Jesse Reed recently created a product called SLIP, which allows people to store and save their torn-off Pantone chips. And it is about time. You can see more of the product here. I asked him to tell us more.
What triggered your invention?This issue has always been apparent while doing internships at various design studios when I was a student. It was always solved with envelopes taped to the inside of the binder’s cover, or worse, actually adhering the chips back onto the pages (which ruined them completely). Over time and as of late last year I realized how simply this could be solved. It seemed easy enough to design (being comprised of only rows and columns), and a bolt of enthusiasm came through me to take the initiative.
What do you plan to do with this?I don’t have any personal motives for selling this product, but my goal is to allow designers, printers, etc. to save a little bit of time and money while the print industry is still alive and kickin’. To be honest, I was shocked that this hadn’t already been developed, and I’m still worried that another version is going to pop-up out of no where. Either way, I truly believe the product can be a huge help to our small industry of people.
Has their been a positive response so far?The response has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve kept the project a secret since developing it last November, but I definitely underestimated the demand once getting it in front of the right people. It’s a really good feeling knowing that your helping to solve a common problem, even if it’s a small one. The next step is to really spread the word and make every designer, studio, firm, and printer aware of it.
Do you see other applications, like retaining paint chips?I think SLIP has some legs that have yet to be uncovered. For one, and I give my girlfriend full credit for this, the choice to use white vinyl as the backing is intended for designers to write down their suggestions and possibly presenting it to the client in that way. Or even keeping groupings of color palettes and noting which application they’re being considered for—things of that nature. Additionally, I’ve had a few fashion designers and nail stylists suggest that they could use these for their fabric swatches and nail polish choices. I thought the nail polish option was interesting, as I guess the color is slightly inaccurate from what you see in the bottle. So maybe I can use this to break into the nail industry as well, who knows.
