By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Diamond Packaging (Diamond) of Rochester, New York, rose to the top in the 2024 FSEA Gold Leaf Awards with its winning entry for Best Use of Foil/Embossing – Calendars. The company put together a three-month corporate calendar, as is its custom for creating promotional items, and created a piece that truly is a work of art – or, actually, several works of art. Dennis Bacchetta, director of marketing at Diamond Packaging, gave PostPress the inside scoop on this show-stopping creation.

“This calendar features several decorative options,” said Bacchetta, “including printing, specialty coating, foiling and embossing – all designed to support the packaging design ideation process.” It also showcases the type of decorative effects offered by Diamond Packaging that can transform brands in a cost-effective manner. The 2024 calendar celebrates famous works of art from the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art movements originating in late 19th century France. It is the company’s first calendar designed so that recipients can change the artwork, depending on style or mood, bringing the museum gallery experience to a home or office setting. “The calendar reproduces four masterpieces displayed in a gilded gold frame,” Bacchetta explained. “The four artworks are Vincent van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night,’ Édouard Manet’s ‘Boating,’ Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Figures on the Beach’ and Henri-Edmond Crossin’s ‘Landscape.’” The three-dimensional picture frame features side closures with locking tabs, allowing the recipient to choose among the four pieces of art and change which one is featured in the frame. Diamond even added an artistic touch to the shipping package for the piece, envisioning it as a constructed wood artwork shipping crate complete with a ‘Fragile’ stencil.

The overall main piece is in a long vertical format with four panels. The top panel presents the three-dimensional gilded frame hanging – with one’s choice of artwork – beneath a small picture light on the blue wall of an art museum. The second, third and fourth panels present the continuation of the blue museum wall; they are spiral bound with fine metal, each with a one-month calendar that shares its upper spiral binding. The third and fourth panels include wainscoting and molding on the museum wall, and the fourth (bottom) panel depicts the museum’s hardwood floor and two cushioned viewing benches.

Bacchetta explained that the calendar was crafted with several objectives in mind. “The design,” he said, “was chosen to illustrate many of Diamond’s capabilities, including creative design, multi-color UV printing, UV gloss spot coating, cold foiling, multi-level embossing and intricate diecutting.” Another objective was to showcase the type of decorative effects that cost-effectively can elevate customers’ brands, including cold foiling and specialty coatings. “We also wanted to create a colorful, beautifully decorated structural and ornamental piece,” said Bacchetta, “that users will want to have near their desks.” A final objective was to promote the use of Clearwater’s ReMagine™ paperboard – made with 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) fiber – to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brands looking to address growing trends in sustainable packaging.

“As a calendar,” said Bacchetta, “it can be enjoyed all year, continually reinforcing Diamond’s brand. As a capabilities piece, it can be used longer than one year, which increases its shelf life and utility.”

Production Details

The paper stock used in the production of Diamond’s 2024 calendar includes Clearwater ReMagine 30% PCW paperboard for the calendar header and backers, Domtar Cougar Smooth 80# Text paper for calendar pages, and Clearwater Candesce^® SBS paperboard laminated to E-flute corrugated fiberboard for the artwork packing/shipping box.

The calendar’s final design captures the essence of four individual artwork pieces through a carefully chosen combination of multi-color UV printing, cold foiling, UV textured specialty coating, multi-level embossing and intricate diecutting for each piece. “The graphic design of the self-promotional pieces communicates the company’s high-end branding and sustainability initiatives,” said Bacchetta, “while imparting unusual depth and distinction through creative design, material selection and specialty effects.”

The effects and embellishments include tightly registered coatings that were used to enhance the design and highlight the individual calendar components. The museum wall features UV matte, and UV satin coating was used on the wall’s wainscoting and molding. UV satin coating was used on text to add contrast. For van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night,’ specialty coating was applied, giving dimension to the brush strokes. For Crossin’s ‘Landscape,’ two coatings were applied to create a subtle contrast between the color and white areas. Renoir’s ‘Figures on the Beach’  features DiamondTexture specialty coating, which was applied to the sand in the artwork to create haptic feedback.

