Paper Sample Booklets
For a series of promotional sampler booklets for Gilbert Paper, the challenge was to move beyond the conventional paper-company approach of simply showcasing imagined stationery systems and instead give each stock a more distinctive editorial idea.
Developed while at Eric Baker Design Associates, the program paired the tactile qualities of Gilbert’s communication papers with unexpected source material and strong visual themes. One concept, Strange But True, used unusual newspaper clippings and curiosities as the basis for the design; another series built around Cottons, Esse and Oxford drew from historic letterheads and correspondence.
The resulting pieces turned paper sampling into something closer to collecting and reading — using typography, archival material, format and production to give each booklet its own personality while still demonstrating the character of the stock itself.
Strange But True, COVER AND SPREADS
Cottons / Esse / Oxford Series — Covers
CottonS, INTERIOR SPREADS
ESSE, INTERIOR SPREADS
Oxford — Interior Spreads