LEONHARD KURZ is the global market leader in thin-film technology and surface embellishment and continues to bring breathtaking decoration innovations to the market. The basis for the company's innovative strength remains, among other things, in traditions that underpin its strengths and corporate values. Every year at the turn of the year, we make a strong statement with two special projects: Our New Year's greeting card and the wall calendar for the coming year are real visual and haptic highlights. Learn more about the motifs and the making of in this article.
LEONHARD KURZ is constantly reinventing itself by expanding its business areas, bringing new innovations to market, and always looking to the future, even in uncertain times. The basis for this tireless innovative strength is a strong foundation of traditions that provides the stability to continually venture into uncharted territory. Two traditions that KURZ will continue to uphold in the future are the New Year's greeting card and the well-known wall calendar.
The motif for this year's greeting card was created by Fürth-based artist Inge Gutbrod. She works with wax and explores the boundary between transparency, translucency, and opacity in her works. Her objects and installations create sensual spatial experiences with atmospheric depth, generated by the interplay of light, color, material, and form. We have translated this special artistic concept into an extraordinary finish for the greeting card.
The artistic concept was transformed into a three-dimensional greeting card in several steps: First, 4/4 color printing was carried out using offset printing, followed by micro-embossing of the frame in LUXOR® 317 Burgundy MTS with a stamp from our subsidiary Hinderer + Mühlich (H+M). Several embossing passes were carried out for the design of the wax tiles. In the first step, a single-image embossing of 3 TRUSTSEAL® Lenses was applied in the color Orange 109. In the next step, the other wax tiles were supplemented with LUMAFIN® 799 Clear MS and LUMAFIN® 719 MS Yellow as flat embossing. Finally, blind embossing was applied as a relief over the entire surface. The finished greeting card can be folded into a small work of art.
More detailed information on the making-of can also be found on our website Christmas 2025.
The greeting card is followed by the wall calendar for the coming year 2026. Traditionally, our KURZ wall calendar showcases the sights and cultural highlights of a country in which we have a branch, production site, or subsidiary. The 2026 wall calendar features shimmering edelweiss, Alpine panoramas, and the Vienna landmark, bringing touchable Austrian flair to life in A1 format. Our two subsidiaries, BURG DESIGN and SCHÖFER GmbH, are located in Austria. Cold transfer decoration and hot stamping transform the motifs on the Algro Design Duo 250 g/m² paper into a shiny masterpiece that can be experienced with the senses.
From the initial idea to the final finish, the production process involved five finishing steps: First, the substrate was printed inline using cold transfer with KPS slim 2.0, followed by a 4c offset process. The intense color contrasts and metallic brilliance of the KPS slim 2.0 finishes create a subtle play of light on the surface. In the next step, the edelweiss, coat of arms, and circle capturing the view of the city of Hallstadt were hot-stamped as flat embossing with SILVER LINE® Sails. This was followed by hot stamping of the red gondolas with LUXOR® 392 MTS. Haptically striking embossings such as the KURZ logo and the year dates were then realized with LUXOR® 385 MTS as relief embossing. Finally, haptic structures were incorporated through blind embossing.
If you are interested in more details about the making-of, you can find further information on the website Wall Calendar 2026.
The finishes on the greeting card and wall calendar from KURZ impressively demonstrate how creativity, craftsmanship, and technology work together to create unique surfaces. With KPS slim 2.0, SILVER LINE®, LUXOR®, and LUMAFIN®, KURZ, as a specialist in surface finishing, makes substrates shine and sparkle. Thanks to the embossing technology of KURZ subsidiary H+M, designs are not only visible but also uniquely embossed.
Be inspired by the unique finishes on the greeting card and wall calendar. Discover our versatile finishing options in hot stamping, cold or digital transfer and get ideas for your own projects.
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