French embossing specialist Créanog is applying its expertise to wood—a new technique that has already caught the attention of major cognac brands.
While a handful of leading players in the spirits market were given an “unofficial” preview earlier this year, Maître d’Art (Master Artist) Laurent Nogues will officially unveil his latest wood creations at the Édition Spéciale by LUXE PACK show in June. The technique is a direct adaptation of paper-based embossing — and hot-stamping — but in this case applied to sheets of laminated walnut on an MDF structure. “Hot-stamping can be done on any kind of wood, but embossing depends on each variety’s mechanical resistance to deformation,” explains Créanog’s founder. And it seems that walnut is perfectly suited to the task: “We managed to reproduce different levels of embossed reliefs with extraordinary sharpness,” he adds.
Decoration, be it blazon, logo, or all-over motifs, can be done via shading and/or enhanced with metallic effects, and the process has the advantage of being respectful of the environment. “Let’s not forget that embossing is a 100% clean and sustainable decoration technique. When used on wood surfaces, it allows us to create coffret-objects that are clearly meant for reuse.” These mono-material coffrets are designed to be created exclusively using FSC-certified wood.
Feedback has been enthusiastic, especially in the cognac sector, says Nogues, “where brands particularly appreciate the technique’s distinctly high-quality aesthetic. We’re able to achieve unheard-of levels of finesse and precision on wood!” he enthuses.
