Jobs from the past - Number 113

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by. This project is from the year 2000.

RIBA - The Value of Architecture
This book published under the 'RIBA Future Studies' banner. They published a series of papers and this one 'Context and current thinking' is written by Eric Loe. It examines how economic models have developed over time to define the boundaries of cost and value in building.

The book is A5 (210x148mm) size, portrait. It is section sewn giving it a 7mm spine. The book has a 4pp cover printed on our Matrisse 280gsm and a 62pp text on our Matrisse 160gsm.

The book is printed offset litho in just two colours throughout.

There are few images, which are just reproduced as halftones and the design of the publication is one of typographic clarity.

Image showing the section sewn binding (7mm spine)

Cover photography is by Richard Learoyd. Design is by Cartlidge Levene ...and as I think you can appreciate from the images, this is a very beautiful piece of typographic design.

You can read the document here:
https://docplayer.net/28035983-The-value-of-architecture-context-and-current-thinking-eric-loe-ribafuture-studies.html

The book was printed by Principal Colour, who are still based in Paddock Wood in Kent.

http://cartlidgelevene.co.uk/
www.principalcolour.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.03.2018

Jobs from the past - Number 91

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by.

 

Earth Centre - 1998

The Earth Centre in Doncaster was intended to "establish a world centre for sustainable development promoting the best environmental and sustainable practice" and opened in 1999 in Conisbrough, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

In 1995 the Millennium Commission made an award of £41.6 million to Earth Centre which became one of its Landmark Millennium projects. From 1996 work progressed on the remediation of the remaining land and the design and construction of the many buildings and exhibitions. Phase 1 was only just completed in time for the gala opening in 1999.

This brochure was produced to promote the centre, to be received by the press and sponsors and used as a mission statement.

The brochure is covered in a full size sleeve (below)

Image below shows the brochure going into the sleeve:

Front cover....

The brochure is designed and produced by Cartlidge Levene in London. The size of the publication is 240x330mm, Landscape and is a 40pp 'self cover'.

 

Introduction by Tony Blair, the then Prime Minister

Click on images to enlarge

The whole publication is printed in just one colour, but in the middle, there is a colourful surprise! ...a 12pp concertina fold which fits perfectly and snugly in the middle spread.

Below image shows the 12pp concertina fold:

The 12pp concertina is 240x325mm, folding out to 1950mm long! ...so how was this printed? - simple, it was printed on one sheet of B1 (700x1000mm) and has a nifty 7mm 'tab' which enables the sheet to glued end to end. Neat, simple solution. 

In keeping with the subject, a paper with green credentials was required. Rather than just using a recycled range, the paper chosen was Mais Carta 120gsm. This paper was made by FAVINI in Italy and was made partly using the agricultural waste from Maize production together with recycled paper fibres ...a forerunner of our current CRUSH range. Mais Carta as a range is no longer produced. 

Click on images to enlarge

Outside back cover:

Job is saddle stitched...

Being a landscape format and on 120gsm, it flopped and folded beautifully in the hand:

Printing was by Pillans and Wilson in Edinburgh, but they collapsed in 1999. Main photography is by Peter Marlow, Magnum Photos. Design is by Cartlidge Levene ...and as I think you can appreciate from the images, this was a very contemporary piece of graphic design.

Unfortunately ...
"Following Earth Centre progress was a roller coaster ride of false starts, wild hopes and dashed plans." The Guardian

The Earth Centre sadly closed its doors after going bankrupt in 2004, having never reached it's potential or the majority of the planned features.

http://cartlidgelevene.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.05.2017

What is ...Loop Stitching?

What is ...Number 8

Regular followers of this blog will know that in the middle of the month, I publish a "What is ....? post. The article covers various aspects of paper, printing and finishing in greater depth. However, many of these subjects are complex, so these posts are only intended to be a brief introduction to the topic.

What is ...Loop Stitching?

Loop stitching is a variation of wire stitching or 'saddle stitching' (or a staple, as some would call it). In the way that it holds paper together, it performs exactly the same function as a normal staple finish but it is formed from a continuous length of wire (as is most commercial stitching) rather than a pre-formed staple and the wire forms a loop on the spine of the job.

 

The below picture shows a wire stitching machine, fed by a continuous roll of wire. 

The wire loop protrudes about 6mm from the spine and it's function is to allow documents to be held together and then files in a ring binder in one piece, rather than many loose, punched sheets. The picture below, shows the way the loops are held in a ring binder mechanism:

The ARB (Architects Registration Board) project (see below) was produced in 1999, designed by Cartlidge Levene - part of the functionality of these guidelines dictated that they could be kept in a ring binder and easily updated in the future.

Click on picture to enlarge

 ...and this picture show a ring binder with the contents, which are all loop stitched. An important point, not to be overlooked is the spacing between the loops, as this must be specified to the printer or finisher at the time of production. This is also often referred to as the 'pitch'.

