Getting personal over paper

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: A client wanted a patent on the royal blue colour that Tina Deo and Anula Goenka had used for her very own stationary. But Deo just couldn’t give in. The shade of blue was just too rich to give away. She agreed instead to patent the specially crafted logo that had been designed for the lady. The client grudgingly accepted, and continues to be a regular. Another lady uses leather tags designed by Niti Modi in Delhi. And in this day and age when children get on to computers before they learn to use pen and paper, a brave NRI couple recently ordered distinctive letterheads for each of their kids aged 6, 12 and 13 from Modi.

Personalised stationary has been around for years. It’s just that now you don’t have to go to a printer, choose the lettering, give specifications on size etc, and often, in the end, get fobbed off because you have to order in bulk. There are designers who have carved out a niche for themselves, who can roll out both single and bulk orders. And there are people who want their stamp of exclusivity, for which they are willing to pay that extra buck.

Deo and Goenka (who operate out of Mumbai and Nagpur respectively) are in the business of making personalised stationary under the banner Paperhaze, and they specialise in using handmade paper. Mainly used for gifting, their ware is usually packaged in fancy boxes. “If it is for corporate use, a set could comprise of a diary, cube box, pen stand, letter paper and visiting cards. If it is for personal use, it is generally a set of wrapping sheets, bags, envelopes, tags and cards. And all of them are customised, with the names printed,” says Goenka.

Unlike the duo, Modi is a trained designer from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (Nift). She calls her ‘adventures in design’ Escapades, and promises to have something unique for everyone, keeping their lifestyle in mind. And for Deo, good design is about “perfection in layout and spacing.”