Creative print

Stretching our print boundaries with a te reo board game

At Soar we love a new challenge, so being chosen as the printer for Kura Rehia’s board game ‘Kaupapa’ made our team super happy. There was much more to this challenge than print – we had to weave together multiple components.

Kura Rehia create games, resources and events that are helping to realise the vision of a bilingual Aotearoa. Their recently-released board game ‘Kaupapa’ is for speakers and learners of te reo Maori. Involving 900 words to expand players’ Maori vocabulary, it’s huge fun for families and classrooms. There are different difficulty rules to suit players of every language level - from complete beginner to fluent speaker.

Opting for sustainable materials and eco-friendly printing processes, it was important to Kura Rehia to support our local economy and make sustainable choices with Papatuanuku in mind. The board itself is made from sustainably-grown plywood, which is printed on an HP printer with eco latex ink. Creator Kuruho Wereta drew on his background in carving to create the design, featuring patterns that tell stories. Each game board is die-cut and sanded into shape.

Clear tokens (aptly named ‘waka’) carry each team around the board, each with its own Maori pattern printed in the team’s colour, with enough clear space so that you can still see what category you’ve landed on while you’re on it. The cards, and the 100% recycled paper booklet, resin timer and tokens sit in a beautiful box, made from Colorplan Vermillion Red card with a metallic foil print. All of these elements are assembled by us and sit in a kraft board box with die cut labels.

The first print run of Kaupapa was so successful, it sold out. We’re in the process of printing, assembling and distributing more games right now. With waitlists on most reo Maori classes, this game is a brilliant way to get te reo into homes, workplaces and classrooms. Kura Rehia’s mission is to see te reo Maori as vital to how we have fun as whanau and friends. For everyone keen to learn some reo, this is a beautiful and joyful way to do it.

Once we’d printed, finished and assembled all components, we put each game together and organised distribution from our warehouse. It was a true end-to-end project, where we stepped way beyond the usual boundaries of print supply.

If you’d like to order a copy of Kaupapa and improve your reo, go to the online store

If you have project you’d like to discuss contact Stuart Shepherd [email protected]

A book we’ll never forget

Every now and then (and actually more regularly these days), Soar Arts gets a job that demands the most intricate pre-press, printing and finishing we can achieve. Katie Kerr’s new book ‘Dwelling in the Margins’ is one of those projects.

Recently completed and destined to win awards, Dwelling in the Margins is a 318 PUR bound jacketed- cover book that captures the essence of art book publishing. Published by Katie Kerr’s GLORIA Books, the book contains stories and essays written by 30 practitioners – artists, poets, photographers, designers and curators - who incorporate publishing in their practice. The articles and images reflect on New Zealand creativity, speculate on the changing landscape of book-making and imagine alternative frameworks for the future of publishing.

The man tasked with shepherding this book through weeks of painstaking production was Stuart Shepherd, head of Soar Arts at Soar Print. He said it was a labour of love.

“This highly experimental book required weeks of personal input and obsessive checking of substrates and print process from all angles. I wanted it to be everything Katie desired, and then some. At Soar, we recognise that this type of job is an opportunity to demonstrate our prowess with the most challenging types of print and finishing processes,” says Stuart.

Stuart arrived at Soar Print five years ago, bringing with him a special focus on the creation of art books and high-end magazines. He has 30+ years’ experience in magazine and book publishing in New Zealand and overseas, as well as a wealth of knowledge in design arts marketing. Stuart pioneered a number of specialist magazine and design book-related business ventures in New Zealand, including Propaganda Arts Distribution and Magazzino.

Bringing the book to life

Soar Print used a range of presses and techniques to bring Katie’s vision to life. The book’s pages were printed on the Océ Vario i300 Inkjet print-on-demand press. They are printed on two paper stocks, our unique Soar Print Book Bulk text stock and Indigo Press Satin, which is printed black to give the reader a distinct textural difference between text and imagery.

For the book jacket, Katie wanted a concept that gives the book a tactile advantage.

