Play with finishes

Packaging, Branding

2026

Developed in collaboration with DIW Print and presented at Packaging Première Milano 2026, Play With Finishes was created as a collectible series of sample cards exploring print finishes through storytelling, interaction, and play.

Inspired by the Italian tradition of playing cards, particularly Carte Napoletane and Carte Piacentine, the project reinterprets the visual language of these historic decks through a more geometric and contemporary approach.

Strong symbols, direct compositions, and instantly recognizable structures from traditional Italian decks became the starting point for a more geometric and contemporary illustration style, reinterpreted through the style Studio Zak is known for.

Rather than presenting finishes as isolated technical samples, the idea was to create a narrative object. A series where foils, textures, reflections, and contrasts become part of the visual storytelling and encourage interaction through movement and touch. The backgrounds connect across the deck, forming a larger composition when arranged correctly, reinforcing the collectible and playful nature of the project.

Produced with DIW Print using Foilco materials, the series explores holographic, neon, digital, transparent, textured, and hot foils across multiple applications and surfaces, pushing the cards beyond print samples into collectible objects.

Presented during Packaging Première Milano 2026, the project quickly became one of the highlights of the fair, transforming the DIW Print stand into one of the most visited spaces of the event.

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