For more than 20 years, Iggesund Paperboard has been producing original and finely crafted greeting cards. After the forest in volume that lights up with a smartphone To celebrate the arrival of the year 2021, the Swedish papermaker proposes a much more sober 2D creation, designed by the Parisian studio Marianne Guély, which specialises in the art of paper.
Inspired by mandalas, this elegant 2021 greeting card from Iggesund depicts the growth rings of a tree with a circle of characters in silver hot stamping. Together they symbolise the union of man and nature. "Man is a walking tree." explains designer Marianne Guély. "Our feet are our roots, our anchor. The growth rings of the tree reflect our emotions and our connection to the world and nature."
And the artist has imagined very small holes between the tree rings that let the light shine through. To make these micro-percussions with a diameter of 0.35 mm, Marianne Guély called on the Delta Neo company, based in La Ferté-Bernard in the Sarthe region of France. Delta Neo uses a traditional mechanical process, recently applied to various supports including cardboard.
"This technique offers a sumptuous decoration process, without burning, odour or discolouration, so that the paper remains white, explains Pauline Gatineau, head of the company's micro drilling department. We used Invercote Creato 380 g/m 2 A smooth, easy-to-work graphics board. And we'll definitely use it in future projects."
Iggesund sends its greeting cards every year free of charge to people who request them via the group's website. "And this annual tradition is always a real event." says Rebecka Almeflo Sjölund, Iggesund's Director of Technical Product Information and responsible for the project.
She goes on to say: "Working on this year's greeting card and seeing what designers can do with paper was a lot of fun. We send our cards to strengthen our relationships, but also to encourage people to use our cards, to promote innovative designs and to challenge their countless applications. This year, we feel it is even more important to maintain our relationship at a time when we can no longer meet physically."