Diamond Packaging enlisted four systems to produce the calendar. Printing was handled by a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 offset press (with FoilStar cold foil unit). A Bobst BMA foil stamper/embosser provided the embossing finesse. Diecutting was done with a Bobst 102 CER diecutter/blanker/stripper. Gluing was applied with a Bobst Masterfold 110A-2 (gyro).

Diamond also used cold foils and embossing to produce the calendar. “Silver cold foil, supplied by Univacco,” said Bacchetta, “delivers shimmering metallic effects on the gilded gold picture frame and the Diamond Packaging text. Holographic ‘wave pattern’ cold foil, supplied by KURZ, adds more realism to the water in the Manet ‘Boating’ artwork.” Bacchetta described how embossing lends distinction and depth to the design. “Many components,” he said, “were embossed, including the picture frame, wainscoting, molding and the leather viewing benches. Multi-level embossing tastefully was applied to the individual artwork pieces to add even more depth, combining to offer visual and tactile effects that promote consumer interaction.”

The company overcame challenges that arose from the need for ultra-tight registration, the requirement for consistency of color in all components of the overall piece and the desire to produce the piece in a cost-conscious way. “One challenge was maintaining consistent color among all four of the components (header, backers, shipper),” said Bacchetta, “all of which were on separate forms. Tight color control was maintained by using closed-loop scanning spectrophotometry.” Another aspect that presented a challenge was the need for extremely tight registration of the UV gloss spot coating, the DiamondTexture specialty coating, the cold foil and the multi-level embossed areas. Bacchetta stated that this challenge was met by optimizing the production layouts to best support the registration requirements. “And in general,” said Bacchetta, “we strove to incorporate all of the value-added processes in as few production steps as possible. We achieved efficiency through the use of more sustainable inline converting methods, including cold foiling and specialty coating. This reduced material and energy compared to offline processes.” 

For more information, visit www.diamondpackaging.com.

Edited by Cori Watkins, contributing editor, PostPress

The outlook for the print finishing and embellishment industry in 2025 looks to be promising. The year ahead appears to be shaped by market trends, economic conditions, workforce challenges and new innovations. As the demand for high-quality packaging, personalized products, unique finishing techniques and digital embellishment continues to rise, companies likely will experience growth, though not without some hurdles. While challenges stemming from labor shortages, supply chain obstacles and the high cost of producing sustainable products are unlikely to resolve in the near future, new technologies using AI and smart automation will benefit companies with faster turnaround times, more precise quality control and lower operational costs.

PostPress asked three industry professionals to weigh in with their thoughts on the upcoming year: Stefan D. Congram, global director, Design Centers & NPI, Cartamundi, a manufacturer of playing cards, trading cards and board games; Steven Roberts, president, Elite Print Finishing, a print finisher specializing in both conventional and digital embellishment technologies; and Warren Werbitt, print consultant, The Print Whisperer, a business management, executive coaching and network facilitation consultancy.

What major trends or changes are anticipated in the print finishing and embellishment industry for 2025?

Congram: We continue to see strong market demand for highly collectible cards within the space. The rarity of cards and exclusivity of alternative art and collaborations are growing. Serialization or numbering is very popular and will continue this way in 2025.

Roberts: Our industry has seen a good bit of consolidating by the larger corporate packaging and commercial printers. Yet, our population continues to grow. The larger corporate folks, I think, are taking their customers for granted – just assuming that they will continue to send the current business to a farther off location and be willing to pay the freight or not have the same customer service that they once had. It seems they want to cut costs and overhead. This has opened up more overflow for our traditional finishing companies and the smaller, more local packaging and commercial printers.

