Fathom Optics' Fathom Designer allows graphic designers to drop existing design files into it to add motion, depth effects wherever there's a spot color; embellishments can achieve the glitter of foil even during prototyping because they are ink-based

May 23, 2023 (press release) –

Why do people give gift cards? They’re more thoughtful than money and more practical than wrapping the actual goods you’d purchase, if it’s hot coffee and donuts. So you see a variety of themed and embellished gift cards to improve the gifting experience and to stand out at the point of sale. But these require a steady stream of fresh designs to stand out.

Fathom Effects are a quick way to give brands a boost. Designers can drop existing design files into Fathom Designer and add motion and depth effects wherever there’s a spot color. Among other things, our embellishments can achieve the glitter of foil even at the prototyping stage because they’re ink-based. With a high-quality printer, what you see is what you’ll get in production—and as a bonus you won’t have the waste of foils. I wanted to experiment with the immediate prototyping and iteration process to add promotional material to an existing brand.

PRODUCT BRIEF

Watch & Co. is a brand introducing casual coffee drinkers to premium beans with casual experiences. How can Fathom contribute to the brand’s expansion with a minimum of effort? Let’s find out with a case study.

We recently befriended our neighbor, Bluebird Graphic Solutions, who helps experiential graphic designers create beautiful signs and architectural elements. I used their Mimaki machine to test quick iterations of a gift card.

PROCESS

After trying out three different Fathom effects, I decided to move forward with the flashy Donuts effect, starting another cycle of design iteration using Fathom Designer and the 3D viewer.

PROTOTYPING

Since Fathom Effects are a layer of overprint and black and white ink that create the effect, I prepared the files as following:

CONCLUSION

Since Fathom Effects can be printed only with ink on a sufficiently high resolution printer, it’s easy to start prototyping. I’m looking forward to doing another round using the same, or similar, materials for the final product.

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