A gap exists between what designers know — what Sabine Lenz are her creative design colleagues have learned — about paper and print, and what is actually possible when you look at paper trends and advances in print technology.

That gap is an issue for designers, printers and brand-conscious organizations. As Sabine realized early in her career, the gap often means great concepts are ruined by fatal paper choices and misinformation about binding and printing.

Today, Sabine's sweet spot is providing education, resources and tools so designers can fill that gap. As Founder, President and CEO of PaperSpecs, she and her team aim to provide creatives with the most objective, hands-on up-to-date information they can about all things paper and print. "I firmly believe that we can make this world a better place through great design," she says. "And this great design can only happen if our choice of paper, printing and binding is great, too."

In this episode of the "Unvarnished" video interview series, Sabine talks about the evolving possibilities in print technology, the importance of staying updated on paper trends and the growing demand for sustainable print solutions.

"Print is intimidating, let's not kid ourselves," Sabine says. "Just Google it, and you go down a rabbit hole that is so deep your head is spinning." The easier we can make it for designers to understand what is happening and what is available to them, she says, the better for all of us.

To that end, she invites Dscoopers to PaperSpecs LIVE, a one-day conference set for Sept. 26 in Chicago. The event helps designers prioritize themselves and their print creativity, network with like-minded pros, ask questions and learn tips from boundary-pushing speakers, and gain access to different swatchbooks and print technologies.

"We’re stepping up to the plate because we can expose designers to print technologies, as well as papers that they’re not aware of," Sabine says. PaperSpecs LIVE is where they can get inspired, learn and connect in ways that will transform their projects.