Werbitt: I don’t own a print business, but from what I see and hear when talking to print owners, a lot of the same challenges still are there. Many owners need to get a better grasp of their business basics before they even can think about major trends. That said, technology is going to keep moving forward – more automation with presses, finishing, software… you name it. AI is huge right now, but most people only see it as a tool for chat or simple writing. The real potential of AI is so much bigger, like helping automate workflows and giving better insights. The leaders in the industry will be the ones that grab these opportunities and run with them. Smaller shops, though, might find it harder due to limited resources.

As the print finishing industry prepares for 2025, what economic conditions will impact companies?

Congram:I wish I had a crystal ball to answer this! If there are changes to peoples’ disposable income, they will directly affect the industry – positive or negative. Trading cards were very resilient through COVID-19, as people stayed indoors and nostalgia grew. With new players and games coming into the market, there is an increase in the size of the pie, but more importantly, I believe there is a significant redistribution within that pie as consumers make choices to play new games or stick with what they know.

Roberts: Doing more, but the bottom line won’t be as fruitful. So, companies will be working harder for less.

Werbitt: The current economic climate, with inflation and rising costs, definitely will put pressure on the print industry. It’s tough because, in hard times, companies often cut back on spending for equipment and marketing. But, funny enough, doubling down on marketing during these times could be a game changer. Print businesses are going to need to be sharp – keeping costs in check, smart pricing and making sure clients see the value they are getting. This year, more than ever, owners have to ensure their operations are tight and client relationships stay strong.

For 2025, will there be significant changes in the demand for print finishing and embellishing services and products? If so, what might be driving these changes?

Congram: Yes, we see continued growth in the demand for embellishments related to authenticity and brand security. Custom pattern foils, security foils and tactile varnishes, as well as digital embellishment, now are taking off. We see and hear on a consistent basis that customers and competitors are looking for digital embellishment options to either serialize, secure or decorate cards for end users.

Roberts: It does seem that consumers are looking for more of an alternative product vs. the normal conglomerate products that have been around forever. This has spawned several new companies that are entering the market and seem to be looking for higher-end packaging to have their product stand out vs. the other.

Werbitt: I do think there’s going to be more demand for embellishments, especially from brands looking to make their products pop. Things like foil stamping, embossing and spot coatings will continue to be a go-to for standing out. But investing in these areas isn’t for the faint of heart – companies have got to know the market well. The real push for these services will come from what consumers love and what actually drives sales.

Are there print finishing and embellishment techniques that will gain a bigger market share in the next three to five years?

Congram:Yes. There are significant opportunities in both the digital printing space and digital embellishment space to not only offer variable data and decoration, but also to port these smaller-quantity, highly embellished cards from traditional techniques of offset printing and stamping into the digital space.

Roberts: Easy – digital embellishment will gain exposure, and folks will catch on that they are getting something
done that cannot be done by conventional finishing techniques.

Werbitt: I could make a guess, but honestly, it’s the consumers who will decide what’s hot. Techniques like digital foiling and inline embellishments that make shorter runs more flexible and affordable probably are going to grow. Anything that’s eco-friendly and aligns with sustainability also will get more attention as brands try to meet those green expectations.

How is the push for sustainability influencing companies, and what new practices or technologies are emerging in response?

Congram: Many brands (especially new brands) are very receptive to the elimination of single-use plastics and working to have greener products. Traditionally, in our business, shrink wrap, cello wrap and PET flow wraps are mainstays and still great ways of sealing and securing products. However, there is a willingness to pay a small premium to use paper options instead of plastics. We see brands making sustainability a part of their message to the consumers, and we have seen positive feedback from the market because these now are perceived as “new.”

Roberts: Some folks are pushing sustainable solutions but not all are willing to pay for it after they see the price difference.

