James Cropper launches the Paper Portal, a physical sampling case for designers and printers featuring curated papers and finishes
British master papermaker James Cropper has launched the Paper Portal, a tactile sampling and specification experience designed for graphic designers, commercial printers, and brand owners. Housed within a custom-built presentation case, the resource showcases the manufacturer’s paper portfolio, colour capabilities, and bespoke converting options.
Manufactured by Showcase Creative, the outer case is available in three Vanguard colourways featuring embossing and Foilco foil finishes, with a silhouette that mirrors the firm’s emblem. Inside, five curated folders guide users through distinct material categories: Black & White, Colours, Capabilities, Bespoke, and a dedicated Collaboration folder featuring partnerships with Winter & Company or Foilco.
The physical sampling kit also incorporates technical resources, such as the company’s ‘Sometimes It Is Black & White’ myth-busting reference sheets and ‘Freedoms of Expression’ project work. All papers included in the kit are produced at the vendor’s Burneside Mill in the Lake District, which remains the UK’s last operating mill dedicated to manufacturing premium coloured papers.
Jordan Scott, Head of Marketing at the Lake District papermaker, highlighted the value of tactile specification, stating, “For all the advances in digital design, there are some decisions that simply cannot be made on a screen. You need to hold paper, compare colours, see how a surface responds to light and understand how it feels before you can really appreciate what it could bring to an idea.”
Scott added, “The Paper Portal puts those possibilities in one place. You might open it looking for a particular colour or paper and find exactly what you need, but you might equally discover a capability, finish or collaboration that takes the original idea somewhere completely different.”
Scott concluded, “That is what we want the Portal to be: a starting point for creativity. Browse it, compare materials and specify something that already exists, or use what you discover to begin a conversation with us about creating something entirely your own.”