To commemorate a more recent addition to the seasonal calendar – ‘Star Wars Day’ on 4 May (or ‘May the Fourth’) – the cardmaker wanted to put together a print-based spectacle that would require all the considerable Jedi powers of its collaborators.
What was produced?
A nearly 1.5m-tall collage depicting an epic lightsabre showdown between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, built out of 676 individual greetings cards, each with a different Star Wars-themed design, which is commercially available on Moonpig’s website.
The collage was installed in Moonpig’s HQ in London just in time for its staff to enjoy the festivities on 4 May.
What did the job entail?
Freelance designer Robert Curtis was commissioned to compile the 676 card designs and augment them in Photoshop to create the mosaic. This meant adjusting the tones, colours and contrasts of the original designs and then numbering the cards so they could be built into a single, unified image, a process Curtis said “felt like years but was worth it in the end”.
The mission of printing the full run of cards fell to DPS Digital in Sleaford, who have worked with Moonpig on various projects since 2012. The individual cards were printed standard A5 size on 350gsm Algro Design stock using an HP Indigo 12000.
What challenges were overcome?
In an attempt to imbue the mosaic with a sense of wonder true to the spirit of a galaxy far, far away, Moonpig wanted to find the right finish for the cards. An experiment with DPS over a glossy finish ultimately revealed that the full image would be difficult to see due to the reflective lighting in the Moonpig offices.
For that reason, the team ultimately elected to go with a matt finish ahead of installation at Moonpig HQ.
What was the reception?
After the celebrations, copies of the cards were offered out to Moonpig staff, who happily took their own piece of the colossal achievement home with them.
Reflecting on seeing his work in print, Curtis said: “I was really quite blown away with the completed mosaic. For some reason, I was worrying that I might have made a mistake with the images even with the multiple checks.
“My worries were all for nothing and I was really happy with the final image.”
Moonpig brand director Jo McClintock said: “Our Star Wars mosaic has brought the whole office together. It was fantastic to see so many people get involved.”
Do you have a Killer App? We are interested in special, difficult or simply fabulous print jobs. Contact Rhys Handley on 020 7501 6388 or rhys.handley@markallengroup.com.
