Valiani: the secret of Gio’ Gatto 1984 luxury packaging
Our partner Gio ’Gatto 1984 interprets his work in the field of luxury packaging as a true artist. An artist but also a wise entrepreneur, who over the years has been able to develop and grow his business with the right insights.
Like the one that in 2014 led him to choose Valiani plotters, which he defines today as « his secret ». Thanks to our cutting systems, it is able to create valuable prototypes in a short time and to quickly satisfy the requests of all customers who need small run productions.
Since choosing Valiani Gio ’Gatto 1984, he has managed to develop processes quickly and easily which he previously had to entrust to third parties or carry out by hand. Our plotters have been a real turning point for this company.
The story of the relationship between Gio ’Gatto 1984 and Valiani is well told in the article published in the April 2016 issue of Italia Publishers, which is reported in full below.
Published in Italia Publishers n. 04/2016
Gio’Gatto 1984: when luxury packaging meets digital cutting by Valiani
The well-known designer from Turin tells of the evolution of his paper converting company, an international point of reference for the production of luxury shopping bags.
Gio’Gatto è un vero artista, ve lo posso testimoniare. La sua azienda ha l’aspetto di un atelier dove opere di ogni tipo – tutte sue, di Gio’Gatto – accolgono e sorprendono l’ospite. Non meno affascinanti dei dipinti alle pareti sono le creazioni di carta che ricoprono ogni centimetro di spazio, involucri preziosi che seducono il destinatario ancora prima del loro contenuto. Perché in questo caso parlare di « packaging » è davvero riduttivo.
Gio’Gatto is a true artist; I can testify to this. His company has the appearance of an atelier where works of all kinds, all his, by Gio’Gatto, welcome and surprise the guest. No less fascinating than the paintings on the walls are the paper creations that cover every inch of space, precious envelopes that seduce the recipient even before their content. Because in this case, talking about « packaging », really is an understatement.
Here, the paper turns into powerful and suggestive communication, which interprets and mediates between the brand, product and final consumer. Gio’Gatto, though, is not only an artist: he is a wise and perceptive entrepreneur who has been able to build in over 30 years, a company recognized as an international reference point in luxury packaging, winner of the 2014 Luxury Pack and an infinite number of other prizes. Gio’Gatto, though, has had a secret since 2014, which he amicably calls « the Valiani ». In the bright premises of the headquarters in the centre of Turin, Valiani’s Mat Pro Ultra V does not have a moment of respite: all the prototypes are made here, even the most complicated, that being, luxury shopping bags, boxes of every shape and size, exhibitors, folders, in short, anything that serves to contain, present and at the same time enhance a product.
“Now we have our backs covered by a cutting system that allows us to start from the idea and get to the finished product in a short time and we can create those micro-productions that we were forced to give up before. We can satisfy the multitude of customers who, in an emergency or operating in restricted markets, need small quantities”, explains Gio’Gatto.
Valiani Mat Pro Ultra V, a precious ally of small paper companies in search of automation and quality
The transition from manual to digital cutting was a fundamental phase for a company like Gio’Gatto 1984. Valiani Mat Pro Ultra V, chosen for the unbeatable relationship between quality and necessary investment, and the tool through which this passage was accomplished.
The Tuscan company, born as a manufacturer of cutting tables for the matboard industry, has more than forty years’ experience in the treatment of paper materials. And in fact, Mat Pro Ultra V is ideal for processing paper, cardboard, corrugated cardboard and ecological materials. The work surface divided into four zones, each with independent suction, allowing for optimal management of the material, whatever its size. The high-resolution camera for the recognition of print crop marks allows an uninterrupted workflow from the moment of printing to digital cutting and creasing.
For a small company like Gio’Gatto 1984, moreover, when choosing the cutting table, it is the knowledge that this is an extremely intuitive and easy-to-use tool and that Valiani technicians offer a period of general and specific training to people who will use the machine. In the rare cases where there are technical difficulties, the assistance, precise and prompt, is carried out remotely and assisted with telephone guidance from the manufacturer: a lean and « smart » way to minimize maintenance costs for the customer, but especially to reduce the time needed to resolve any problems.
Interview with Gio’Gatto Owner of Gio’Gatto 1984
In a purchase, there is a big emotional component and being able to present the customer with a prototype in a few minutes offers a significant competitive advantage.
Gio’Gatto 1984: company, artistic laboratory experimental lounge?
We are a company with an artistic soul that welcomes visitors with warmth. For us « it cannot be done » is not an answer: in every project we try to overcome our limits, and we are convinced that materials and machines must be at the service of our ideas, not the other way around. Today packaging is as important as ever; it is what you see before the product, what wraps and presents it, increasing its perceived value.
Unfortunately, not everyone realizes the potential of this communicative tool and the value of the design action, different and before the production phase. Therefore, we try to work with companies that have vision and values compatible with ours, because it is not about payment: I have to get excited to see my creation, not my bank account.
How has your way of working changed thanks to the Mat Pro Ultra V plotter?
With Valiani, we added the missing link to the Design Office, with infinitely shorter times than when we used external partners. Now in a few minutes, we draw the shapes, set the graphics, cut and assemble the prototype. The Mat Pro Ultra V eases and indulges our creativity with great flexibility. Note of merit also for the after-sales assistance.
What are the advantages of pre-sampling?
The advantages are many, design, competitive, commercial. A typical situation: a customer wants to invest in a paper project and comes to me. In just a few minutes I can sketch the project based on their needs, send it to the machine to be cut and present them with a prototype. Seeing and touching a sample of what the finished product will be is essential for the designer, to understand where to make any corrections to the project, but above all for the customer, who finds in his hands an idea transformed into reality. As we know, there is a significant emotional component in a purchase; being able to present a prototype can really make a difference.
Stay updated!
Drop us an email and we will keep you in the loop.