Werbitt: From my chats with people in the industry, it’s obvious that while everyone says they care about sustainability, not everyone is ready to pay more for it. There’s a lot of talk, but the real action varies. The companies that truly make sustainability part of their DNA are the ones that stand out. Others might do just enough to say they’re involved for the marketing boost. We’re seeing biodegradable substrates, eco-friendly coatings and energy-saving processes become more common. But here’s the thing – sustainability has to be practical. If it leads to crazy costs or other problems, it’s not going to fly. Striking a balance between going green and keeping things running smoothly is going to be key. Overall, the print industry is at a crossroads where technology and sustainability are merging. The ones that adapt, invest wisely and align with consumer and environmental needs will come out ahead.   

Submitted by the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC)

The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), located in Springfield, Massachusetts, announced the top winners of its 81st annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition. These folding cartons and rigid boxes represent some of the best paperboard packaging manufactured by North American converters over the past year.  

Package of the Year 

Diptyque Advent Calendar Holiday 2023 

Submitted by Pusterla, US, Inc.  

The Diptyque Advent Calendar box is superb, sitting at the intersection of luxury, sustainability and outstanding consumer experience. Fulfilling Diptyque’s request for a reusable jewel box, Pusterla sweetened the holidays with this multi-level, structurally complex and tactically engaging keepsake. Offering elegance and an element of surprise, consumers open the upper section to reveal… a whole second level with even more gifts and goodies! The beautifully designed piece features multiple compartments nestled within the larger structure, and the magnetic cover allows the box to stand upright when open, adding functionality and yet another element of elegance. Pusterla nailed it, crafting a keepsake that consumers will hold onto well beyond the holidays. This reusable advent box is more than packaging – it’s a lasting treasure. 

Folding Carton of the Year 

The Masters Prov1 Vintage Family  

Submitted by the Curtis Packaging  

The Masters Prov1 Vintage Family by Curtis Packaging takes luxury paperboard packaging to a new level. These extraordinary folding cartons don’t just look like leather – they even feel like it, redefining what a carton can be. Made to showcase golf products at the Masters Tournament, the cartons needed an innovative yet timeless and classic design. Curtis delivered, masterfully replicating the look and feel of two different types of leather. The soft, supple brown “leather” is treated with soft-touch coating and finished with debossing, while the black “leather” is treated with grit UV coating. The Curtis team then enhanced the contrast between the dark and light areas by applying grit in the light areas and gloss varnish vignettes and digital coating accents in the darker spots. The Masters logo, emblems and all the metallization were created digitally. The unique structures, bold logo and, of course, the luxurious leather make the Masters cartons a standout gift that fans can enjoy long after the Tournament’s final hole. 
 

Rigid Box of the Year 

Old Emmer Toasted Barrel 

Submitted by TPC Printing & Packaging 

Beauty and strength go hand in hand with TPC Printing & Packaging’s rigid box for Old Emmer Toasted Barrel whiskey. With a perfect blend of protective elements and aesthetic appeal, this package offers a premium unboxing experience that reflects the luxury of the whiskey it holds. The smooth click of four strategically placed magnets snapping shut provides a satisfying closure and demonstrates attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. The contrast between the high-shine gold foil and matte, soft-touch laminate enhances the package’s visual appeal, making it stand out on any shelf. The rigid structure offers superior protection and adds to the high-end feel, ensuring the package looks as good as it performs. TPC’s Old Emmer whiskey design is a testament to commitment, quality and elegance, making it a truly outstanding rigid box. 

Innovation of the Year Award  

PETCollar™ Shield Plus  
Submitted by Smurfit WestRock 

The paperboard packaging industry has worked hard over the last half-decade to create incredible, sustainable alternatives to plastic in the multi-pack beverage segment. While each design powerfully contributes to the circular economy, the judges of PPC’s Competition have never seen one quite like Smurfit Westrock’s PETCollar™ Shield Plus for Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages’ PET bottles. The innovative design features an integrated, brick-shaped handle that connects with the bottles at many points, providing stability and easy consumer handling with recessed finger holes. A top-applied clip with inner reinforcement panels holds the bottles, and a top panel with manually locking tabs connects the layers and reinforces the structure. Additionally, with five available panels for graphics, the design offers unique, maximized brand visibility. With PETCollar™ Shield Plus, small nuances in design make a big impact, all combining to create an innovative new entry into the beverage market. 