“I wanted to create a ductile jacket that wrapped around the book like vinyl. The book is small in size but bold in thought, so the cover needed to be really vibrant to reflect that. Screen-printing allowed us to print a canary yellow ink onto vinyl-like paper. It was an experimental process, but one worthy of a book on art publishing,” says Katie.

Dwelling in the Margins is PUR-bound with an unprinted black Popset cover. The book jacket was screen-printed using Imprimex cotton textile, with the assistance of our production partners Southan Print. It used PMS yellow and black with UV-cured inks. The book is available from GLORIA Books.

“Every aspect of Dwelling in the Margins is a triumph. The writing is from a variety of angles, voices and experience which is illuminating. The production itself is gorgeous from the zing of the canary yellow cover, the elegant typography and layout, and beautiful photographic spreads.” — Kiran Dass, Kete

Find out more information on Soar Print’s design and art book production services or contact Stuart Shepherd on 021 630 954 or email [email protected].

Introducing the Z-CARD®

Putting big ideas into your customers pockets

Z-CARD® is a totally unique and innovative communications solution that was invented over 20 years ago by George McDonald when he was a travel writer and consultant for British Airways. Soar is currently the official printer for Z-CARD PocketMedia® ensuring that all Z-CARDs® are produced at an exceptional level of quality.

The Z-CARD® is printed on a single piece of paper with a card attached to the front and back. The customer has the choice of a 4 panel, 6 panel or 8 panel size to accommodate any type of media from detailed maps to simple restaurant menus. The Z-CARD® can be customised to include extras such as card holders, inserts, or custom covers ensuring that your Z-CARD® campaign stands out.

The Z-CARD® has the convenient form factor of a credit card or small passport making it more likely for customers to keep your printed material as they would likely prefer the more durable and portable option compared to a simple leaflet.

Z-CARD Formats:

Z-CARD: The Original

Our best-selling product continues to be the original Z-CARD® with over 2 billion produced worldwide. The Z-CARD® remains a great example of a simple and unique idea, successful in every market across the world.

C-Fold: The Single Concertina

A great lower cost option for conveying smaller amounts of information. The C-Fold Z-CARD® is concertina folded and can be used for vouchers, support banners, product information and much more.

K-Fold: The Coupon King

the ideal format for delivering promotional coupons or vouchers. Our K-Fold Z-CARD® is one of the best formats for incorporating a response mechanism, with options including tear-off panels.

Book Fold: Secure Branding

A tactile marketing tool that engages the end user. The Z-Book cover is hinged down one side creating the more familiar feel of a book. It can contain any of our insert variations.

To learn more about Z-CARDS and their incredibly diverse potential, visit zcard.co.nz, email your account manager or contact [email protected]

Print embellishments play an important role when you want to make an instant impression.

Studies have shown that haptic (touch) memory has a strong impact on the human brain. When we feel something, it reaches us on a deeper level. So, if you choose a textured stock or add textured embellishment to a printed item, you’re helping your brand stand-out or your communication to work harder.

With Soar’s state of the art Kama ProFoil 76 your job does not have to leave the premises to achieve your desired finishing touch.

Embossing / Debossing

Can be applied to all promotional print collateral and books.
Embossing is when the surface of a chosen area or pattern is raised. This gives stand-out presence on the shelf and has a tactile effect that encourages the consumer to linger over the product.
Alternatively, debossing uses the same method but in reverse, where the chosen element is lowered into the surface.

Die cutting

For use on everything from business cards to catalogues
Die cutting is a printing process that involves cutting shapes out of a sheet of paper using a steel rule die.

Foiling

Makes eye catching book covers, packaging, labels and more
Foiling is the application of pigment or metallic foil, often gold or silver, to paper or card. It can be combined with embossing to create a striking almost-3D image. Foiling is done in-house at Soar, to ensure your finished print meets the highest quality standards.

UV spot gloss

Great for catalogues and magazines
As the name suggests, UV spot gloss is applied to chosen areas of a printed piece. It helps to draw attention to that part of the design and give your printed material a special point of difference.
A particularly effective technique involves applying a UV spot gloss on top of a matte surface – the resulting contrast between the two surfaces is very eye-catching.

