The Physical in Digital

The Vital Role of Video to the Post COVID-19 Die-Maker

In late 2019 UK based foiling and embossing die-maker, Tomlinson Ltd, proudly unveiled its full company rebrand. Why the change of corporate image? Well, in short, because the firm recognised that its former somewhat traditional appearance was at odds with its contemporary core.

Foiling and embossing effects appear ubiquitously on greeting cards, labels, business cards, corporate stationary, packaging and countless other products. While the application of even the most simple foiled and embossed effects is already known to add to a product’s value and desirability, Tomlinson Ltd identified that longstanding traditional perceptions of foiling and embossing can, all-too-often, get in the way of a deeper understanding of their modern-day possibilities.

As a part of the company’s rebrand, Tomlinson designed and produced a striking collection of corporate stationery items including an impressive effects brochure containing the full spectrum of stunning foiled and embossed finishes that Tomlinson’s expert dies can create; finishes that are a world away from the time-honoured ‘flat foil’ and ‘single-level emboss’ that are still so commonly spoken of to this day.

More innovative was the plan to bring the physical effects brochure to digital life. To achieve this, an extensive compilation of short videos was created to enable the dazzling selection of finishes to be explored online. At the time of the online e-Brochure’s inception, it was yet unknown by Tomlinson just how vital this online utility would soon prove to be. But following the arrival of Coronavirus in the UK in early 2020, the despatch of physical brochures ceased almost overnight due to concerns Tomlinson’s had about the handling of parcels in the postal system which may, unwittingly, contribute to the spread of the virus.

Since then, Tomlinson’s online e-Brochure has helped to inspire designers and creators in various sectors all over the world including the label, packaging, book and greeting card markets, to name a few. In fact, Tomlinson have reported that many designers now prefer to refer to the digital media over physical brochures for accessibility. In addition, due to the pandemic leading to the cancellation of face-to-face meetings, conferences and exhibitions, the online e-Brochure has proven to be a valuable resource for demonstrating and describing - both to current customers and inventive designers - what’s possible to accomplish, all via the safety of the internet.

Not only is the online e-Brochure available globally, it’s also educational bringing a far greater understanding and awareness of what can be achieved using Tomlinson’s dies which are capable of taking foiled and embossed print finishes to a whole new level.

View Tomlinson’s online e-Brochure for on YouTube and selecting the playlist you’d most like to explore. Choose ‘Specialised Foil Effects’ to see the exciting ‘Photo Etch’ and ‘Security Foil’ finishes which incorporate ultra-fine detail into foiled designs adding both value and protection to products. Or, for embossing options, simply click the ‘Impression Effects’ playlist to be inspired by a selection of ingenious and detailed designs using Tomlinson’s embossing dies. Alternatively, the ‘Tomlinson Brochure’ playlist will take you on a journey through the full array of beautiful and striking foiling and embossing options at your disposal.

And all this is fully backed by the friendly, helpful and knowledgeable team at Tomlinson who are always happy to advise on the multitude of ways these stunning effects can be incorporated into exciting new designs and products.

It’s no wonder that Tomlinson has established itself among the top UK die-makers to the print finishing industry. Being in business for almost one-hundred years is testament to the company’s expertise, resilience, determination and ability to innovate and move with the times.