We have all felt it.
Think about walking into a movie theater. The lights dim, the coming attractions play, the movie starts, and suddenly you are transported. The stress of the day disappears, and you are immersed in the story unfolding in front of you. That is the threshold effect. Once you cross it, the experience becomes immersive, and you are fully present. The same thing happens when you board a plane, take a seat on a rollercoaster, enter a sports arena, and open a door to a restaurant.
Printed materials create threshold moments in powerful ways.
Opening and unfolding a dimensional mailer, or running your hand over a finish or texture you did not expect, can all trigger a mental shift. The simple act of touching, revealing, or discovering is the point where our attention resets and curiosity takes over. That is when a piece stops being “just print” and becomes an experience. A fold reveals a surprise, a varnish catches the light, an envelope hints at something worth opening. These threshold effect moments turn passive recipients into active participants.
When that happens, the message is no longer competing with noise. It has broken through, cleared the slate, and invited the recipient to cross over into something new. That is the threshold effect in action.
Design decisions contribute as well.
A threshold effect can manifest as white space that opens into a burst of color, typography that changes in scale, or a cover that flips to reveal a bold message. These choices create a sense of transition that moves the recipient from one state of awareness to another. The content does not just continue; it transforms our perception of what we are holding in our hands.
A gatefold that expands into a bigger story, a die-cut that frames a surprise, or a pop-up that brings the message to life each creates a threshold effect. Even something as simple as an unexpected texture, a pop of color, or a varnish accent can reset attention and change how the piece is experienced.