UV Textured Coatings

Give your catalogues and magazines a point of difference
These have a unique tactile and visual quality that offers a slightly raised, textured finish….

Perforation

Perforate any paper stock to create tickets, vouchers and reply cards.
Perforations entice your customers to take action. Everyone likes to tear along the dotted line.
Our Canon OCE i300 prints, perforates and binds on the fly.

Variable data

This process can be used for direct mail, brochures, even labels and packaging
Soar Printing has a large digital print arsenal including HP Indigo, Canon Oce i300 and Xerox
presses that can produce personalised print, driven by an Excel spreadsheet. You can change out names, addresses, areas of text, QR codes and images. You can also use versioning for ‘print on demand’. For example, print a one-off version of a brochure based on client information collected by your call centre.

Laminations

Give labels, covers and other high use print collateral extra durability
The entire surface can be finished in a gloss or matt lamination film. This provides a high impact
appearance in addition to strong moisture and scuff protection. Specialty laminations such as Soft Touch are great for giving invitations and booklets a luxurious feel.

Aqueous Coating

A more environmentally friendly finish
Gloss, Matt, and Soft Touch can also be applied on our state-of-the-art Heidelberg CX102 press.

Metallic Inks

Use on everything from labels and packaging to books and calendars
Metallic inks are used to create a similar effect to foil, although not as reflective. The shine of the metallic particles in the ink give a premium metallic look in a variety of colour choices. Patented
ColorLogic software and ink open a plethora of design opportunities.

Talk to us about embellishing your next print run – it’s less costly than you think.

See some examples of our 2020 Pride in Print award winners, which hosted a range of embellishments.

Category win and more at the Pride in Print Awards 2020

Soar has been in the print business for nearly 100 years, so we know a bit about business survival. Through depressions, boom times and financial crises, one strategy that has held us together is our commitment to print quality. Entering the Pride in Print Awards every year is how we make sure that commitment stays strong.

We’re particularly happy to have received a print finishing category win and a gold for the Laminex Timber Veneer brochure, which was beautifully designed by Davy & Chapman. It has a beautiful cover adorned with an embossed pattern that mimics a timber grain and finished with outstanding gold foiling created on our KAMA Letterpress. The judges’ comments says it all “Produced with lots of processes and no mistakes or blemishes – an exceptional finishing job”.

It’s clear that embellishments make printed pieces stand out from the rest, whether it be a matt velvet-touch laminate with a spot UV gloss like what was used on the King’s College Collegian magazine giving a tactile finish or an eye-catching metallic foil as seen on the Inferno GUI book. When used effectively, print embellishments can convince prospects of the quality of the piece, as well as the care and attention-to-detail of those who designed and printed it. Davy & Chapman have utilised this to their best advantage with a second design winning gold for its finishing embellishments, the Laminex Laminate brochure has a spot UV gloss on the cover and throughout to give readers an indication of the look and feel of the Laminex Laminate range.

Another highlight is gaining two awards for our work on The Blue Privilege – Te Kuia Moko case bound edition reprint which was co-published with Depot Artspace and Harry Sangl. We credit taking out the gold for publications over 32 pages to printing the book on our new CX102 press, which produces the highest offset print quality achievable in New Zealand. The cover was printed direct to Wibalin on our HP R2000 press, the same flat-bed press we used for the exhibition canvases. We partnered with the Book Binding Press, who bound the hardcover book using PUR (polyurethane reactive), the most durable book binding glue available, giving us a highly commended for machine binding.

