James Cropper Paper Portal: A Bespoke Octagonal Presentation Box
James Cropper Paper & Packaging set out to bring its extensive paper collections, colour expertise and specialist papermaking capabilities together in one carefully curated resource.
The result is the Paper Portal - a bespoke presentation box created to house a collection of paper swatches and showcase the breadth and quality of James Cropper’s portfolio.
Produced in partnership with us here at Showcase Creative, the distinctive octagonal box combines a challenging bespoke construction with James Cropper’s own papers, alongside detailed embossing and foil finishing.
Bringing the Paper Portal to Life
This was the first time Showcase Creative had worked directly with James Cropper, although our team have been using James Cropper materials for many years through other paper merchants.
The brief was highly specific, with the structure, dimensions and visual direction carefully considered from the outset. Central to the design was the distinctive octagonal shape, inspired by the James Cropper emblem and forming an integral part of the Paper Portal concept.
While we knew the structure was achievable, the unusual shape presented a number of production challenges. The box is predominantly handmade and requires a high level of skilled craftsmanship, making the construction considerably more involved than a conventional presentation box.
The initial prototype was designed for A6 swatches, but maintaining the proportions of the Paper Portal meant adding 20mm to their width. This made the box larger than intended, so the swatches were reduced proportionally to keep it compact, whilst retaining its distinctive octagonal shape.
A Considered Construction
The finished box is a shouldered octagonal presentation box, constructed using 2mm black-lined board for the base and lid, with a 2mm greyboard shoulder. The box is wrapped in sheets supplied by James Cropper.
Both the lid and shoulder feature an embossed design with Foilco 100 Obsidion Black foil, adding definition and contrast to the outer case while demonstrating the finishing possibilities of James Cropper's papers.
One of the more unusual construction details is the addition of an internal lid stopper. This supports and holds the swatches securely in place during transit, ensuring they remain neatly presented when the Paper Portal reaches its recipient.
The outer artwork also required careful consideration. It was originally designed to align across the lid and base, but achieving a precise alignment on the handmade construction would have been extremely difficult. James Cropper adapted the artwork to work independently across the two sections, which resulted in a cleaner, more considered finish.
A Showcase for Paper
The Paper Portal is more than simply a way of presenting a collection of swatches. The packaging itself forms part of the experience, demonstrating how James Cropper's papers can be transformed through structure, embossing and foil finishing.
For Showcase Creative, this was an exciting project to be involved in, particularly given the importance of the Paper Portal to James Cropper and the technical demands of producing such a distinctive structure.
The finished presentation brings together specialist materials, skilled hand-finishing and bespoke construction to create a piece that reflects the craftsmanship behind the James Cropper brand.
Feedback from James Cropper
Choosing the right production partner was particularly important for the Paper Portal.
“I chose Showcase Creative because of their amazing and trustworthy reputation; they came highly recommended from several of our partners. Trust was vital on this project, it’s the first time in a long time James Cropper has worked on a project of this scale to showcase our own work and was years in the making, we needed to make sure our paper was crafted to perfection, from the shape of the box to the alignment on the emboss and foil. We also love working with hard working, humble people and Jack certainly is that. It was great to finally get to work together on a concept that has been so highly received.” explains Jordan.
Jordan was particularly impressed with the service throughout the project:
“Although the detail on the finished packaging was done to perfection, I was especially pleased with the service. From advice provided at concept level, to execution and delivery of the product – you could tell the project meant just as much to the team at Showcase as it did to me, seeing Jack go above and beyond.
The Paper Portal has been incredibly well received, with Jordan noting that everyone has been impressed with the finished pieces.
See more photos of the Paper Portal in our gallery.
Design & Concept: EXP Consultancy
Brief: James Cropper
Photography: Plain Creative
Box Production: Showcase Creative
Print: Titus Wilson & Central Foiling