On May 2nd, we nerded out bigtime. 400 creatives gathered at the ADC Gallery to collect the latest paper samples, learn about innovative printing techniques, and most importantly, get re-inspired by the art and craft of good ol’ fashioned print design.

Letterpress. Engraving. Embossing. Foil stamping. Thermography. Offset. Lenticular. Coated. Uncoated. These are some terms you might’ve heard while perusing the 30 eclectic vendor tables at the 2013 ADC Paper Expo.

And yes, there was even some Augmented Reality in the house. Not to mention, three scantily-clad models wearing only cut-paper art fashioned by ADC member Matt Hill.

Participating vendors at this year’s Paper Expo included the very best in the business: Aldine Specialty Printing, Mohawk, Sappi Fine Paper, Meridian Printing, DataGraphic, Neenah Paper, FiberMark, Reich Paper, Print Promotions Inc, Legion Paper, NewPage, Green Earth Enterprise, Appleton Coated Utopia, Virtual Images, Z-CARD, Taylor Box, High Resolution Printing, Precise Continental, Direct Source Packaging, Giant Squid Press, and Yupo Synthetic Paper.

Aldine brought their famous hand-crank letterpress machine, and allowed guests to crank their own prints for a chance to win $1,000 worth of letterpress printing services. This “Year of the Snake” artwork was designed by Dan Schlitzkus and was narrowed down from dozens of fan-submitted pieces from ADC’s Facebook community.

Giant Squid Press developed a fittingly nautical boardgame, in collaboration with illustrator Liam Oscar Thurston, which encouraged attendees to move throughout the whole expo and uncover a letter at each vendor table to solve a Wheel-of-Fortune-style riddle.

And every vendor brought their latest collection of paper or printing samples, ready for the ravenous crowd of creatives to eat them right up. Needless to say, the tables were completely empty in a matter of hours.

Special thanks to the title sponsors of the 2013 ADC Paper Expo: Aldine Specialty Printing, Meridian Printing, Mohawk, Sappi, and DataGraphic. Additional love goes to Victoria Bellavia for designing this year’s brand identity. And thank you to all the vendors who presented at this year’s event. You helped us prove once again that print will never die.