of publishers and therefore they have a responsibility to print with the environment in mind. Read more here…
3) Protecting Papers’ Reputation
A great article by Genevieve Lewis at Print Monthly who runs through the latest report from Two Sides on the impact of the printing industry on trees. Many people believe that the paper industry destroys thousands of trees every year, and that these trees are not replaced. Trees are crucial for the air we breathe, and have inhabited the Earth for millions of years. It is true—large areas of the planet are deforested, and areas the size of multiple football pitches are destroyed. However, what many people do not know is that most of these trees are replanted. Read more here..
4) Two Sides Anti-Greenwash Success
Another great article stemming from the people at Two Sides, detailing their work in holding corporates to account when they make claims that reducing paper usage reduces their carbon footprint. Read more here…
5) Can Paper replace Fantastic Plastic
Rachel England discusses the latest news on plastics and paper alternatives and the Smithers Pira report on paper and paper packaging. Thanks to China’s ban on waste imports, Theresa May’s environmental action plan and, perhaps most influential of all, the depiction of humanity’s devastating impact on sea life in BBC series Blue Planet, plastic has regained its position as public enemy number one. Our consumption of the material is prominently unsustainable, and all eyes are on the industry to find a feasible alternative. Paper coatings could be the answer. Read more here…
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10Feb

February 10 2018
Wigston News
Wigston Rebrand
Revitalised Wigston builds on trusted reputation


So what does all this mean to our customers?
By mining the rich seam of our heritage, putting our clients first and building on our on our customer care, we hope to offer an even better service with teams that continue to be reliable and willing to go the extra mile, and with products that impress and add value. Traditional yet innovative; old fashioned yet dynamic. We’ve recently invested in infrastructure, with a large purpose-built facility that enables us to purchase and stock large consignments and to handle customer requirements more efficiently and effectively – helping to build reliability and customer satisfaction into everyone’s business. We’re also responding to some of the big corporate governance issues of today such as sustainability and provenance, by ensuring all our stock is fully Mill Guaranteed for quality and consistency, and by obtaining certification from and sourcing within the FSC® chain of custody, actively extending our recycled paper ranges. As an expert supplier with the simultaneous capacity to innovate and be responsive to the needs of a fast-moving and evolving industry, we believe that Wigston offers a superior choice of partner for the creatives, packaging professionals and printers out there who share our values and ambitions. Explore further.
10Jan

January 10 2018
Luxury Packaging
Top 5 articles on the “unboxing” experience
It’s the buzzword in packaging – the “unboxing” experience. If you don’t know what this means, it’s the feeling you get when you unbox a package and it fills you with delight, or dread, or amazement. With the popularity of video bloggers now testing and trialing products, they now include opening the package as it arrives. Meaning your brand and packaging is on trial from the minute the camera starts rolling. This has many challenges but some brands have built their reputation on their unboxing experiences and this set of our top 5 articles on the unboxing experience aims to show you how.
1) How to create a memorable and shareable unboxing experience for your Brand
Everything you needed to know about the “unboxing” experience, using The Trunk Club as a great example of how to do this brilliantly.
Inside the trunk, the contents are thoughtfully laid out to create a presentation and experience when opened. To further build a custom branded experience for their customers, all orders include a handwritten card from a personal stylist explaining the selection of products. It truly makes you feel part of something special and exclusive. Read more here…
2) How your packaging improves customer experience
This is a great article from branding guru Roger Dooley who discusses how companies ship their products and the outer box experience and says, “In an era where "unboxing" videos can get millions of views, such attention to packaging details isn't obsessive, it's practical.” Read more here…
3) Why Your Product's Packaging Is as Important as the Product Itself
Your product's packaging is meant to communicate a purpose: what your brand stands for and what it means for your customer. This article by Joshua Conran sites Tiffany as the perfect example of how iconic packaging can build a brand. Read more here…
4) Ecommerce packaging is an important part of brand identity
A good article by our friends at DRUPA on reverse corrugated packaging for ecommerce, ensuring your luxury goods inside maintain brand visibility yet remain secure on the outside, out of the preying eyes of would-be thieves. Read more here…
5) Public prefer environmentally conscious packaging
Another good article detailing the recent Smithers PIRA report on luxury packaging. Data from the Smithers Pira report The Future of Global Packaging to 2020 estimates a total world market for all packaging in 2015 worth $839 billion. This will grow steadily at a rate of 3.3% year-on-year through to the end of the decade; with the market will be worth nearly $1 trillion in 2020. Luxury packaging is a lucrative, fast developing segment of this; Smithers Pira values it at $14.8 billion in 2015. Read more here…
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