At the HOW Design Live conference, Neenah Paper introduced Neenah Cabinet for Desktop, a first-of-its-kind cross-platform Adobe Air application created for PCs and Macs that provides users with the most effective way to find, specify, compare and test the perfect paper for their projects.
Cabinet demystifies, simplifies and advances the process of sampling, choosing, proofing and specifying the right paper, or combination of papers, for print projects of all kinds, giving users the essentials that will significantly impact their creative workflows.
The application improves the creative workflow in five distinct areas: Designing (offering inspiration, favorites and ways to test and combine images); Finding (supplying continuously updated waterfalls and chips); Proofing (allowing users to upload or select an image and receive a Cabinet Personal Proof on physical paper in three business days); Specification (step-by-step project management and spec tools to help build and archive accurate quotes); and Sourcing (efficiently locating printers, finishers and paper sources, including specialty engraving and letterpress shops). Cabinet is the new cross-platform that will be an essential complement to studios' project management software or tools.
"Neenah Cabinet was born from the idea of creating an eSwatchbook to meet our customers' needs as they become increasingly more mobile and tech-savvy," said Thomas Wright, senior director of advertising and design for Neenah Paper. "As we started to wireframe it, we focused on making a tool that redefines how users access current and accurate paper information in real time. Cabinet quickly evolved into an intuitive tool to find and use papers beyond any website. And, for those who like the touch and feel of a swatchbook, Cabinet simply enhances the paper specification experience by helping users identify which paper fits their criteria. It provides another way to showcase papers that aren't in their swatchbook or that are currently available in new, heavier weights for example."
All of Neenah's well-known papers are included in Cabinet. The application also allows non-Neenah brands to be specified as part of a job. Cabinet helps designers, creative professionals and printers of every experience level and style, from novices to pros. With its seamless functionality, the drag-and-drop interface allows users to identify and sample papers, organize projects, utilize calculating tools, download handy templates, and much more. In addition, it directly integrates Neenah's updated Personal Proof printed sampling service, the only program of its kind offered by a paper company, which allows users to create an actual proof using their work on any Neenah paper.
"With Personal Proof, designers can explore multiple creative options, experiment with new paper colors and finishes, and then see how the project looks on their specified paper when it arrives through priority mail on their front doorstep," Wright explained. "Integrating this program with Neenah Cabinet was essential to providing an all-encompassing application that goes above and beyond in an attempt to make the designer's job easier."
New York-based strategic design firm And Partners NY helped shape, design and develop Cabinet. "The launch of Cabinet is a transformative moment for designers, consumers and the paper industry," said David Schimmel, president and creative director of And Partners. "As a first-of-its-kind desktop app, it offers designers a range of built-in tools to give them a creative edge. We have enjoyed a terrific long-term partnership with Neenah Paper. Cabinet is a great illustration of our multi-dimensional collaboration and how we have been able to advance the conversation around design and technology in meaningful ways."
Designers also can download Neenah Cabinet for iPad, an innovative mobile app that brings the ease and efficiency of working with paper to the designer's fingertips.