The universe of print is a wondrous and complex beast that can sometimes only be tamed by experienced designers or print industry leaders. Graphic communications experts are all around us, and they are typically undervalued even though they design, distribute, produce and market almost everything around us digitally and physically.
A while back we did write an article hosting some geeky gifts for graphic designers, but this time we wanted to focus on print designers. CMYK, a color mode engineered for printing, is common territory for someone who prints their art, works at a print store, sells production machines or handles any physical marketing. To learn the basics of CMYK and RGB, try reading Converting RGB to CMYK. What’s The Big Deal? by Jessica Otte.
CMYK Gift Idea #1 – Drink Coasters
Many print fanatics must refuel by drinking coffee or tea. These caffeinated brews are the elixirs for our color moded brains. We first discovered the below acrylic coasters made by Waku at The Colossal Shop. When stacked, the cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black) come together to recreate some of the world’s most famous works of art (Mona Lisa, Starry Night and Girl with a Pearl Earring).
CMYK Gift Idea #2 – Pot Holders
The crafty JemmaJamma at Etsy weaves ideal gifts for graphic designers who love the kitchen – and of course, anyone who also loves color. Cotton loops of cyan, magenta, yellow and black are hand woven to create this handsome set. According to this incredibly talented Etsy artist, 6″ X 6″ potholders serve as great practical gifts – Think housewarming, bridal showers, birthdays, or to surprise a special host.
CMYK Gift Idea #3 – Water Bottles
It feels evil to drink from plastic water bottles now that we understand the environmental impact they cause. Eco-friendly color lovers will appreciate these gorgeous, hand-blown CMYK glass bottles adorned with a silicone band that comes in any one of the CMYK colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, or key (black).
CMYK Gift Idea #4 – “K” T-Shirt
The fun thing about this next gift idea is how easy it can be to make or order (Zazzle, Cafepress, Inksoft, Vistaprint etc). Just pop a huge capital “K” on a black shirt for the nerdiest Halloween costume or geekiest t-shirt ever. Cyan, Magenta and Yellow are also available.
CMYK Gift Idea #5 – Pillows
Pillows make great house warming gifts and home office decor. International gift buyers may enjoy this set of Pantone-esque styled pillows available at lojameninos.com.br (they ship to the US).
Another more subtle set of CMYK pillows created by LushTartArtProject is available on Etsy. These throw pillows are made from 100% spun polyester poplin fabric, a stylish statement intended to liven up any room. Individually cut and sewn by hand, the pillow measures 16″ x 16″, 18″ x 18″ or 20″ x 20 and is finished with a concealed zipper for ease of care.
CMYK Gift Idea – Luggage Tags
We discovered this set in the below image on Pinterest, but the originating source does not seem to really offer them anymore. However, many fun CMYK luggage tags are available at HeysAmerica (CMYK zig zag tags), Amazon (CMYK people) and Zazzle (an assortment).
Bonus
Follow our Pinterest board, What We Want, to see more CMYK gift ideas plus keep up with other nerdy gift idea that we can’t resist and awesome geeky merchandise we’d love to get our hands on.