Category Win

Laminex Timber Veneer brochure - Print Finishing

Gold Awards
Laminex Timber Veneer brochure - Print Finishing / Embellishments
Laminex Laminate brochure - Print Finishing / Embellishments
The King's Collegian 2019 magazine - Magazines over 64 pages
Inferno GUI book - Publications under 32 pages
The Blue Privilege, Te Kuia Moko - Publications over 32 pages

Highly Commended
Laminex Timber Veneer brochure - Business Print / Commercial Catalogues over 32 pages
Savour - Dairy Free Cashew Cheese packaging - Paper & Board Packaging / Food & Beverage
The Blue Privilege - Te Kuia Moko - Print Finishing / Machine Binding
Best Awards coaster for Soar Print - Print Industry Promotion / Self Promotion

Te Kuia Moko can be purchased via our online bookstore Off The Press

Learn more about our catalogue and book printing service

Learn more about our print finishing services

Multi-faceted print solution achieved great results for this unique project

Soar Print utilised the HP R2000 flatbed printer to print onto varied rigid substrates.

Our team created a unique print solution for this stunning Ngati Ranginui board game - comprising of laser cut printed plywood boards, games cards, instruction booklets, double-sided laser-cut clear acrylic game characters all encased in a jute drawstring printed bag.

The intention of this game is to promote the iwi (tribe) of Ngati Ranginui and let the world know who they are. Therefore the game is based around their waka (canoe) that their eponymous ancestor Tamatearikinui came over on and the issue that he begat, one such as Ranginui, of which the tribe is named after. That shows not only the connections to other iwi (tribes) across the country, but also the skills and feats that those ancestors were well known for and that the people of Ngati Ranginui can be proud of.

The game is pitched at ages 7+ years, and can be played two fold. One way of playing the game is simply using the game board, dice and figurines to make your way across the board, following the cues on the board. While the more challenging way to play is to make your way across the board while answering the questions on the cards as you land on different stations on the game board. The game can be played individually or in teams.

The limited-edition Board Game components consisted of:

4mm Poplar Plywood Printed was printed using a 4 colour process plus White, on the HP R2000 large format flatbed printer which was then laser cut to size.

Also utilising the R2000 large format printer was the 3mm clear cast acrylic game characters which were printed in 3 layers, CMYK colour then a white layer followed by another CMYK layer in order to make the characters double sided. They were then laser cut to size and mounted onto router cut clear cast acrylic bases.

56 kinds of game cards, were printed on the HP Indigo 7800 press along with an A4 instruction booklet.

All of the components were consolidated into jute drawstring printed heat-sealed tote bag with die cut hand grips with screen-printed branding.

Find out more about Soar’s large format printing capabilities or ask a question about your multi-faceted print job send Stuart Shepherd an email.

Vibrant pavement artwork printed by Soar Print

If you’re strolling around Auckland’s CBD this holiday season, direct your eyes to the pavement to see the colourful artwork of Sara Hughes.

The artwork, consists of hundreds of individual elements, inspired by the different shapes and angles found within the urban landscape. Commissioned by Heart of Auckland City, four different designs adorn the pavements along Queen Street and surrounding Fanshawe Street, Britomart and Federal Street. The pavement work is accompanied by complimentary flags, bringing vibrant colour to Auckland’s City Centre for the holiday season.

Hughes combined water colour paintings with hand cut collages, which were then scanned and digitally enhanced. We’ve then printed these designs onto a highly specialist adhesive media to produce pavement artwork made up by hundreds of individual elements.

The work needed to be bold to have a strong presence in the busy city scape, so Soar was tasked with ensuring the vibrancy of Hughes work was echoed in the decals we produced.

The graphics were printed using a 4 colour process of UV-resistant latex inks on specialist anti-slip self-adhesive 150GSM floor media, on the HP Latex R2000 digital press and digitally cut into shape.

Soar managed the print media and worked in partnership with Shout Media for the installation.

To find out more about reproducing artwork onto self-adhesive or other materials, email Brian Landry at [email protected]

Turn your images into LED display boxes to really make a statement!

Innovative and environmentally friendly LED Lightboxes are the ideal display solution for retail outlets, showrooms, exhibitions, restaurants, in fact anywhere that eye-catching advertising is required.

Deliver a point of difference in style

Custom designed and manufactured to the dimensions of the artwork and the style preferred, they’re favoured by premium New Zealand artists for their exceptional quality and the value they add to each piece of art.

