Every year, designer and artist Colin Campbell creates a holiday card that reflects his travels, interests and creative focus of the moment. It is a long running personal tradition and a way of sharing something tactile and thoughtfully made with clients and collaborators. For his latest edition, Campbell found inspiration during a visit to Nara, Japan. Known for its temples, gentle deer population and distinctive public signage, the city left him with a small but striking visual detail that stayed in his mind.
A simple caution sign in the park became the foundation for the design.
“I wanted the card to feel like a small souvenir from Nara, something that captures both the charm and the clarity of the original sign.”
Working from photographs he took on location, Campbell created a clean vector interpretation suited specifically to the demands of letterpress print. The drawing retains the character of the original symbol but introduces the designer’s own measured sense of humour and precision.
The card was printed in a single spot colour by Fox and Found Letterpress on Crane’s Lettra 110 lb cover stock, a cotton sheet chosen for its soft surface and its ability to hold a deep, crisp impression. As Campbell explains, “There is something grounding about preparing artwork for letterpress. The limitations make the design choices more intentional.” The final print makes full use of the material qualities of letterpress, with subtle debossing that adds depth and tactility to the simple graphic form.
For Campbell, the annual card is more than a promotional piece. It is a creative ritual that reconnects him with the slower, more physical side of printmaking. “My annual card project is a way to share a moment from my year in a format that feels personal and physical.” He speaks often about the satisfaction of seeing a minimalist vector drawing take on a new presence once ink and pressure are applied. “I love seeing a simple vector drawing come to life once it is on press. The impression brings a dimension that screens cannot match.”
Colin Campbell is an award winning graphic designer and artist who works from Salt Spring Island and Delta, British Columbia. His career spans more than four decades and bridges graphic and environmental design, photography, painting and printmaking. His work has been recognised by publications including Applied Arts and Print magazine, and he continues to balance client commissions with personal projects that celebrate craft, observation and the quiet pleasure of making something by hand.
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