Many binders have four rings and paper must be 'four hole punched' however it's worth remembering that you don't need to have four loops as two loops works perfectly in a four ring mechanism, as demonstrated below - that's certainly worth remembering!

 ...alternatively, you can just use the loops as an interesting finishing feature for purely aesthetic effect, even if it isn't being put into a ring binder, as this job for photographer, Andrew Douglas by Vince Frost.

From a cost point of view, it is more expensive than normal saddle stitching because the 'stitching heads' on the stitching line have to be changed and it just requires a bit more time to set up ...also, not all finishers have stitching lines that can loop stitch.

Posted by Justin Hobson 18.08.2014

Jobs from the past - Number 14

Followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by, so here's the last one for 2010...

NatWest Media Centre - media launch book - Future Systems

This job dates back to 1999. The design company was Cartlidge Levene. Art direction was by Ian Cartlidge and Adam Levene. This publication was produced for the media launch of the fantastically futuristic NatWest media centre at the MCC's Lords Cricket Ground in St John's Wood.

This is a remarkable job because it is perfectly deconstructed in the same way that the building itself was conceived and built. It was not built as a building but constructed at a boatyard, out of aluminium!

This was the 'book' that I spoke about at the ISTD stammtisch, back in October. http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2010/10/istd-stammtisch-13th-october-2010.html

Future Systems was the architectural practice of the late Jan Kaplicky and Amanda Levete. The partnership designed some amazing and truly iconic buildings including Selfridges in Birmingham and the Enzo Ferrari Museum amongst many others.

The design of this publication could almost be described as a "de-constructed" book, as it has no binding! It is formed by the production of a 'case' which would normally form the cover of a hardback book. But this works more as a folder, holding in the two seperate and entirely unbound text sections. The size of the cover is 215x260mm portrait, the two text sections are 210x250mm.

Images are reproduced on gloss coated paper - our Millennium Real Art 115gsm 16pp self cover unbound - see below...

The text and some images reproduced in mono, printed on uncoated text paper, Formation Superfine 90gsm, also 16pp self cover, unbound but printed in one colour only - see below..

The hard case 'folder' was produced using Millennium Real Art with gloss lamination (inside and out) mounted onto 3 pieces of 2000micron greyboard with a 10mm gutter to form the 'hinge' and then punched out. I mentioned earlier that this publication somehow perfectly interprets the construction of the building and this is both in the visual sense and the literal sense ...the angle of the slit on the cover is exactly the same as the glazing on the front of the building which designed so the sun never reflects in the player's eyes - what a great piece of detailing!

The stunning photography is by Richard Davies. Print and superb finishing with amazing attention to detail was by Principal Colour.

http://www.future-systems.com/
http://www.cartlidgelevene.co.uk/
http://www.richarddavies.com/
http://www.principalcolour.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 01.12.2010

ISTD Stammtisch - 13th October 2010

Talking Books was an event held last Wednesday hosted by the ISTD (International Society of Typographic Designers) at The Russian Club Studios in London E8 . It involved a series of short presentations by a variety of speakers talking about a book of their choice. The speakers included Ken Hollings, Fraser Muggeridge, Caroline Roberts, Gary Bird, Lucienne Roberts, Hana Tanimura, Gilmar Wendt and me! 

It was a great evening which was amazingly interesting and diverse both in terms of the people giving the presentations and the books that they spoke about. It was very oversubscibed  and I should guess there were at least 120 in the audience.

This is me doing my talk...

Afterwards everyone got a chance to handle the books that had been spoken about (with cotton gloves on, of course!)

I can't give a complete transcript of the evening as it  would take far too long. The speakers were all excellent (probably with the exception of me!) and in particular Lucienne Roberts who spoke so passionately and coherently about her book on Sister Corita and CSM MA student Hana Tanimura about our book buying and owning culture - she's writing her dissertation on this subject  All in all a really interesting evening.

And I guess you're asking "which book did Justin talk about"? Well, in some ways it isn't a book at all - it could almost be described as a "de-constructed" book, as it has no binding! It's a job for the NatWest Media Centre at Lords Cricket ground produced for Future systems by Cartlidge Levene in 1999. Unfortunately I haven't got time to write about it fully now but it will feature as one of my "Jobs from the Past" posts (which is the first post of every month). But for now, here's one picture of it so you get the idea!

Finally thanks to the ISTD for hosting and arranging the evening. I thing these events are excellent and I think that everyone who's practising in this creative industry should make an effort to get to this sort of event once in a while. Otherwise we all exist in our own little work bubble and often don't get exposed to what else is out there and different ideas and thinking. Special thanks to Belinda Magee and Paulus Dreibholz and all at ISTD. For next event, email to stammtisch@istd.org.uk.

http://www.istd.org.uk/
http://www.helveticcentre.ch/

Posted by Justin Hobson 18.10.2010