Payal Kripalani always knew that she wanted to be a designer. While majoring in Studio Art and Economics at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, she took some interesting fine art and graphic design courses. These classes helped her to understand and enjoy the design process, think about production issues and learn printing techniques.

During her senior year, Payal had the opportunity to do a graphic design internship with the United Way. She worked closely with their marketing department to create collateral and promotional pieces for the organization. She learned several important things about designing in the real world as opposed to designing for a class project. She worked closely with the printers who printed their designs and learned production issues. According to Payal, "My internship experience was very exciting. It helped me to learn to keep my mind open to different materials and processes when designing."

As the Art Department Manager for Checkerboard, Ltd in West Boylston, Massachusetts, she finds all her design projects new and exciting. All of the custom invitations at Checkerboard, Ltd. are printed using thermography and their designs complement the process. Payal noted, "Our designs are extremely creative and we are always looking for ways to use thermography in new and exciting ways. Thermography is a wonderful process that can help achieve some unique effects. It adds a new dimension to the design process."

One example of an especially creative thermography design created by Payal's team can be found in Checkerboard's birth announcement line. The card has a dragon printed on it, using the 4-color printing process. The effect of scales on the dragon's body was created using thermography. The scales were first printed in clear varnish and then thermographed, creating a wonderful shine, texture and 3-dimensional effect.

Thermography Design Tips from Payal: "It is wonderful when you can use thermography to look like embossing by printing in the same color as the paper. I think this a great technique for designers to use." "Always keep your mind open to great tools like thermography and don't constrain yourself with what has always been. A good designer must be creative and strive to climb new mountains - think outside the box!"