By Liz Stevens, writer, PostPress

Dreyer Kliche, Copenhagen, Denmark, was awarded Best of Show: Best Use of Foil & Embossing in the 2025 FSEA Gold Leaf Awards. The company’s entry, The Little Mermaid Cosmetic Box, is an interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, and features a variety of embossing and hot foil stamping, which illustrate the versatility of those embellishing techniques. The entry was designed and produced by Dreyer Kliche.

The small white cosmetic box’s front and back panels include a large seashell with the company’s name and location, all embossed and foil stamped with two colors of foil. The top and bottom flaps also feature embossed graphics and multiple layers of colored foil. The box’s side panels feature a seashell collage design – one of the side panels was produced with the design flat stamped in color and the other side panel was produced with the same design embossed and stamped in white pearlescent or rainbow pearlescent foil. The result is a beautiful small enclosure with clean, minimalist graphics, elegant embossing and foil stamping in complementary colors, transparent gloss, metallics and pearlescent sheen.

Dreyer Kliche used Invercote G, 330 gsm paper stock. The foil was supplied by Dreyer Kliche’s business partner Foilco Ltd., (Foilco)UK, and was applied with a Kluge Foil Machine. The company used 7 mm precision-engraved brass dies for foiling and 7 mm precision-engraved brass dies for multilevel embossing plus an epoxy counterforce. All clichés and engravings were created in-house by the Dreyer Kliche team. Foilco provided expert guidance and helped identify the most suitable foil grades for this technically demanding project.

Dreyer Kliche’s Conni Dreyer, creative director, explained the background for the design and described the production process. “The story behind this piece,” she said, “is Dreyer Kliche’s desire to feature work inspired by Hans Christian Andersen, one of Denmark’s most beloved and enduring writers from the 19th century. His fairy tales are universal, timeless and emotionally resonant, having been translated into more than 125 languages and adapted into countless films, plays and ballets – including Disney’s The Little Mermaid, which continues to inspire across cultures.”

“At Dreyer Kliche, we draw on Andersen’s fairy tales as creative inspiration for our annual self-promotional project,” said Dreyer. “For this year’s piece, we selected The Little Mermaid (1837) as our narrative and conceptual foundation. The story’s themes of unrequited love, longing, self-sacrifice and the pursuit of immortality resonated deeply with us – and we aimed to translate those emotional layers into a technically ambitious production.” The company’s goal was to push the boundaries of foil and embossing techniques, using only those elements to create an art piece with rich visuals and haptics. The motifs of the mermaid, seashells and the ocean offered endless opportunities to showcase detailed craftsmanship and a wide range of techniques – from fine line work to intricate textures and dimensional embossing.

Creating this piece was a personal, creative journey for Dreyer, guided by Andersen’s world-class storytelling. “Our ambition was to build a visual universe inspired by The Little Mermaid,” said Dreyer, “with a naturalistic, lifelike aesthetic, solely achieved through the use of foil and embossing.”

The piece incorporates four different foils, including foil-on-foil application, as well as multilevel embossing. Dreyer said that bringing these complex elements together into a cohesive, precise end product was a considerable technical challenge that required perfect registration and depth control. “Throughout the process, Karin Holm Jensen, art director, and I collaborated closely – from the first concept sketches through to the final execution,” said Dreyer. “Our combined vision and attention to detail were instrumental in shaping the final outcome.”

Dreyer stated that the paper stock and foils were carefully chosen to meet the company’s visual and tactile goals for The Little Mermaid Cosmetic Box. “For this project,” she said, “we partnered with Foilco and Holmen Iggesund, two companies known for their high-quality materials and shared commitment to excellence.” Foilco supplied four different foil grades, specifically selected to meet the visual and technical demands of the piece. Holmen Iggesund provided Invercote G, 300 gsm, a paper stock Dreyer Kliche trusts for its durability, smoothness and ability to hold fine details – all critical for embossing and foiling. “The graphics,” said Dreyer, “were carefully developed to balance realism and stylization, allowing the foil to act not just as decoration but as an expressive storytelling tool.”

Dreyer Kliche pulled out all the stops in producing a piece that features multiple passes of embossing and foil-upon-foil for spectacular effect. “The complete piece consists of four A4 panels, designed to showcase a broad range of the company’s capabilities,” Dreyer explained. “The two side panels on the cosmetic box are visually identical in layout, but they demonstrate two different effects: one with surface structure and the other with multilevel embossing. Both feature the same motifs, allowing for direct comparison of techniques.” The seashell panel features three foil layers: a transparent foil that creates a glossy, mother-of-pearl effect, a primary silver foil that delivers superfine line work and an additional foil layer that acts as an overprint to add dimension and visual depth. “The final process was a multilevel embossing pass that reproduces the seashell’s tactile and organic form,” said Dreyer. “To ensure perfect registration between foils and embossing, the piece was built up using precision pocket tooling – allowing for tight alignment and minimal set-up time during press runs.”

Dreyer Kliche also found new ways to revitalize traditional embellishment techniques. “While this project didn’t rely on new technology per se,” said Dreyer, “it explored new ways of combining existing techniques. The innovation lies in how traditional methods – foil stamping, embossing and layering – were pushed beyond conventional limits to produce something fresh, detailed and visually impactful.” This approach reflects the company’s aim to not only refine its craftsmanship but to challenge expectations of what these techniques can achieve when used creatively and with precision.

Dreyer Kliche’s development of special tools provided the ability to create even finer lines and effects in the engravings.

The production required overcoming a couple of hurdles. “A major challenge,” Dreyer explained, “was to redefine the minimum tolerances for engraving. We wanted to show that even extremely fine lines and micro details could be reproduced clearly through foil and emboss alone. Another key focus was to demonstrate how subtle variations in texture and depth – not just bold visuals – can tell a powerful story and engage both the eye and hand.”

The response to the final piece has been overwhelmingly positive. “Many viewers expressed genuine appreciation for both the technical execution and the emotional storytelling,” said Dreyer. “It sparked curiosity and dialogue – particularly among printing professionals and design studios, several of whom reached out to learn more about Dreyer Kliche’s methods. It’s always deeply rewarding to see a piece connect not only as a visual object, but also as a conversation starter and an example of what is possible when craftsmanship and creativity come together.”