Stretching our print boundaries

We love a challenge here at SCG, and having been chosen as the printer for Kura Rehia’s recently released te reo board game, ‘Kaupapa’, we were tasked with more than just print – we had to weave together multiple components.

‘Kaupapa’ was designed for speakers and learners of te reo Māori and was created by Kura Rehia to help realise the vision of a bilingual Aotearoa. Involving 900 words to expand players’ Māori vocabulary, the rules differ depending on the level of players - from beginner right through to fluent.

Opting for sustainable materials and eco-friendly printing processes, it was important to Kura Rehia to support our local economy and make sustainable choices with Papatuanuku in mind. Because of this, the board itself was made from sustainably-grown plywood, which was printed on an HP printer with eco latex ink. Creator Kuruho Wereta drew on his carving background to create the design, featuring patterns that tell stories. Each game board was die-cut and sanded into shape.

The cards, and the 100 percent recycled paper booklet, resin timer and tokens were then placed in a beautiful box made from Colorplan Vermillion Red card with a metallic foil print. All of these elements were assembled by us and sit in a kraft board box with die cut labels.

The first print run of Kaupapa was so successful that it sold out. Thanks to waitlists on most reo Māori classes, we’re now in the process of printing, assembling and distributing more games.

The Kaupapa Board Game won 2 gold medals for Print Finishing as well as Paper & Board Packaging at the 2022 Pride in Print Awards.