Thursday 29 December 2016

2016 Christmas Card by S-T

Thank you to everyone who has kindly sent me cards this festive season. I've received a wide selection of really lovely designs and beautifully produced cards, not all on our paper, of course! ...but many are.
Click on images to enlarge
This one particular card, I did think I would write about, because not only is it printed on our Colorset Crimson 270gsm (100% Recycled) but it is printed in an unconventional way. The card is designed by London based studio, Design by St. Titled "Who will you be this Christmas?" it is an infographic flow diagram which is very funny and well written. 
The finished size of the card is A6 (105x148mm) and it is an 8pp concertina format.
 The card is printed in just one colour - white. The result is fantastically effective and I looked at it to see how it has been achieved:
 Was it matt hot foil blocking? Silkscreen? HP Indigo digital white?
...Nope, none of the above!
In fact, it is printed by a Scottish printer called Kestrel Press based in Irvine. They have a digital press which is toner based and this is the result - in just one pass! The result is truly superb and as I discovered from speaking to Graeme Ferguson at Kestrel, achieved at a much more economical price in comparison with the processes I listed above.
Click on images to enlarge
Creative Partners at Design by St are Steve Fenn and Tom Pollard.

http://www.designbyst.com/
http://www.kestrelpress.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 29.12.2016

Tuesday 27 December 2016

Simone Rocha - Gorse

Simone Rocha was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1986. In 2008 she graduated with a BA in Fashion from The NCAD in Dublin followed by an MA from Central Saint Martins in 2010. Simone debuted at London Fashion Week in September 2010 and her collections can be found in some of the most prestigious stockists in the world.

This year at the British Fashion Awards Simone received the “British Womenswear Designer Award” as well as the 2016 Harper’s Bazaar Designer of Year Award.
This publication is a limited edition book produced in collaboration with photographer Colin Dodgson in Ireland. Titled "Gorse", the scale is a luxuriously large 303x420mm, landscape format, which flops and rolls beautifully.

Front Cover....
There is lots of white space, a very uncluttered feeling.
Click on images to enlarge
The publication is printed offset litho on our Omnia White 120gsm, the result is superb. The look and feel of the whole publication is very uncoated and tactile but there is absolutely no loss of detail in the images.The feeling of space continues with many unprinted pages...
It is bound using three hole sewing in a red thread. Actually this has two rows of three hole sewing. Below is the centre spread, showing the binding on the inside. 
Detail showing the binding (inside)...
Below pic shows detail of the three hole sewing on the spine:
So successful was this publication that many of the images were used as campaign imagery in titles such as Dazed and Confused, The Gentlewoman and Self Service.

Design is by Simmonds. Print production, including the binding is by Pureprint.

http://simonerocha.com/
http://www.simmondsltd.com/
http://www.pureprint.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 27.12.2016

Thursday 22 December 2016

Patternise 3-D model Christmas Card

A Christmas card that is also a 3-D model!

Patternise is a company based in Uckfield, East Sussex, who specialise in offering creative design and laser-cutting services. They work with a wide range of clients across the UK - managing large volume projects for major corporates and Visual Merchandisers to smaller projects for individuals and weddings ...and this is their lovely Christmas card:
The card is an A5 (148x210mm) tent format and hot foil blocked and digitally printed (HP Indigo) on our Stardream Crystal 285gsm from Gruppo Cordenons. As you can see from the image above, there is a self assembly push out reindeer model, which is superb!

Image showing the inside of the card...
Click on images to enlarge
Patternise use state of the art laser cutters from Trotec and they specialise in cutting “clean” materials such as fine papers, cards, acrylics and plastics (PP/PET). One of the things that particularly impressed me about this card is that the type and signatures are not printed, they are laser engraved. This is a fantastic process and can add a completely different dimension to printed literature.
The card is produced using their brand new "super pulsed" Trotec galvo system (GS1000), which enables extremely high-speed laser cutting and high volume paper finishing. Using this system they are able to cut many 1000's of sheets within very quick time-frames, which would be impossible with conventional lasers. This whole card was cut and engraved in 24 seconds!

I urge you to watch this quick video showing the laser process - it's only one minute long:
Reverse of the card, which shows the unprinted Stardream Crystal with it's superb pearlescent shimmer....
 ..and here is the Reindeer that I made:
Patternise are based in Uckfield, East Sussex. This is a lovely card, a brilliant promotional item and a fantastic example of the creative uses of lasercutting and laser engraving and of course our Stardream board as well! With thanks to the team at Patternise.

www.patternise.co.uk
Posted by Justin Hobson 22.12.2016

Tuesday 20 December 2016

Alexander McQueen Gift Guide - Winter

The Alexander McQueen brand was founded by designer Alexander McQueen in 1992 and is now part of the international Gucci group. The creative director is Sarah Burton and this publication is the Winter gift guide.
Size is 270x210mm, portrait and is section sewn. The cover is printed on an uncoated cover board (sadly I don't know which one) and the 36pp text is printed on our Marazion Ultra 150gsm.

