The Letter D
Revitalisation: Fine Print Identity
Looking to refresh its identity, print management firm Fine Print required a revitalisation that could effectively show off its printing techniques. Rachael Doherty reports.
Having worked with him before, Fine Print approached Creative Director Dan Pike of The Letter D, to create an ID that would represent its print process service through print promotions and on the web. Pike leveraged the concept behind the original logo—a reverse F represented by a scanned image of an old printer’s block—to come up with a solution that could integrate Fine Print’s services into the ID.
Addressing the original id
The original ID—which was centred around the logo—was proving difficult to deploy, particularly when showing Fine Print’s printing services. Pike believes that it had become too rigid for their needs.
‘While strong, this identity was never reinforced in print promotions. It only had one option—stacked! (raised)’
To realign the brand with the process, Pike decided that the application of the logo should showcase Fine Print’s printing techniques. He also felt that a strategic variation of select elements would allow for the necessary play.
‘Flexibility,’ says Pike, ‘comes from being able to break apart the ID across various applications. However, there still needs to be common elements to tie it all together.’
A logo to facilitate printing techniques
The concept of the reverse ‘F’ was strong and Pike was adamant that this should remain. But a reinterpretation was vital if it was to realise the studio’s goals. Adrian Frutiger’s Serifa font formed the basis of the new design, and was later customised for the ID’s font.
Built upon a seven by seven grid, the historical face was chosen because it was distinct, not overly complicated and loaned itself beautifully to repetition. Fine Print’s printing effects provided the variable ‘surface’ element of the logo; while the logo shape itself delivered consistency across the collateral.
Colour strategy
The Letter D wanted to break away from the standard CMYK and chose a series of bold PMS colours that replicate beautifully onscreen. Seven colours were chosen for the ID (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and black) reinforcing the reverse F’s seven by seven grid.
‘The colours were all taken from old print samples from the Bauhaus and early Deco posters,’ says Pike.
Typically representing one or two colours at a time, the adapted ROYGBIV palette offers scope for flexibility within the ID.
A digital representation
The Letter D employed several strategies to represent the print process onscreen. The team took visual cues from the newly designed stationery, and all graphics and images were produced in monotone to reflect the spot colour process.
Treating the viewer to a ‘tactile’ experience, subtle animations revealing the reverse F logo were introduced to reaffirm the asset’s association with the printed techniques.
To date, the revitalised ID has been implemented across a range of united, yet distinctly unique, collateral including three sets of stationery, wrapping paper, signage, t-shirts and a website.
‘It has forced me to think of interesting ways to extend a client’s identity right through their organisation and collateral,’ says Pike adding that he enjoys putting Fine Print’s services through its paces.
‘To align the original suite of alternating 45 degree lines with a perforation was a grand start that set the stage—and the standard—for all the rest. It has been fun coming up with new ideas… the best is yet to come.’
Filed under: DG magazine 127
