In our fast-paced electronic world, the occasional sensory alternative to e-nundation can be a joy.

For the past few years, print has been perceived as a poor relation to the hip young things of the digital realm: tablets, phablets, blogs, funky websites and the rest. But while these new kids on the block can be strikingly attractive, print is still the medium capable of stimulating the broadest range of our senses.

The smell of fresh ink, the texture of paper, the touch of embossed type or even a foil stamp – not to mention the impressive look of something that is designed well – can all evoke an emotion, spark our imagination, take us back to a moment in our past.

We should not forget that to truly captivate someone, we often need to tap into more of their subconscious than one sensory stimulus is capable of doing. When communicating with an audience, especially one that is time-poor, a multi-sensory approach allows you not just to cut through, but to connect. There is still something to be said for something you can hold, feel; something that is real and tangible.

Here are a few examples I’ve found which demonstrate the aesthetic power that print can wield. Even on-screen, you can get a ‘feel’ for how exquisite the printed versions would be.

Humans are hard-wired to respond to all of their senses. Something to bear in mind the next time anyone tells you that ‘print is dead’.

For more inspirational design examples, take a look at our posts on the transformative power of typographic design and beautiful utility.

Mark Sammartino is Creative Director at Wellmark.

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