A Year of Content
After a year of working on a range of projects, both in the studio and for mass production, it was time to collect them all and showcase the best effects that we’ve worked on. But how would we showcase them? Well, with a sticker pack! We wanted to give everyone a little taste of our featured effects that they could take home with them. (Get free samples mailed to your home.)
Selecting the Sticker Effects
Our starting point was the July issued Flexo Magazine Belly Band that we designed. This already had a wide collection of effects and brand colors. Plus from this band we knew the ideal sticker size that people like to interact with. Fathom Effects are most visible with at least 1” coverage, so no sticker was smaller than this size. As we were going through several templates and different shapes for stickers, we began to reflect on what effects to choose for the highlighted few spots.
Our first label that went into production, Moon Ripper, was very successful with the clients and new prospectors. The warped twist effect with matte finish was an instant catch. And so this was our first choice to be on the sticker pack. The Qbert effect was also quite popular on both the belly band and the shrinks-sleeve Grip’D. Usually impressed converters and designers alike. The Perlinescent and Cloud effects we’re asked about commonly with cosmetic and liquid-based products so we wanted to include some kind of potion-like theme, similar to this POP Display concept.
Glitter is a very popular seasonal effect, and we have created several versions that respond similarly. Vortex effects were very popular for several dish soap and beverage products. We even have a lottery ticket concept that had this kind of effect. And our most recent experiments created the Droplet and Penrose effects, later seen in the middle and bottom right of the sticker layout.
Adjusting Colors + Shadows + Enhancements
It can be difficult to gauge the right amount of overprint without overwhelming the effect. Too much ink will make the effect hard to see. So the chosen colors were based on designs with positive responses. The Eastern IPA by Amherst had beautiful cool blues that were included in the Droplet and Penrose orbs. Colors from the successful July issued Flexo Magazine Belly Band were also used, such as the green for Qbert.
In addition to these colors, other graphic elements were added to deepen the dimension. The top right dots have a drop shadow which provides a sunken-look to the effects. The Qbert effect on the bottom left also has this hole appearance with drop shadow while having an uneven graphic seam. This is unique since it is impossible to overlap graphic elements and seams with traditional lenticulars.
Final Design
Sprinkled with some Fathom Optics branding, these stickers came hot off Amherst presses just in time for Luxe Pack 2021. Grab some for yourself—order a free sticker pack.