Behind the curtain at The Art File

It’s been a busy year for The Art File, both at the office and in the publishing world. At the start of the year, The Art File launched more than 180 new designs at Top Drawer, including standout collections such as Soleil and Toby The Dog, which have since proven themselves to be best-selling ranges across retail customers. The Art File then had a record-breaking Spring Fair, launching its celebrated Christmas 2023 collections, alongside new and bestselling everyday ranges.

Back in the cultural heart of Nottingham city centre, The Art File was also busy refurbing its entire office, adding a vibrant new contemporary feel to the characterful Victorian building. This included opening a new office space on the ground floor, decorating the walls with art from its sister company, Tall Boy Prints, and updating the branding onsite, including a new sign outside (above). This is only the beginning of a series of exciting events unfolding in 2023. The Art File team is incredibly excited to share more of what’s been happening behind the scenes and what we can expect to see from them over the next few months…

PG Live launches

The Art File has exhibited at PG Live since the very first show and the team were pleased to join PG Live again this year, at their usual spot, Stand 200.

Acting as a perfect launch pad for a mid-year launch, The Art File showcased several new, unmissable greetings card ranges, as well as a number of range extensions from current popular and high-performing collections.

Among these new collections was an incredibly exciting range in collaboration with the renowned organisation, English Heritage. English Heritage cares for more than 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites across the UK, bringing the history of England to life for more than 10 million people each year.

The Art File has been delighted to create this collection of 16 unique cards that are inspired by the historic buildings, monuments and sites that English Heritage cares for. Every single card represents a design that can be found at an English Heritage site, making them incredibly unique and meaningful.

These cards are printed in the UK on premium 280gsm lightly textured board. They are finished with hot and cold foils, embossed lines and come plastic-free with a corner clasp. The Art File is proud to produce cards that help keep the historic story of England alive for future generations.

The Art File team was also thrilled to introduce two additional collections at PG Live, created by talented artists, Merle Goll and Mary Collett. Cat Walk, and LopEared Merlin are two striking card ranges that have animals at the heart of their designs. Lop-Eared Merlin is a bold new collection featuring detailed and dynamic images of animals and birds. These striking designs have been created using detailed lino printing, and have been tastefully finished with embossing, on 300gsm board.

Cat Walk is a bright and colourful card range that is inspired by the playfulness of cats. This collection is printed on 280gsm board and features a spot UV finish to show off its bold and beautiful designs.

The Art File also launched range extensions for popular collections at PG Live, including Snowtap, Nature Trail, Soulmates, and Bear range, alongside its fabled Christmas collections, which is packed with musthaves for the upcoming festive season.

Exhibiting at Harrogate Home & Gift

The Art File is incredibly excited to exhibit at the wonderful upcoming Harrogate Home & Gift show, at DPI Stand C5. This is one of The Art File’s favourite shows of the year and will be the host of several new collections being launched.

The Art File’s signature launch will include an exclusive new collection called Elysian, which consists of 12 greeting cards, with matching gift wrap and bags. Elysian is finished with embossing, gold foiling, and the very first use of a gold-dipped spine effect. The collection is printed at 300gsm on a beautifully textured off-white board.

Elysian has been created by award-winning designer, Beth Kemp, and is inspired by Greek culture, human forms and the beauty of simplicity. This collection embraces the imperfection in illustration, featuring sketchbook illustrations that are tastefully illuminated by gold.

Elysian is a Greek word meaning blissful, beautiful and divinely inspired. This stunning collection embodies this meaning and is sure to become a fast favourite for customers all year round.

James Mace, marketing and sales manager, says: “We’re delighted to launch Elysian at the Harrogate Home & Gift show. It’s a stunning new collection that’s very different to anything else we’ve launched this year. Elysian is sure to capture the hearts of card lovers everywhere.”

Among the other new collections, The Art File will also be launching new gift bag designs and wrap, along with range extensions from best-selling ranges, including Nature Trail, I Like Birds and Snowtap. Be the first to see these brand-new designs, along with the stunning Christmas 2023 collection by visiting The Art File at the show.

Christmas 2023 collections

Christmas is one of the most important trading times in the industry and that’s why The Art File offers one of the most complete and comprehensive Christmas collections in the industry. This collection includes award-winning Luxury Boxes, hugely successful Charity Packs, a show-stopping gift packaging collection, and much more. These are all designed to make Christmas 2023 more magical than ever before.

Charity contributions remain a strong focus for The Art File this year with a mission to raise money for the RSPCA, MNDA, Dementia UK and Young Lives vs Cancer through Charity Packs. In recent years, with the support of brilliant customers, over £300,000 has been raised for charities.

You can see The Art File’s Christmas 2023 collections in person at the Harrogate Home & Gift show, on July 16-19. The Art File will be showcasing its full collection, including Luxury Boxes, Charity Packs and much more. Visit The Art File at DPI Stand C5 to see the stunning Christmas 2023 collections first hand and order in time for the festive season.

Sustainability at The Art File

From the packaging on the cards to where The Art File products are sourced, sustainability remains hugely important to The Art File.

The Art File is proud to state that all of its greeting card, gift bag, and gift wrap board is sourced from FSC sustainable forests. All cards are offered naked and plastic-free, while the cards themselves are all recyclable.

Gift bags are produced free from laminate and are 100% recyclable once the ribbon handles are removed. In addition, all cards are proudly printed in the UK, along with the Christmas Wallet Cards and Luxury Boxes. This has the double impact of reducing the carbon footprint and supporting local businesses.

This is only the beginning of The Art File sustainability journey. Becoming more environmentally conscious is a constant work in progress and one that is becoming central to how the company operates.

DPI Stand C5

You can catch The Art File at the Harrogate Home & Gift show on July 16-19. Head over to the stand to see all the new and bestselling card, gift wrap, and Christmas collections.