Sustainability of the Year Award 

PETCollar^® Eco

Submitted by Smurfit Westrock 

Today, paperboard packaging manufacturers are helping some of the world’s largest CPGs meet their environmental commitments. To advance the lofty goal of using 100% recyclable, compostable, biodegradable or reusable packaging by 2025, PepsiCo tasked Smurfit Westrock with transitioning its eight-pack Gatorade packaging from flexible plastic to recyclable paperboard – and Smurfit Westrock delivered! The PETCollar^® Eco features two cold-glued layers of CarrierKote paperboard with serious strength for transportation, handling and consumer use. With its unique handle design, consumers conveniently can pick up the pack using only two fingers – while remaining confident in its structural integrity. What’s more, the design uses significantly less board than a fully enclosed carton while offering a fully printable surface for branding and shelf presence. Strong, functional, beautifully branded and sustainable, PETCollar Eco is a stellar example of the paperboard packaging industry’s unwavering commitment to consumers, the environment and future generations. 

Judges’ Award for Wow Factor 

Chanel Logo Display Box 

Submitted by Pusterla US, Inc. 

The stunning Chanel Logo box from Pusterla US, Inc., had the competition judges asking, “How did they even make that?” Pusterla created a rigid box in the shape of the iconic Chanel logo, perfectly to scale, with a large cutout that seemingly defies the laws of physics in its structure. Intended as a point-of-sale display, the package’s matte white finish and beveled edges are clean and beautiful, with complex curves offering an entirely fresh take on a familiar logo. The real magic comes when the box is opened, revealing continuous curves with no supports and luxurious gold foil that perfectly matches the brand’s aesthetics. 

Judges’ Award for Positive Change in Packaging 

Nestlé Australia: Quality Street 

Submitted by Graphic Packaging International

A wonderful example of positive change in packaging, Graphic Packaging International helped Nestlé Australia transition its iconic Quality Street tub from plastic to 100% recyclable paperboard. Ultimately, the beautiful carton contributes to Nestlé’s lofty goal of making all its packaging recyclable or reusable and reducing virgin plastic use by a third, all by 2025. Designed to shake up the confection category at Christmas time with a new, sustainable solution, the carton features an octagonal structure, which is reminiscent of the original tub, and an innovative fifth panel serving as a tamper-evident closure (one that eliminates the need for plastic wrapping). Another feat, the new packaging maintains its predecessor’s packing speed, with the design of the corners offering reinforcement to hold up to the rigors of distribution and merchandising. The new Quality Street carton is a testament to how packaging can drive meaningful environmental change without sacrificing brand identity or consumer appeal. 

Judges’ Award for Excellence in Printing 

Luxe Pack Box 

Submitted by Autajon Packaging 

The Luxe Pack self-promotion box by Autajon Packaging exemplifies a seamless integration between high-end aesthetics and technical precision. The design elevates the user experience through thoughtful printing techniques: silkscreen UV printing mimics water droplets inside and outside the box. Meanwhile, a rich copper leaf pattern adds dimension to the soft-touch surface. These details, paired with the frame view tray and book-style opening, create a luxurious and dynamic unboxing experience. Despite the challenges of maintaining crisp scores and clean finishes on an all-black carton, Autajon successfully delivered a package that stands out for its flawless execution and tactile appeal. Not only a display of printing prowess, the Luxe Pack Box is a strategic fusion of art, functionality and brand storytelling that leaves a lasting impression. 

Visit PPC’s website to see all the winning entries and learn more about the North American Paperboard Packaging Competition at www.paperbox.org/programs/carton-competition.

For 95 years, PPC has served as the premier North American association for converters of paperboard packaging and their suppliers. PPC works to grow, promote and protect the paperboard packaging industry while providing its members with resources and tools to successfully compete in the marketplace. For more information, visit www.paperbox.org.