Neenah Paper

Do you remember back in the ’80s when it first became stylish for women to get their colors done to determine the choices they should make in terms of clothing, cosmetics and home décor?

They were categorized as seasons – winter, summer, spring and fall – and were mostly based on natural physical coloring such as eyes, hair, skin tone, etc.

Shortly thereafter, our relationship with color became more about our “aura.” The color we “gave off” could speak volumes about our emotional character, but this conversation was probably a little too fanciful for most of the business world, falling somewhere beyond Rorschach tests, out there with mood rings and numerology.

Oh the times, they are a-changin’. Along comes the Dewey Color System, at first a concept, then an experiment, and now, the world’s only scientifically validated color-based personality testing system.

Neenah Paper has long promoted the value of using color in its own promotions to evoke certain responses. Now, working with the Dewey team, they are using this science to provide detailed guides for how to use the color system to create more effective marketing communications.

What followed has been a collection of tools to help designers make intelligent color choices, depending not on emotions or an eye for color, but on proven color attributes. The first component Neenah introduced was a stunning print promotion called “Olive is Not Drab.”

Next came the Think Ink iPhone app. The overwhelmingly positive response to this first-of-its kind paper industry app led Neenah to just recently update this free app with the following improvements:

• Improved color palette blends provide smoother color transitions.
• Inclusion of the five top whites to each suggested paper selection.
• User can now build color palettes using either RGB or CMYK sliding scales.

To download the FREE Think Ink Version 1.1 upgrade, visit the iPhone app store.

A Crayon Box for Grown-ups
But the most exciting addition to the suite of tools is the new Think Ink: Color Unleashed microsite, which gives any online user an unparalleled ability to build color palettes that inspire design and paper choices.

“We understand not everyone has the same smartphones or access to the newest technologies. With the ColorUnleashed.com site, users get all the benefits of the Think Ink app along with expanded features that give them incredibly creative capabilities right on their desktop,” explains Tom Wright, director of design for Neenah Paper. “Designers, printers and even end-users will find the site not only captivating and intuitive to use, but a real workhorse tool that puts powerful design and color theory tools to work in their personal workspace.”

According to Wright, the micro site will be especially useful to designers because it’s a color visualization tool that bridges the screen and the printed page. Designers can build color palettes with features no other site offers. With the ColorUnleashed.com site, users can:

• Create custom color palettes based on three different options: RGB and CMYK values, Neenah’s paper colors or the Dewey Color System.
• Create and view color palettes of RGB and CMYK values right on the screen and then with one click download the palette as an Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ASE) file and embed it into Adobe Creative Suite. This key element saves users from having to manually enter information and instead automatically populates a library of color swatches and Neenah Paper colors into a designer’s personal creative suite and saves it for future use.
• Select from more than 30 Dewey scientifically validated personality attributes from a word cloud and build custom palettes.
• Order Neenah Paper sample sheets. Designers can link directly to their Neenah Paper accounts making it easy to order samples with just a few mouse clicks.
• Import photos or take imagery displayed from the Think Ink printed promotional book and play with free-form type, change paper and ink colors to simulate real ink on paper.
• View all saved color palettes and past paper sample orders.
• With a complete line-up of Neenah paper choices added to the site, users can view their designs on CLASSIC CREST, CLASSIC Linen, ENVIRONMENT Papers, as well as on other Neenah signature brands.

But then there’s the “touch” factor. There are some attributes and characteristics that are exclusive to print communication, and can’t be as effectively shown on a screen. Things like texture, finish and weight. And processes such as embossing and foil stamping, as well as simple metallic inks. To that end, Neenah offers the printed “Think Ink” companion resource guide, a tangible demonstration of printing and processes on CLASSIC CREST and CLASSIC Linen Papers.

Some companies resist technology, some embrace it. And some understand how to make the most of the advantages technology has to offer. Neenah Paper is one such company. Color and texture are cornerstones of the Neenah Paper premium papers portfolio, and the company has found a way to use new technologies to engage designers in exploring its papers. All while educating, informing and inspiring.

So join the evolution! Maximize your use of color, paper and technology.

Click here to learn more about Think Ink: Color Unleashed, or to order your copy of the “Think Ink” promotion book.