The Printing
Tonutti Tecniche Grafiche
It all started with an idea: to make Tonutti Tecniche Grafiche known and show the potential of a label, considered to all intents and purposes one of the most powerful forms of communication for the company. It tells in just a few square centimetres the story, the identity and the territory where the product was born.
It was decided to collaborate with an artist, in this case a photographer, to develop a project of great value that would synergise creativity and technical expertise.
It was a challenge that required abandoning one’s own ideas to embrace those of the other.
I chose to collaborate with Settimio Benedusi, a photographer I admire for his portraits and his empathetic and pragmatic approach. I thought the label would include portraits and that my role was to enhance the product and the artist's work, but I was wrong. Septimius taught me to take a step back and become the medium for shaping his thoughts. This made the label meaningful and functional, rather than aesthetically appealing, because its ultimate goal is to present the oil, the product chosen for the project, as a healthy food.
My contribution was to take care of the details that give meaning to the product while marrying the rigour of its vision. I personally oversaw the selection of materials with a view to sustainable design: I chose pewter to make the oil drops and 100 per cent recycled paper to create a packaging that met the need not only for essentiality but also for sustainability. A single print colour, a single die-cut for the front and back label and an optimised printing process minimised raw material waste in the start-up phase. Finally, the addition of the NFC tag facilitated communication and product security.
This experience was challenging but extremely meaningful. I got to know the person behind the artist and the artist within a beautiful person, learning when to intervene and when to limit myself to being the photographer's vehicle of expression. I realised that when you don't have a way to hold both reins, you don't know where the ride will end. But if the person holding the reins is someone you trust, knowledgeable and creative, the journey will be extraordinarily wonderful. That was my experience with Settimio Benedusi, with Olio Amare.