Our LED illuminated lightboxes are specially designed to enhance the impact of photographic images

Using LED technology, these lightboxes provide a clean, consistent light source. Fine borders keep the focus on the work being displayed, and the colour of both the frame and the face panel borders can be powder-coated to match any colour scheme.

Available in both backlit and edge lit LED technology
Frame depth of either 50mm or 75mm
Options for easy image change-out
Simple to wall mount
Low power consumption
No heat generated
No maintenance required

Want to showcase your work in the best possible light? Get in touch for a full supply and installation solution. Call Brain Landry on (09) 302 9500 or email [email protected]

We can print on wood (and a lot of other unexpected surfaces)!

The arrival of our new HP R2000 large format flatbed printer has opened the door to a brave new world of printing. Now we can print on wood, aluminium, acrylic, canvas, vinyl, fabric, Beaver Board (recyclable corflute alternative) and almost any other flexible or rigid substrate you can imagine.

What does this mean for you? Very simply, it means that high quality signage or decorative branding pieces can be easily and cost-effectively produced.

Large format printing with the R2000 comes with some sizable benefits:

The concept of ‘print and mount’ has gone. The R2000 press can print directly onto rigid substrates.
Colours are bright and vibrant, but also allow the intrinsic properties of the surface being printed on to show through. For example, if you print on a brushed chrome board, you get a brushed chrome image; if you print on plywood, you get a plywood-textured image.
The latex ink we use is water-based and has no smell, plus it’s highly durable.
For even greater durability and scratch resistance, we can add an extra latex overcoat.
Prints can be up to 2.4m wide.
You’ll enjoy the best white ink laydowns in the market, with no ugly U.V core lines. Its quality, gloss level and density make it stand out from the crowd, and it doesn’t go yellow over time!

If you can imagine it, we can print it

The applications for this type of printing are many, and the list is growing daily. Traditionally, large format printing was about signage and point-of-sale material, but the category has expanded to include artworks, personalised home or business interiors, vehicle branding and even clothing.

Here are just a few of the ways R2000 printing can be used:

Menu boards printed directly onto plywood, acrylic or Beaver Board for markets, cafés and street food stalls
Branded vinyl wraps for vehicles – all over or nose/tail
Health and safety signage for offices, warehouses, construction sites and factories
Branded wallpaper for foyers, reception areas and conferences
POS backboards, stands and fit-together display shelving
Murals and imagery for retail store and office interiors
Huge window decals for sales, promotions and seasonal signage
Wall decals for decorating kitchens, bedrooms and living areas
Branded giveaways, like printed fit-together smartphone stands made from plywood
Fabric banners and room dividers for trade shows and conferences
Art works that can be applied to exteriors or interiors, temporarily or permanently

To find out more about the R2000’s capabilities or ask a curly question about large format printing, send Brian Landry an email.

Find out more about Soar’s large format printing capabilities.

Our fine art carbon neutral calendar, illustrated by Erin Forsyth

Every year we produce a calendar to exhibit some of our more specialised printing skills and showcase the talents of a remarkable New Zealand creative. For our 2019/20 effort, Erin Forsyth has provided a series of exquisite illustrations featuring NZ native species.

The works printed in our calendar come from Erin’s ‘A Few’ exhibition, which was held last year. A variety of flora and fauna are represented in this collection with special attention given to purerehua/butterflies (lepidoptera), manu/birds (avifauna), pekapeka/bats (chiroptera) and rakau/trees.

Erin’s not only famous for her nature illustrations. She also produces contemporary works, including sculptures, which reference traditional and contemporary symbolism, archetypes and anecdotes. Her comically dark illustrations have graced walls, cafes, clothing and album covers.

In recent months we’ve helped Erin produce two journals – Tauhou Volume 1 and Rakau, Trees A-Z. The words featured in our calendar are from her Tauhou series. Here’s Erin’s explanation of her Tauhou concept:

“Tauhou is a publishing concept that combines refreshed information and contemporary natural history illustrations of plants, animals and ecosystems - the biological diversity - of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The motivation for works in this series is to ease accessibility to information regarding the flora, fauna and varied environments of this special place, with an aim toward increasing awareness of their cultural and scientific significance, as well as the threats and challenges they face, to increase active engagement with their protection for prosperity.

