By Erin Judge, managing editor, PostPress

In a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI, the artistry behind skilled diecutting, embossing and foiling continues to endure. Creative Paper Crafting of Portland, Oregon, has remained dedicated to preserving and advancing that tradition of craftsmanship since 1985. Founded by Joseph and Judy Smith alongside Judy’s mother, Caryl, the family-owned and operated company recently celebrated 40 years in business. Even as the industry has evolved, Creative Paper Crafting continues to be driven by three core principles: Creativity, curiosity and family.

The Smiths started their business with one 10 x 15 Kluge in the basement of a print shop in downtown Portland and today boast a full breadth of equipment capable of foiling sheets as large as 29″ x 42″ down to single 2″ x 3.5″ business card. While the company’s wide-ranging capabilities continue to attract new customers, Adam Smith, Joseph and Judy’s son and co-president of Creative Paper Crafting, noted that it is the team’s attention to detail and pride in workmanship that keeps clients coming back.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to find creative solutions when challenges arise,” Smith said. “It ultimately comes down to putting the customer and the craft first. Our golden rule is to produce every job the way we would want it produced for ourselves.”

Creative Paper Crafting primarily serves commercial printers in Oregon and the surrounding region – providing diecutting, embossing and foiling for packaging applications across the cosmetics, cannabis and food and beverage industries as well as specialty commercial products like envelopes, presentation folders, wedding invitations, box wraps, stationery and business cards.

According to Smith, “While commercial printers make up the bulk of our customer base, we also love to work with small artisan letterpress shops, budding designers – anybody who has a creative idea for a project.”

That same collaborative, creativity-first mindset carries through to the company’s own projects. For its 2025 holiday card, Creative Paper Crafting sought to create a piece that was both beautiful and heartfelt – encapsulating its three core principles of creativity, curiosity and family.

“There’s been uncertainty in business, in politics, in the lives of people just trying to eat and raise their families. We really wanted to send a message of hope and peace to our customers and industry partners,” said Smith.

To bring that message to life, Creative Paper Crafting chose a dove carrying an olive branch for the card’s front. The dove was created using a sculpted emboss and multiple foils on light blue Pop-Tone “Sno Cone” 140# cover stock, while the olive branch was embossed and accented with green foil. In total, the card required nine press passes – including seven foil passes, one sculpted emboss pass and one scoring pass. Production spanned four different machines: a 12 × 18 Kluge for scoring; a 14 × 22 Kluge for foiling and embossing; and a 10 × 15 Kluge along with a Brausse BF-750 for additional foiling. The foil dies were made by Universal Engraving Incorporated (UEI), and the sculpted emboss die was made by Metal Magic. 

With five different foil colors, the project presented registration challenges during production. Achieving flawless registration between multiple foils, embossing, presses and passes required very careful planning and precise execution by the team at Creative Paper Crafting.

“Figuring out the proper order of operations was a bit of a puzzle,” said Smith. “We enjoy the challenge; it’s so rewarding when a project like this comes together. The joy comes not just from the card itself, but from what it represents – strong relationships with our customers, partners and friends.” 

For more information, visit www.cpcportland.com.