Click on images to enlarge
The text is printed offset litho in CMYK on our Marazion Ultra 150gsm. The Marazion Ultra was chosen mainly because of it's matt flatness which would reproduce the interior images well without a glossiness which would detract from the images. A simple, effective choice of materials.
A thumbnail guide on inside back pages...
A particular favourite of mine is the "Knuckle Box" clutch bag! but then Alexander McQueen originally earned the reputation of being "the hooligan of English fashion"
..see detail below:
Art direction and design is in house at Alexander McQueen. The printing and production is by Identity Print, based in Paddock Wood in Kent.

http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/gb
http://www.identityprint.co.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 20.12.2016

Thursday 15 December 2016

Fenner Paper 2017 Diary

If you are a wonderful customer and therefore a deserving user of our papers! ... you should have already received your new 2017 diary in the post. Here's a sneak preview, if you haven't yet received it.
 As in previous years, the diary is 230x162mm, portrait and retains the popular 'month to view' format. The cover board is printed offset in CMYK on Crush Corn 250gsm.
The 40pp text is simply printed in one colour, offset litho, on our lovely Offenbach Bible 60gsm, which has a superb opacity and a good writing surface making this an ideal paper for a diary or notebook.
 
The cover is designed by FranklinTill Studio celebrating the maker movement and using a palette of colours forecasted for the year.
Inside back cover
My thanks to FranklinTill for the inspired cover.
Posted by Justin Hobson 15.12..2016


Tuesday 13 December 2016

Olivia von Halle - The Talisman Collection

Olivia von Halle is a British luxury nightwear brand that launched at London Fashion Week in September 2011. The brand can be found in nearly 100 stores in 20 countries including Harrods, Selfridges, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and online with Net-a-Porter.com.

Focusing on beautifully cut silk pyjamas in stunning exclusive prints, Olivia von Halle has quickly made a name for itself in the world of high-end nightwear. In 2013 the company was awarded the ‘Blue Butterfly Trust Mark’, which is given to brands and companies that have a positive impact on people and the planet.
This is the lookbook for the Spring Summer 2016 "Talisman Collection". The publication is sub A4 - 290x205mm, portrait. It is a 16pp self cover format printed on Omnia 150gsm.
Click on images to enlarge
Unlike many of the fashion lookbooks featured on this blog, which are printed offset litho, this has been digitally printed on an HP Indigo press. The colours are strong and punchy and the whole publication has a matt, tactile look and feel - in fact I can honestly say, every bit as good as litho!
Although Omnia was never originally developed for digital, we now keep it as a stock item with "sapphire treatment". This treatment is often applied to more unusual papers and provides a "key" so that the inks (which are different to litho inks) work on the paper surface. The great thing is the job just doesn't look and feel like a digital job. Below is a detail shot showing the excellent fleshtone reproduction.
A nice touch is the use of the white wire for the saddle stitches
The self cover format means that it flows well with the pages turning nicely.
Graphic design is by Michael Knight, who runs his studio in East London called A New Mark. Print and finishing is by Gavin Martin Colournet.

http://oliviavonhalle.com/
http://www.anewmark.com/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 13.12.2016

Thursday 8 December 2016

LCC Postgraduate Show

The identity for this year's LCC degree shows is by Tara Hanrahan at Think/Do, which includes interior signage, exterior signage, wayfinding and literature. This week is the postgraduate show, with over 200 post graduate students showing their work. The Postgraduate shows run from 28.11.2016 to 10.12.2016.
The printed collateral includes this postgraduate information booklet. Size is A5 (210x148mm), portrait and is saddle stitched.
The 4pp cover is on Colorset (100% Recycled) Amethyst 270gsm, printed offset litho in black only
 
 The 8pp text is printed on Crush, Grape 120gsm, printed in two colours, black and a special colour.
Click on images to enlarge
If you are not aware of our range called CRUSH from Favini, it is very unusual! The paper is made partly using the residue from the industrial processing of crushed citrus fruit, coffee, nuts, olives, kiwi, corn, cherries, lavender and most recently grape. These agro-industrial "end of life" products replace up to 15% of conventional tree pulp and are combined 30% post-consumer recycled waste, FSC virgin fibre and is produced with 100% green energy. As a result, the sheet is not a "clean" paper, it has identifiable pieces of residue visibly in the paper, as you can see below...
The range is available in 100, 120, 200, 250 and 350gsm and the shades are natural, earthy tones and the feel of the paper is natural and tactile. See the range here.

Printing is by Calverts, who are a London based printing cooperative who focus on sustainable printing. Another lovely feature, is the use of the black wire stitches below:
Sustainability is an important facet to Tara's practice, which accounts for the selection of these sustainable papers and printer. You can read more about the identity work here:
http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/london-college-of-communication/2016/05/20/interview-tara-hanrahan-on-designing-for-lcc-degree-shows-2016/
Thanks to Tara for sending file copies and the note.
http://www.arts.ac.uk/lcc/events/lcc-postgraduate-shows-2016/
Posted by Justin Hobson 08.12.2016