Kierian Cameron is the editor of Brand Cult, the UK's first print-only business newspaper, and it's unlike anything else landing in a mailbox: wax sealed, wrapped in tissue, shipped in an ominous black envelope, and hit with its own custom brand scent.

In this one Kierian tells the wild story of how a completely self-taught designer went from substitute teaching in London to building three businesses, and why print became her "third door" into an industry that wouldn't hire her as an intern at 37.

We get into the ikigai moment that made her go all-in on design, how she pre-sold 50 subscribers off nothing but a pitch to fund her first print run, and her whole philosophy of building "cult brands" people obsess over. It's a masterclass in networking, persistence, and finding a creative spin on a medium that's been around for hundreds of years.

In this episode

The Links: 

Print Club Pro - 90-day coaching: Check the Details here

Brand Cult Newspaper: Great Print Here

Brand Cult IG: Click Here

Kierian Cameron LinkedIn: Connect Here

Print Design Academy IG: Click Here

Kaye Symington is the CMO of Newspaper Club and co-founder of Glasgow Print Fair. A self-proclaimed "print enabler" rather than a printmaker.

In this one we get into how Newspaper Club went from three friends printing what their mates made online to 40 million newspapers and counting, and why newsprint is booming instead of dying.

Kaye shares a stack of real stories, including an LA photographer who swapped his ignored email newsletter for a quarterly newspaper and landed a $50k campaign and nearly a Louis Vuitton gig off the back of it.

We also get into why print sticks in your brain longer than a screen ever will, how younger designers are falling for newsprint with zero nostalgia attached, and the exact math on why spending $120 on 20 newspapers is one of the smartest moves a designer can make to get noticed. Stop emailing PDFs nobody opens and make something that lands on the desk and won't get ignored.

In this episode

The Links:

Print Club Pro - 90-day coaching: Check the Details here

Newspaper Club: Great Print Here

Newspaper Club IG: Click Here

Kaye Symington IG: Click Here

Kaye LinkedIn: Connect Here

Print Design Academy IG: Click Here

Laura-Jane Boast has run her Manchester studio Conscious Made for 12 years, and it's basically all print.

In this episode she gets into how she niched hard into color, material, and finish (CMF for short) and turned a straight-up obsession with foils, papers, and print into a business that more than pays the bills designing for clients all over the world.

That includes a recent Coachella project she then stalked across a hundred fan videos on TikTok, because once it's out there, watching people freak out over it is half the fun.

We also get real about the money. Why the safe "middle budget" client has basically vanished, and how Laura learned to walk away from the pretty jobs that look great but pay nothing.

We dig into the feedback loop print gives you that a website never will, why the analog comeback is booming while everyone drowns in screens and AI. She wraps up with the best kind of advice for anyone trying to break in: go local, keep it small, stop emailing PDFs nobody opens, and just make something real.

In this episode

Laura's Website: https://www.consciousmade.co.uk/

Laura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lboast/

Laura on IG: https://www.instagram.com/LauraBoast

Conscious Made on IG: https://www.instagram.com/conscious.made/

Print Club Pro Coaching - Details and Application: The Details

Come say hi on Instagram @printdesign_academy

Dora Drimalas, co-founder of San Francisco studio Hybrid Design, spent years (on and off, over a decade) building a 640-page case-bound monster of a book, and in this episode she walks me through every nerdy detail of how it came to life.

We get into the production specs (CMYK plus silver and fluorescent orange spots, sealed ribbon bookmarks synced to digitally printed edge painting, black and white editions), the publishing decision to go with Victionary instead of self-publishing, and how they managed over 400 contributors who each needed legal clearance.

Dora also shares her journey through the world of design that included Nike, and then founding Hybrid Design.

In this episode

Buy the book here: Buy the Book

Learn more about the book here: The Blog

Check out Hybrid Design: The Website

Follow Hybrid Design @hybriddesignsf

Print Club Pro Coaching Details and Application: The Details

Come say hi on Instagram @printdesign_academy

Tags: print design, book design, studio book, Hybrid Design, edge painting, print production, graphic design career, getting noticed as a designer

In this episode I sit down with Michelle McDermott-Pautz, who runs channel marketing for Neenah Paper in North America, to walk through the two-year journey of building a mini cereal box collection that shows off what's possible with Neenah Folding Board.

We get into where the "weird" cereal box idea came from, why nostalgia was the whole point, and how Dallas Franklin brought a cast of illustrated characters to life across four different substrates.

Then we go deep on production: foil stamping, sculpted embossing, white-ink-first passes, the deep black board with no white edges, scented stickers, and the 30 hours of press and bindery checks across three trips to the printer. If you've ever wondered what actually goes into a showstopper print piece, this is the true behind-the-scenes.

In this episode

Want to see it

This piece exists in extremely limited quantities. There's a blog post with expanded photos and the full behind the scenes on the Print Design Academy site, and if you want to get your hands on the collection, head to Neenah's website, use the contact form, and ask who your local rep is.

