【For Appreciation Only】Year of the Pig Red Envelope

Kuroda Design Letterpress 【Piggy Life Polka Dot Red Envelope】 Set of 6, available in three colors A weighty masterpiece, embodying ancient craftsmanship, mid-generation design, and the vibrant burst of fluorescent rose. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4893/46761814621_a6f6dfe6c6_b.jpg Beyond the traditional festive red, there's fluorescent rose and a joyful fuchsia – good luck charms more potent than a "big ice milk" for attracting good fortune. Place this filled with cash 💵 under your pillow during the New Year, and it's said to bring a year of good luck! (The editor firmly believes this urban legend: red envelopes must be placed under the pillow; it’s a yearly ritual! Feels so happy~ Hahaha) Ultra-thick paper, so substantial it wouldn't fly as a paper airplane. This is premium imported art paper, KurodaDesign's principal designer, Mr. Kuroda, was even more determined (and perhaps a little stubborn) this year than last. In pursuit of his aesthetic vision, he selected imported art papers of various colors, textures, and weights (120/160/180g/m2) —literally flown in. This year, three patterns were designed. (For the complete collector's set, click here 👉🏽 https://www.pinkoi.com/product/zLEtfk6s) For each pattern, every distinct color requires its own independent printing plate! So, how many plates were made for these red envelopes this time? Those interested can count for themselves XD https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7824/46761814851_c0509399af_b.jpg "Letterpress printing" is a rare craft today, yet a dedicated group remains captivated by this beautiful, story-rich, declining yet spirited art form. An elder craftsman uses an extremely rare, vintage manual press, one of the few left in Taiwan. He mixes inks from round tin cans, using a palette knife and his 50 years of experience to gauge the colors. The same shade of pinkish-milky ink transforms depending on the paper color it’s printed on. After printing on dove-red paper, switching to fluorescent rose requires re-adjusting the ink. Watching the master squinting to perfect the color is inexplicably moving. The craftsman mentioned, "When I get older and can't see clearly, when I can no longer print, no one will know how to use this machine..." (A touch of melancholy) https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4891/31718207037_f91b96993a_c.jpg 👆🏽Master adjusting ink color, not making crêpes. Look at those strong arms, honed by years of manual printing. https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7836/31718212167_aa720a9552_b.jpg 👆🏽 Constant color testing! The ink appears differently on various colored base papers. Each color element in the pattern is a separate plate. Therefore, for the <Piggy Life Polka Dot> design alone, each red envelope requires four pressings! For 500 pieces, the master performs the same action 2,000 times!!! Adding to this, the different paper thicknesses necessitate manual adjustments to the machine's pressure. (My heart aches just thinking about it.) We watched the master painstakingly adjust colors by hand, roll the ink, and meticulously align the plates, then swiftly feed and retrieve the paper. His movements were so rapid, as if hundreds of thousands were at stake per second; one couldn't even blink before the next sheet was processed. The scene was too beautiful to bear witness to~ (I was terrified the master's hands might get caught, but he was so skilled he could chat with me.) https://youtu.be/48LilQJwC-s 👆🏽 Isn't the rhythm of these pressings mesmerizing? These red envelopes, the culmination of many people's efforts, bring joy to those who purchase the set and even more to those who receive them. They are limited edition each year, and once sold out, they won't be restocked. It's best to buy early! Design/Production Origin: Taiwan Craftsmanship: Hot Stamping / Letterpress Printing Gentle Reminder: As these are handmade printed works, slight imperfections in the edges of hot-stamped areas are possible. Color variations due to ink pressure are like us all: we are the same, yet we are all different. Those who prefer perfectly uniform ink coverage may wish to consider their order carefully. Also, colors in photos may vary due to lighting during the shoot, color temperature, or screen settings. The actual product color is the standard. https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7834/46708986182_8eec4281bf_b.jpg