Illustrations in the Tauhou series are hand-drawn studies in gouache, graphite or ink paired with basic and factual descriptions.”

CarboNZero^(CertTM) printing

This new calendar has been produced using our carbon neutral printing service, which means that carbon inputs associated with paper, inks, waste, finishing, transport and the electricity used by the printing technology have been neutralised through New Zealand carbon offset programmes.

Visit Erin Forsyth’s website.

See an online catalogue of ‘A Few’

Find out more about sustainable printing with Soar.

Beautiful ground-level Britomart artwork printed by Soar

If you’re strolling around Auckland’s CBD this January, direct your feet to the Britomart precinct to see the artwork of Charlotte Graham. Installed on the ground, it was printed by Soar.

The artwork, known as Te Waiora, consists of 24 hand-painted water droplets, many of them inscribed with Maori motifs. The droplets have been materialised as 1200 self-adhesive decals, which you can see applied to walkways throughout Britomart. Te Waiora will remain in place until the end of January 2019.

Charlotte created the artwork to emphasise Christmas as a time of connectedness between whanau and friends; people and the land; past, the present and future. She chose water as a motif because of the way it refers to the maritime histories of Maori, Pakeha and Pacific peoples, as well as Aotearoa’s more recent immigrants. In the Maori language, wai means ‘water’ and ora means ‘life’.

The droplets were printed with UV-resistant latex inks on two specialist anti-slip self-adhesive products, to allow for different surfaces, using our new HP Latex R2000 digital press. This same press is often used to print vinyl car wraps, bespoke adhesive wall murals, point of sale materials and signage. It can print both on roll and rigid substrates up to 50mm thick and boasts the smoothest white ink laydown available in New Zealand today.

To find out more about reproducing artwork onto self-adhesive or other materials, email Brian Landry at [email protected]

NZ art book directory by Soar Arts – it’s a first!

'Off The Press: The Art Book Directory’ is a Soar Arts initiative that shines a light on New Zealand art publications.

Until now it’s been difficult to find out about the latest books, monographs and catalogues from New Zealand’s art world. Our Off The Press directory changes all that.

“Most of the arts publications in New Zealand are printed in very short runs, which makes it a challenge for people to find the publications created by our arts community”, says Stuart. “With only a few specialist booksellers remaining in this country and little in the way of an online presence, there’s a real need for a guide like Off The Press to catalogue these works.”

The directory is edited by Katie Kerr, a graphic designer with a passion for art books.

“Arts publications tend to be carefully-crafted objects, and often experimental in both editorial and design”, says Katie. “Without a better platform for national exposure, there is a real possibility of this alternative realm of publishing disappearing in New Zealand. Through Off The Press, we hope to champion both the publishers and the books, showcasing a diverse body of thought relating to art, design, theory and practice – while also exhibiting the creative powers of New Zealand's specialist bookmakers.”

Copies of the first edition of Off The Press have been distributed to selected galleries and participating publishers and artists. The directory is also available as a digital book for mobile offthepress.partica.co.nz.

Next edition of Off The Press coming soon

Soar Arts is working on the next edition of Off The Press, which will be published in May 2019. If you have an arts publication that would benefit from greater exposure, email us before 29 March 2019 [email protected]. Your publication can be as a free listing or as a feature article.

Free listings

Directory free listings will include your book cover with a description up to a maximum of 75 words for each book, in a 1/4 page gallery layout style.

Feature article

For a more impactful promotion of your book, a feature listing offers a double page spread in print and online, with extra photography and extended content over two pages.

You can submit your latest New Zealand visual art publication or catalogue online.

Red foiled art catalogue wins gold award for Soar Arts

‘Welcome to my world: The Art of Sam Taare’ was produced for graphic artist Martin Page, in conjunction with Gus Fisher Gallery. It was printed with Soar’s iGen digital press on Supreme Whiteback single-sided art board. The cover featured red metallic foiling. This catalogue won Gold at this year’s Pride in Print awards.

