Paper distribution company Antalis has partnered with Amsterdam-based design consultancy Design & Practice to create an innovative hands-on tool that reimagines how creative professionals explore and work with color. The collaboration celebrates the relaunch of Keaykolour, Antalis's premium colored paper collection, which now features a refreshed palette of 45 distinctive hues and introduces a completely new approach to color experimentation.
The interactive tool represents a significant departure from traditional swatch books and print samples, offering designers a more dynamic and tactile way to understand color relationships. Drawing inspiration from Josef Albers's influential book "Interaction of Color," the tool embodies the principle that no color exists in isolation. The system consists of a series of specially designed cards that can be layered, overlaid, and juxtaposed to reveal unexpected color harmonies and shifting relationships between different hues.
The tool features sophisticated design elements including cut-out windows, marquetry-style color combinations, and advanced printing processes such as micro-embossed hot foils and 3D sculpted embossing. These features encourage users to discover new color relationships through hands-on experimentation. "We wanted to create a tool that was less of a static library and more of a dynamic laboratory," explained Ruben de la Rive Box, creative director at Design & Practice.
For creative professionals, the tool serves both practical and inspirational purposes. It functions as a quick mockup system for testing color combinations in real projects while simultaneously deepening users' understanding of color as an emotional and relational experience. Design & Practice co-founder Golnar Roshan emphasized the tool's empowering potential, stating, "Our goal was to create an instrument that would empower exploration. By giving creatives confidence with color, you open up new ways of telling stories and connecting with audiences."
The refreshed Keaykolour range itself reflects the same innovative philosophy behind the exploration tool. Now integrated into Antalis's Creative Power collection alongside established brands like Conqueror, Olin, Curious, Rives, and Delos, Keaykolour has been repositioned with a clear strategic vision. The updated palette spans various tints, shades, and weights across its 45 colors, and includes new extra rough black-and-white papers as well as tactile embossed finishes.
"Keaykolour brings together tradition, innovation and tactile beauty," said Jérôme Noyelle of Antalis. "Our aim is to provide creatives with not just a premium colored paper, but with a rich and complete palette that supports their ideas and enhances their work." The comprehensive range is designed to meet the diverse needs of designers, printers, and brand owners across various creative industries.
For Antalis, this relaunch represents more than just a product update—it's an affirmation of paper's enduring importance in creative culture. At a time when digital tools increasingly dominate the design landscape, Keaykolour's renewed identity and interactive exploration tool serve as powerful reminders that physical experience and sensory engagement remain crucial drivers of creative inspiration. The initiative highlights how traditional materials can be reimagined and revitalized through innovative thinking and collaborative design approaches.
