HBL Tradeshows: Live from Paperworld

Tuesday 31 January 2012

Dear Prudence at Paperworld 2012
Paperworld 2012, currently taking place at Messe Frankfurt, presents visitors with a wealth of inspiration for print and pattern, and surface design. This year exhibitors really pushed the boundaries in terms of materials with papers that resembled metal, wood veneers and animal skins.

Woerner at Paperworld 2012


Reptile: Leathers and papers are embossed to resemble snake and reptile skins on gift wrap, notebooks and diaries. Bright pinks and blues are popular but the black print shown at German brand Woerner is particularly effective and would make fantastic gift wrap for a menswear or watch store.

Designwallas at Paperworld 2012


Contemporary tile prints: Print and pattern is inspired by geometric tile designs from the Middle East, Morocco and the Mediterranean. Indian brand Designwallas leads the way with micro repeat patterns that create a striking effect on its range of notebooks.

Xylem paper crafts at Paperworld 2012

Romantic: Delicately embossed lace patterns, pastel colourways, dreamy illustrations and sheer tissue papers create a romantic aesthetic, like this intricate display of paper flowers at Xylem paper crafts.

Top three exhibitors

Dear Prudence at Paperworld 2012

Dear Prudence is run by artist and publisher Laura Ruth Vickers. She produces unique and stylish greetings cards, inspired by wildlife and the natural beauty of her Yorkshire surroundings. She began her career selling her print designs and illustrations to the likes of Missoni, Vera Wang and Calvin Klein but founded her own line of innovative prints on greetings cards under the name of Dear Prudence in 2009.

Dear Prudence at Paperworld 2012







Key direction: A range of printed wrapping papers and greetings cards that feature Laura's detailed, characterful drawings of British wildlife. The cards are all made using card sourced from sustainable forests in the Lake District, England. Dear Prudence was exhibited on the stand of Brevi Manu, the brand's distributors in Germany.

Pleased to Meet at Paperworld 2012

Berlin-based husband and wife duo Marcel and Denni opened Pleased to Meet stationery in 2009. Denni's simple illustrations depict everything from urban architecture to Alpine ski slopes; all full of charm with a slightly retro feel.

Pleased to Meet at Paperworld 2012

Key direction: A series of cosmopolitan architecture prints are featured on notebooks, gift wrap and greetings cards and a new bird print in cool blue and sunny yellow makes a perfect design for engagements and weddings.

Pleased to Meet at Paperworld 2012


Key detail: Pleased to Meet's simple stand design features Scandinavian lighting and shelving fixtures that perfectly complement the colours and light lines of their illustrations.

Mark's Tokyo Edge at Paperworld 2012

Mark's Tokyo Edge was founded as a design production company in Japan in 1982 and gradually grew into a stationery brand and retail business. Today they have offices in Japan and France selling their goods to customers across Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Mark's Tokyo Edge at Paperworld 2012


Key direction: A broad range of brightly coloured stationery, desk accessories and leather goods from Japan with playful features and a sense of humour.

Mark's Tokyo Edge at Paperworld 2012


Key item: Mark's Tokyo Edge also carries a Japanese range of decorative masking tape and tissue papers called the mt series. The tapes are available in hundreds of different patterns and colours and are also sold in wrapped, colour coordinated gift sets.