Be More Bison the first INDEX exclusive print

INDEX Owners – First Exclusive Print

Foilco is pleased to introduce the first printed piece for INDEX owners…BE MORE BISON.

Inspiration

BE MORE BISON is our first creative piece for 2023, first seen exclusively by our INDEX owners.

The world can sometimes feel like a dark and stormy place where turning away from our challenges seems the easiest option.

But, in nature, Bison turn into a snowstorm because they instinctively know that walking head-on into it will get them to brighter, better weather sooner.

With this artwork, we wanted to evoke thoughts about the world’s current challenges and how we can look to nature for inspiration and positivity.

Production

Digital print

The card’s internal message and QR code were digitally printed onto a 300GSM Invercote G card.

Hot foil stamping using Dreyer Kliche brass dies.

Background – Solid coverage foiling using Fjord Blue Sheen (6738) foil

A job-saver plate/pocket die helped significantly reduce setup time and avoid fastening individual dies onto the foiling machine heated honeycomb chase.

Bison Herd and logos – Halftone and flat foiling using Ace Matt Black (600) foil

With the job saver plate in place, two new dies were introduced. For the Bison die, we used a genuine photograph of a herd emerging from a snowstorm at Yellowstone National Park. This photograph was then converted into CNC-friendly artwork. This halftone die style uses small dots to simulate an image’s varying degrees of solid area and shading. The further you are from the artwork, the clearer the picture becomes, and as a foiling technique, it can yield some striking results.

Accompanying the bison herd was another CNC engraved flat die that included the Foilco and Dreyer logos and material credit for the board. Two ‘streams’ of foil were run side by side simultaneously to minimise the overall foil use for this pass.

Snowflakes – Flat foiling using Iceberg Pattern Transparent (7030) foil

The final foil pass introduced a new flat die designed to mimic the effect of snowfall around the Bison.

Aptly named, our transparent Iceberg foil is a dynamic cracked ice effect pattern that refracts light at different angles to make it shimmer and replicate the semi-translucent aesthetic of snowflakes.

Emboss

The following finishing stage introduces embossing, using male and female die plates to push the paper’s surface and create a raised and tactile image.

For the Bison and snowflakes, a multi-level, sculptured embossing die created different depth levels across the artwork.

The lead Bison is made to stand proud, whilst those found at the back seem farthest away.

The same method was applied to the snowflakes. The largest flakes were embossed the deepest, giving the impression that they fell closest to the camera lens.

We are delighted with the results of this artwork and hope that it inspires. If you have questions about the production or want samples of the foils used to create this piece, please email hello@foilco.com.