The art and craft behind KURZ’s 2024 Christmas card
Each year, KURZ creates a unique Christmas card that blends artistic vision with advanced finishing techniques, and Synchron Markings is proud to bring this special tradition to our clients. The annual Christmas card is more than just a seasonal greeting; it embodies KURZ’s commitment to excellence, craftsmanship and creativity.
Inspiration and concept
The concept behind the 2024 KURZ Christmas card stemmed from a partnership with artist Ortwin Michl, whose work explores the theme of clouds. Michl’s inspiration shines through in a design that combines organic cloud-like forms with strict geometric shapes. This interplay of form and structure represents the harmony between art and technology – two principles that KURZ integrates into every product and project.
From idea to reality
Michl’s vision required translating his delicate and organic cloud motif into a durable, tactile Christmas card. He crafted a folded, geometrically structured piece, blending sharp lines with organic, cloud-inspired forms through subtle perforations and textures. This design served as the foundation for KURZ’s technical team, who transformed it into a tangible card with advanced embossing and finishing techniques.
Crafting the perfect die
To bring Michl’s concept to life, KURZ’s subsidiary, Hinderer + Mühlich, developed a custom die that mimicked the handcrafted elements in Michl’s design. The die enabled the exact creation of indents, folds and deliberate cracks, capturing the artisanal aesthetic at an industrial scale. This approach allowed KURZ to produce a card that preserved the essence of the artist’s original creation.
The materials used for printing and finishing
The 2024 card combines high-end materials and state-of-the-art techniques to achieve its unique look and feel. Printed on Gmund Colors Matt Shade 55 natural cardboard (300g/m²), the card’s silver surfaces were created using KURZ’s DIGITAL METAL® DT-H Cold Silver technique, which incorporates a frequency-modulated cloud pattern.
Additional metallic finishes were applied with LUXOR® 420 for flat embossing, enhancing the interplay of organic cloud-like patterns and structured geometric elements. This selection of materials and techniques underscores KURZ’s commitment to sustainability and aesthetic excellence.
The greeting: A personal touch
The card includes a seasonal message crafted with LUXOR® 385, a fine hot stamping foil that allows precise, two-sided stamping on the card’s premium paper. This adds a personal, refined touch to the card, showing appreciation for the partnerships and trust shared throughout the year.
A symbol of excellence
The annual Christmas card represents more than just a seasonal gesture; it’s a symbol of the innovation, dedication and care that define our partnership. By distributing this card, Synchron Markings and KURZ celebrate not only the festive season but also our ongoing commitment to delivering quality and creativity in every project.
© Synchron Fabrics & Foils, December 2024
It’s simple really. The better the packaging the better the perceived value. KURZ foils provides our brand with a direct route to the “buying brain” – and it shows on the bottom line…
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