Print Club Pro Small Group Coaching: The Details

See photos of the collab: The Blog

Come say hi on Instagram @printdesign_academy

Tags: print design, packaging design, folding board, Neenah Paper, foil stamping, substrate selection, print production, nostalgia branding

In this episode, Dave talks with Chris Gajus, Creative Director at Olberding Brand Family, about the packaging for Alberta Distillers Rare Batch that his team helped bring to life.

If you’re a graphic designer or creative director who loves print, packaging, or some sweet sweet embellishments, this episode is for you.

 Chris breaks down how they took a very rough starting point and turned it into a full premium packaging system with strong storytelling, structure, and materials. This includes the strategy behind the mountain imagery, the multi-level emboss, using tactile varnish instead of foil, and how they made sure the whiskey glows through the front and back windows on shelf.

You’ll also hear about real considerations designers deal with every day: board weight, coatings, cracking on folds, color matching between substrates, working with vendors, and building files with multiple special-finishes layers. It’s a full look at how design moves from a concept to a finished physical product that pulls people in.

Chris also shares his early print memories (video game boxes and manuals), his first print project in school, and a project that totally fell apart thanks to unclear feedback and direction. If you’ve ever had a client say “I’ll know it when I see it,” you’ll feel right at home.

Things discussed in this episode:

Premium packaging design

Building dielines and structural packaging workflow

Multi-level embossing

Tactile varnish vs. foil stamping

Color matching across substrates

Paperboard weight and packaging durability

Creating shelf presence in liquor and beverage categories

Integrating brand storytelling into print

Working with production, prepress, and color teams

Turning a rough concept into a print-ready, high-end package

Links:

Alberta Distillers Rare Batch case study

Project images + visuals

Oberding Brand Family website

Chris on LinkedIn

This week's guest is Diego Marini. He is a Co-Founder, Creative Director, and Designer from Yummy Colours out of New York. Although he is located in Copenhagen. 

Diego loves books. To put it lightly. During client meetings, he's been known to ask "Can't we do a book"? And with a drive like that, he has had the opportunity to help bring some absolute gems to life. 

In this episode, we dive into the design, creative direction, and behind-the-scenes production of two beautiful coffee table books. One for Sophy Holland, and the other for the Statue of Liberty. Be sure to check the links below to have a peek. 

The Yummy Colours team continues to put together amazing print pieces that help bring their client's goals and visions to life. Legends over there. 

Another gem of an episode for the designers and print lovers out there. Check out all the links below!!

Statue of Liberty Book Images: CLICK HERE
Sophy Holland Book Images: CLICK HERE
Yummy Colours Website: CLICK HERE
Yummy Colours Instagram: CLICK HERE

Print Design Mastery 7-day FREE trial Get it HERE.

Print Design Summit Waitlist: SIGN UP HERE

Print Design Academy on YouTube: HERE

My guest on this episode is Tony Diaz from Industry Print Shop out of Austin Texas. If you haven't heard of Industry, where have you been!? I call this episode, story time with Tony. 

In this episode, we talk about:

Tony is an awesome human and is full of stories that help you to learn from his mistakes, successes, and experiences. You can really feel the genuine joy from him coaching creatives through stories and community. 

THE LINKS

Industry Print Shop Website: CLICK HERE

FREE Print Ready Files Checklist: Download here

FREE Craft Beer Label Design Guide: Get it HERE.

Print Design Academy on YouTube: CLICK HERE

International Print Day: CLICK HERE
Print Across America: CLICK HERE

This week's guest is Connie Lui. She is a Partner, Creative Director, and Designer from Yummy Colours out of New York. 

I saw an Instagram post that Yummy Colours shared featuring their most recent Concept of the Year print piece, Dear Future. Turns out it was their third year in a row producing the Contept of the Year projects. And we get to hear stories about how all three projects were brought to life. 

From the first Issue and why they decided to bring it to life, the second issue and stories of incredible collaboration at scale, to the most recent issue and how the multi-layer unique effects came to life!

Another gem of an episode for the designers and print lovers out there. Check out all the links below!!

Concept of the Year Images: CLICK HERE
Yummy Colours Website: CLICK HERE
Yummy Colours Instagram: CLICK HERE

FREE Craft Beer Label Design Guide: Get it HERE.

FREE Print Ready Files Checklist: Download here

Print Design Academy on YouTube: HERE

A rare solo episode with Dave Hopkins, Founder of Print Design Academy and host of the Print Design Podcast.

They say we are in a recession and it is going to get worse...so what can you do so that it sucks less?

After seeing what happened in the design and print worlds during Covid, I have put together 3 things I think ALL Graphic Designers should do to prepare for any sort of economic uncertainty.

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE - Print Ready Files Checklist

Learn Print Design on YouTube HERE