If you’re involved in an arts-related business or organisation, you’ll know that organising print and digital promotional material is a big task that eats time as well as money. But now there’s an easier way.

Soar Arts is transforming print wrangling in the arts sector. It’s an advisory, design and print management service for galleries, arts events, theatres, performance groups and every other kind of enterprise operating in the arts sphere.

Specialised printing expertise for the creative sector

Stuart Shepherd is the main man behind the service. Before starting up Soar Arts, which is a subsidiary of Soar Print, he was a book publisher and distributor of arts publications in New Zealand and overseas. His expertise with arts-related promotions and publications is proving invaluable to Soar Arts’ clients.

Recently Stuart has been working with two major art events – the New Zealand Outsider Art Fair and Open Studios Waitakere. Both events rely on gaining awareness within the arts-loving public, as well as providing event-goers with instant information about what to see and where.

Renee Tanner of Open Studios Waitakere says that Soar Arts has made a real difference to this year’s event.

“Stuart understood what I was hoping to achieve with the event and was able to apply his knowledge of print to help us with key decisions. I didn’t have to learn all about print promotion and production, because he was there to advise me. One of our publicity pieces is a pocket-sized brochure, and it’s working really well. I’m seeing it everywhere and our brand looks great. Now that I’ve discovered Soar Arts, I wouldn’t go elsewhere for print services.”

Making art look good in print

For the New Zealand Outsider Art Fair marketing collateral, which included a flipbook that works on mobile phones, Stuart worked closely with Erwin van Asbeck, managing director of Toi Ora Live Art Trust.

“Working with Soar Arts has certainly made the task of promoting our art fair easier and less stressful. With a 10-day programme across 35 venues, getting the promotional material together was a major task. Working with Stuart helped us to get it right across a whole range of material – catalogue, posters, postcards and tee shirts. A real benefit was being able to give our patrons a digital version of the catalogue, which they can read easily on their phone.”

As an adjunct to promotional material for the art fair, Soar Arts printed a catalogue featuring the work of the late Sam Taare, an East Coast artist. Designed by acclaimed graphic artist Martin Page and printed on Soar’s iGen digital press, this publication is titled ‘Welcome to my world: the art of Sam Taare’. Taare’s family travelled from East Cape to perform and sing at the opening of the art fair.

Every kind of printing for arts-related endeavours

The Soar Arts service covers newsletters and mailers, publishing services (including production of mobile-friendly flipbooks), posters, postcards and brochures. And because Soar Arts is linked to Soar Print, there’s easy access to graphic design services, warehouse storage, logistics and mail-house services. Pricing is pleasingly sharp, so that promotional budgets go further.

For more information about Soar Arts, email Stuart Shepherd [email protected]

Find out more about Soar Arts, a print service for the creative sector.

DINZ is for every kind of designer. Have you joined?

Soar recently became a Silver Sponsor of the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ). We did this because printing and design are inextricably linked. By helping DINZ, we’re supporting professions that respect the art and science of printing.

The Designers Institute of New Zealand represents industrial design, graphic design, interactive design, spatial design, product design, design in business, service design and design education. The overall aim of the organisation is to ensure professional designers are valued and rewarded for the contribution they make to the economic, cultural and social growth of New Zealand.

Best Design Awards is accepting entries now

Every year DINZ runs the Best Design Awards, an annual showcase of excellence in graphic, spatial, product and interactive design. Entries for the next batch of awards are open now. Find out about entering the Best awards.

Hear from the best of the best

DINZ also runs a great programme of events, all aimed at helping good designers to be even better. Here’s what’s coming up for April and May:

Best of the Best Designers Speak™ (1): Auckland Art Gallery, 6 April, 6pm to 8.30pm. Features Klim Type Foundry, Osborne Shiwan, Alt Group & Auckland Council
Best of the Best Designers Speak™ (2): Auckland Art Gallery, 13 April, 6pm to 8.30pm. Features Syrp, Method, Bobux International, Pacific Helmets
Best of the Best Designers Speak™ (3): Auckland Art Gallery, 4 May, 6pm to 8.30pm. Features Rufus Knight Associates & Lonely, Jose Gutierrez, Wingate + Farquhar, Stevens Lawson Architects

Visit the DINZ events calendar for prices and additional detail.

