Hardcover - a step by step guide

This is a delightful publication called Hardcover. It is a step by step guide about the techniques and tools required for flat-back case binding. It is written and produced by Veronica Rafa and Rahel Zoller,

The design is by Veronica, an MA student at the LCC and the content is by Rahel, who is a book arts and design technician in the Book Arts Department at the LCC.  

The publication is a 16pp self cover. Size is 215x150mm (interesting that it's not a standard A5 size) portrait and is saddle stitched. It is printed offset litho in two special colours (red and blue).

Click on images to enlarge

It is printed on our Flora Noce 100gsm. If you aren't familiar with Flora, it is a part recycled text and cover paper with a deliberately recycled look and feel with specks and inclusions, so it looks overtly recycled. You can see just how flecky and specky it is in the image below:

However, just because it has flecks and specks in it doesn't mean you can't print all over it! as the spread below ably demonstrates....

Click on images to enlarge

A superb solid blue - which for those not 'in the know' is by far the hardest colour to print successfully.

Click on images to enlarge

This piece of literature is just superbly written, illustrated and printed. All detailing is just superlative, as you can see from the red wire stitching in the image below:

...and if all this wasn't remarkable enough, I can tell you it was printed 'in house' at the LCC at the Elephant and Castle by Litho technician Tony Yard. Below is an image taken of the press sheets in the viewing booth, when the job was on press

...and I also received a thoughtful thank you note:

...you can't beat a handwritten thank you.

You can read more about the project here:
http://veronicarafa.com/subpages/bookbinding/bookbinding.html
https://www.instagram.com/book.arts.workshop/

Thanks to Rahel and Veronica for sharing with me. I should also point out that the credit in the publication says the following:
"This publication was made possible through the support of the Student Experience & Engagement Fund at London College of Communication and with the help of Tony Yard for printing it". Credit, where credit is due.

Posted by Justin Hobson 13.05.2016