We worked with our close friends and collaborators, design studio O.OO, to create this set of three unique red envelopes celebrating the Year of the Horse. They feature Lunar New Year iconography and wishes of good fortune.

This year’s designs were inspired by the Eight Horses, an animal motif in traditional Chinese art that references the steeds of the legendary King Mu of Zhou. Each horse represents a fortuitous quality such as wisdom, harmony, and strength.

Embodying the charged energy of the coming Fire Horse year, every envelope is printed with a dynamic horse-related saying:

馬到成功: “victory is achieved when the warhorses arrive,” to wish one swift success

馬踏飛燕: “the horse treads on a flying swallow,” one name for a Chinese bronze artifact depicting a galloping horse balanced atop a swallow—it represents swiftness, freedom, and mastery

萬馬奔騰: “ten thousand galloping horses,” referring to an overwhelmingly powerful force

Designed and printed in Taipei with soy-based inks on a risograph printer.

Exchange these red envelopes during the Lunar New Year to give "lucky money," a symbolic gift of good wishes for the year ahead. Keep things auspicious by giving money in even numbers like $2, $16, $20, $88. Avoid 4s, and always use fresh new bills.

How It's Made

Risograph printing can be thought of as a cross between screen printing and a xerox machine, or digital screen printing. It’s known for the bright and vivid quality of the color, the textured hand of the inks, and its simple printing technology. Though it was originally created as a simple and economic printing method, it has created a culture of experimentation and improvisation among designers. It’s as useful for printing pizza menus as experimental red envelopes.

O.OO are excellent risograph printers and have mastered the art. They even wrote a book about it: No Magic in Riso, which is distributed all over the world.

About O.OO

Taipei-based design studio O.OO is Pip and Forty, two designers dedicated to create designs that are more experimental with the use of Risograph printing technology. The Risograph printing technology has become one of their significant characteristics. In addition to graphic design and Risograph printing, O.OO will create new works and projects from time to time to influence and inspire the design circle in the near future.

Specifications and Dimensions

Dimensions: 9.15” L x 4” W x 0.12” H / 23.2 cm L x 10.2 cm W x 0.3 cm H

Weight: 0.6 oz / 17 g