Case study · Business cards · The Crafted Experience
One shape, two moods
A custom notched die-cut card in two silk matte laminated colourways: white with a navy art-deco pattern and gold foil flourishes, and navy with a full gold foil identity.
The idea
The Crafted Experience, Inc. is a Charlotte, North Carolina company run by Chief Experience Officer Erika Thompson. It works in business strategy and consulting alongside hosted and virtual events, including cocktail classes for teams and clients.
Two rules
- 01A shape that is the brand. One die, a rectangle with concave notches on the short sides, cut for both colourways, so the shape becomes the constant across the whole r…
- 02Two colourways, one identity. The same die, the same gold foil flourishes and the same logo lockup on both silk matte laminated colourways. Only the ground changes: whit…
Why it works
Because the shape is fixed, the colour can change. Hand someone either card and the notched outline tells them it's The Crafted Experience before they read a word.
Start from these materials
Same paper, foil and finish, locked in — nothing of The Crafted Experience's artwork comes with it.
Questions
- How much does a custom die-cut shape add to business cards?
- A custom die is a one-time tooling cost, and the die can be reused on every reprint and every colourway. The unit cost difference after that is small.
- Can one die be used for different card designs?
- Yes. The die only defines the outline, so any artwork that fits the shape can be cut with it.
- Does gold foil work on both white and navy stock?
- Yes. On navy it reads bright and warm; on white it reads finer and more restrained. The foil is the same, but the ground changes how it looks.
