Neenah recently announced the launch of its new "The Design Collection" — a newly refreshed portfolio of high-end, specialty papers for print communication and luxe packaging. It includes 22 brands, 100+ colors, and 15+ textures, all inspired by Italy’s top fashion houses and America’s leading designers.

The new three-part portfolio is curated by paper attribute, and provides designers with a pathway for choosing papers from Neenah’s extensive collection more quickly and intuitively.

Auburne Gahlman, brand manager, says, “With so many items now in The Design Collection, it became necessary to completely reimagine the way the papers were presented to the market.” Design Army was brought on board to help. 

Pearlized, Soft Touch, and Tactile

The Design Collection is organized into three sections — Pearlized, Soft Touch, and Tactile. Pum Lefebure, co-founder & chief creative officer, Design Army, says, “Curating the papers in this new way will make it easier for designers to start with the feeling they wish to elicit in each of their designs.”

The Pearlized collection includes papers and substrates that shimmer. “Designers get a full spectrum of iridescent papers including translucent and velvety glows,” says Gahlman. This collection includes Neenah’s new Stardream 2.0 Papers, which introduces five new sparkling colors — Eris, Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, and Venus.

The Soft Touch Collection includes papers with a high touch factor. “When you touch these papers, they feel like something you already know — something that’s instantly familiar to you like a rose petal, a leather jacket or a smooth plastic. Soft touch papers are ideal for high-end collateral and packaging,” says Gahlman.

Neenah’s new line called Leatherlike Papers, inspired by the fashion industry, is part of the Soft Touch collection. They are available in natural-looking white, chocolate brown, and deep black. Gahlman says, “These papers are just like their namesake, soft, rich, velvety. Think leather handbag or custom Italian shoes.”

The Tactile Collection includes papers with texture. “There’s nothing delicate about these papers. They’re strong, organic…almost masculine. These are the papers that command attention through touch,” says Gahlman.

Neenah’s new Reef Papers are a part of this collection. Reef Papers are a unique brand that feels like “the touch of fine sand,” the company states. The highly tactile, yet refined surface is available in a beachy white and midnight sky black. “When you design something that’s three-dimensional, you’re designing it to be touched,” says Lefebure. “As with fashion or interior design, where the material is often the first source of inspiration, the papers in The Design Collection are meant to create sensation, to infuse feeling into the printed piece.”