The Challenge
When a university wants to make a lasting first impression, a standard brochure won’t do. Texas State University needed a print piece that felt as memorable and distinctive as the campus experience it represents — something that would stand out the moment it landed in a prospective student’s hands.
The Impact
First impressions matter. A flat, forgettable piece gets set aside; a piece that surprises the reader gets picked up, opened, and remembered. For a university competing for attention, the print itself needed to do part of the storytelling — before a single page of copy was even read.
Our Approach
We built a 48-page saddle-stitiched book, printed offset on our Komori LS-40 Perfector + Coater, designed to create a moment of discovery from the very first touch.
The cover carries a striped, high-contrast effect, created using a strike-through aqueous coating on 80# Endurance Gloss Cover stock — full 4-color process. At the center, a die-cut circular hole reveals a glimpse of the image on the very first page inside, inviting the reader in before they’ve turned a single page.
Throughout the book, the interior pages were printed in full 4-color process on 80# Accent Opaque book stock, giving the photography and content a clean, vibrant canvas from cover to cover.
The Outcome
The result is a piece that does more than communicate information — it creates an experience. The die-cut cover turns a simple book into a moment of anticipation, and the coated stripe effect gives the piece a tactile, premium feel that reflects well on the university’s brand from the first second it’s in hand.
What’s Possible For Your Next Project
This is what happens when strategic print techniques meet a clear understanding of the audience. Whether it’s a recruitment piece, an annual report, or a brand campaign, the right combination of materials, finishing, and craftsmanship can turn a printed piece into a memorable part of your story.