Kiwi connection with Financial Times redesign

At Soar we’re immediately drawn to anything about type and print, so we enjoyed reading a case study about the Financial Times redesign on the DINZ website. There’s a New Zealand Connection with this story - Kris Sowersby of Klim Type Foundry created a bespoke typeface family for the paper. Go to the Financial Times case study.

If you’re interested in joining DINZ, visit the ‘members’ page on the DINZ website.

Five ways to make your business card work harder

Your smallest piece of marketing collateral – your business card - is potentially a powerful pitching tool. It can reflect your position in the market, through your choice of stock. It can communicate a benefit or key information on the reverse. And it can separate you from competitors, with a creative embellishment or the ability to transform into something.

But too often business people are equipped with cards that don’t pull their weight. They are forgettable, ordinary and poorly finished - traits you’d rather not be associated with.

As printers, we’re in the ideal position to tell you what’s trending in business cards. Hundreds of business card printing jobs pass through our presses every year. We also keep an eye on the web for ideas that make us sit up and take notice.

Here are some business card concepts that we like a lot:

Creative use of die cuts. There are some hilarious examples here – one for a cosmetic surgeon, another for a yoga teacher and the most amazing cheese grater card concept.
3D cut outs. We love the first idea on this site. The photograph pushes out to make the card pop up.
Transparent stock. We can print on almost anything at Soar, so a transparent idea like this is certainly on the cards. The next idea on this site is cool too - a business card that is also a bike tool. Soar has flat-bed presses that can print on almost any kind of substrate.
Embossing. Our finishing machines can create amazing embossed cards like this one. There’s something profoundly premium about an embossed or debossed card.
Flat-pack model card. We love this card for Bentply, a furniture store in London. It folds out to become a chair. Incredible!

Get your graphic designer to talk to us about what’s possible with business cards. Contact our creative printing expert Natalie on [email protected]

Top tips for desk pads, calendars and wall planners

Everyone loves starting the new year with a spotless desk pad, a pristine wall planner and a calendar that enthusiastically announces JANUARY!

These items are all useful for your customers, as well as your own people. They can express your brand, key messages, goals and current advertising imagery. Handy tools, like conversion tables, can also be incorporated into the artwork.

Now’s the time to brief your creative agency on 2016 desk kit, then let us bring it to life with our printing presses. If you don’t have a creative agency, we can offer the services of Soar Studio – our in-house graphic design team.

Tips for an exceptional desk kit:

Shrink your organisation’s carbon footprint by making your 2016 desk pieces carboNZero^CertTM. Our in-house expert can do the necessary carbon measurements, then purchase the carbon credits required. Going carboNZero means you can include an inspiring sustainability message on your print, as well as the all-important carboNZero logo.
Consider a laminated wall planner that lets you use whiteboard marker. As plans change, simply wipe and write again.
Print personalised wall planners for staff and customers. Our new iGen printer makes it possible to change out names, images and text on large-format items.
Make your desk pad really useful. Include ‘to do’ lists, a printed ruler, conversion tables, common misspellings and grammar rules, as well as lots of room for notes. You can also add witty or inspirational quotes, if you’re that way inclined.
Make calendars 100% accurate for New Zealand by going to www.publicholiday.co.nz. You’ll find other NZ special days on www.timeanddate.com
Create an irresistible piece of art in calendar form. If your calendar is a giveaway and you really want it to be used, make sure it’s something special. Check out www.thedesignerwall.com (graphic design blog) for ideas.
Get special rates for bulk orders. Talk to us about volume discounts - the more you print, the better the deal.

To get your 2016 desk kit organised, talk to your Soar account manager or call Brian Landry on (09) 302 9105, email brianl@soarprint.co.nz