Hunt Valley, Md. – Today Foldfactory announced the launch of a new business segment, Foldfactory CRAFT. The consumer-focused business is designed to address the needs of paper crafters and busy moms through creative precut paper card forms and shapes in an array of bright colors.

“I never dreamed I’d be using my folding knowledge in the crafting industry,” says Trish Witkowski, President of Foldfactory, “but we recognized the opportunity, studied the market with in-person focus groups, one-on-ones with moms, Girl Scout leaders and card crafters -- and realized there are problems we could solve for crafters -- and with my knowledge of the print industry, we knew exactly who to call.”

The Foldfactory CRAFT line of products includes an assortment of pre-cut and scored card formats and punch-out shapes in 10 bold colors, making it fast and easy to create handmade cards and crafts.

Highcon Euclid III Technology in Action

First, a strategic partnership was developed with Highcon Systems. The idea was to laser cut the shapes and card forms to ensure the ultimate in flexibility for the product line, in terms of design, responsiveness and the ability to produce limited-edition themes whenever we needed them.

The Highcon team was enthusiastic about the venture and keen to see how their digital cutting and creasing technology could answer the Foldfactory CRAFT requirements. The first tests were carried out on the Highcon Euclid III at the Komori Graphic Technology Center in Chicago and then produced by Boutwell Owens & Co. Inc., Highcon customer in Fitchburg MA, users of both the Euclid and the new Highcon Beam machines.

The Critical Role of Neenah Paper

Trish also reached out to Neenah Paper to play a critical role in the Foldfactory CRAFT product line. “I wanted to bring fresh and exciting colors to the paper crafting industry. I looked at everything, but I kept coming back to the Neenah Astrobrights line. The bold, saturated colors tested really well in focus groups, and the quality and texture was perfect for paper craft. I chose 10 of the 25 available colors to start, but there’s so much room to grow, which is exciting.”

Witkowski adds that the color, quality and texture of the paper were not the only deciding factors—responsible US manufacturing and recycled content was also important to her. “I think consumers appreciate responsible manufacturing and environmental awareness, and the Astrobrights line simply had it all.”

The Product Launch

The launch line features 8 card forms paired with a signature confetti-speckled envelope and 8 different punch-out shape themes in an array of 10 bright colors. All products are laser-cut, or cut and creased, however Witkowski believes that in time they’ll also venture into print. “We see lots of opportunity for adding print to the line extension, but not through a web-to-print portal like the B2B side of our business. Crafters cut and layer printed sheets of decorative paper in their projects and in time we expect to develop our own innovative spin on printed layering products, too.

The new Foldfactory CRAFT will also require an aggressive content and social media schedule. “As you can imagine, you can’t just start posting DIY paper crafts to Foldfactory’s B2B audience of designers, printers and production pros,” adds Witkowski. “The audiences are very different, so we’ll be launching separate YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest channels as well. For those who are wondering about Fold of the Week, she adds “I’ll definitely still be shooting Fold of the Week. It’s not going anywhere!”

Learn More…

To learn more about Foldfactory CRAFT, visit foldfactorycraft.com. You can also hear Trish Witkowski tell the back story about the journey to creating the Foldfactory CRAFT brand and product line in this podcast interview with Deborah Corn of Print Media Centr: https://podcasts.printmediacentr.com/podcast/trish-witkowski-the-craft-of-creating-a-brand-for-your-business/ 

For questions, contact [email protected].