Vintage Look Titles

Are you considering making a vintage or retro title and wondering how you can achieve that? Boy did you came to the right place. We have old world craftsmanship to help guide you. In this post, we’ll explore some of our tips and tricks for manufacturing new packaging with vintage look titles.

Special Paper Stocks for Vintage Look Titles

Distressed paper is a must. You can achieve this by using an uncoated paper stock and printing a sepia or parchment art pattern on it. The uncoated nature of the paper means it will absorb the ink and the paper remains soft. Images are just a little less crisp due to the saturation, and that’s what you want. You can special order cream papers (anything that is available commercially on rolls) and print that with your pattern, but you can achieve the same effect without that cost. Check out our Special Paper Stocks Collection.

Vintage Look Matte uncoated paper for vintage look packaging sepia tone custom packaging media manufacturingVintage Look CD Title, Uncoated matte paper for soft design, scrapbook look Embossed Photo Corners on Vintage Scrapbook Feel Title Embossing Special Effect Printing Stencil add on for artistic disc title pair with uncoated paper

Linen & Leather Materials in Vintage Look Titles

We love the the Linen & Leather Wrapped Books and Box Sets, check out our Classic Looks Linen & Leather Collection. Linen was used on old world books and it will absolutely lend a vintage characteristic to your title. Stick to the simple art, 1C black or a very dark color. If you want color, add a slipcase. Leather will give a classic look as well. We use a faux leather material. Printing on this is impossible, but you can deboss it for an imprint, or you can use foil stamping.

CD Book with gold foil stamping perfect bound inner pages clear tray

To make your title vintage, consider these touches: distressed looking paper, linen or leather wraps, kraft papers, vellum and fly sheets, and tie it up with a ribbon.


Kraft Paper for an Album Scrapbook Feel

If you are doing a hardcover book, consider using black or tan kraft paper for the inner wrap and sleeves. Black paper would remain unprinted, but the tan paper can be printed. Vellum sleeves are very old-wordy, as well. Fly sheets are another popular touch that make it authentic. 

kraft wrap with full color 4C printing and cork hub

 

Special Touches

Consider things adding a ribbon or string. A box can have a ribbon to help lift things out, and a ribbon is a lovely placeholder. We’ve also had clients add unusual touches like stencils, pencils, and coins. Let us know and we can source for you. 


Fiberboard Stock 

Fiberboard stock can be very useful for vintage looks too as the material is brownish. Colors are naturally muted on it. Fiberboard is also wonderfully eco-friendly

 

Embossing & Debossing

Embossing & Debossing are very old-world printing effects. One of creative clients made scrapbook corners on the edges of her photo and we embossed them. Raised relief printing on the spine of a book gives a tactile impression, as does indenting. This can be tricky if using a chipboard core, we do have a few tricks worked out…

 

Sturdy Chipboard Packaging

If you are wanting to make something substantial, consider using a sturdy chipboard core in the packaging. This is idea for boxes, books, and albums. 

Bluenote LP thick rigid chipboard core material, CD LP or vinyl LP sizes

 

Creative Die Cuts on Lighter Weight Designs

If you want to do lighter weight packaging, consider a creative die cut to make the package whimsical or invitation like. 

Vintage Look Titles, uncoated paper with creative die cut


Retro Vinyl Packaging

If you are into vinyl, we make all kinds of vinyl packaging – 12inch, 7inch, we can do any size. We don’t actually make vinyl, but do the packaging really well.
Vinyl Album swinging sleeve manilla kraft fiberboard to hold record black fabric paper wrap

Consider a vinyl looking disc if you are doing a cd release. They can be twinsies.  Cassettes? Mnnn, no. But one creative client had us make a usb with cassette like packaging.