The Artwork Process
In the ‘Pre-artwork stage’, creative teams from the studios will send over their preliminary artwork to the Scanavo graphics teams for feedback. Scanavo will then send recommendations back concerning colour choices, ideas for embossing, and more. Scanavo will also provide certain templates for the artwork to make sure that it matches the form of the SteelBook in the best way possible.
One of the most important factors when it comes to designing artwork for SteelBooks is the white layer. Usually designs and posters, a common starting inspiration for the cover art, were originally created for paper – where the bottom layer is white. A SteelBook, obviously, has the extra steel layer below. Scanavo will provide ideas to the studio creative teams about how to best work with this.
For example – if a design requires a very bright colour, it will also require a fairly opaque white layer beneath it. The interaction between the steel, white layer and the colours allows for a lot of creativity and variation between designs, and Scanavo advise the studios on this. Likewise the choice of varnish has a significant effect on colours – a gloss finish brings out brighter colours, whereas a matte finish tends to create a subtler, more muted tone.