Jobs from the past - Number 114

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.

Spring - Bespoke Watermarked Paper 2014
Originally from Australia, Skye Gyngell is now one of Britain’s most respected and acclaimed chefs. After initially training in Sydney and then Paris, Skye moved to work in London and after gaining experience and an increasing reputation, eventually took the role of head chef at Petersham Nurseries. It was there that she became renowned for her distinctively seasonal, elegant cooking. Skye opened her own restaurant 'Spring' in Somerset House in London in 2014.

Studio Frith based in London was commissioned to work on the restaurant identity. Frith Kerr, founder of Studio Frith  is described by the New York Times as “the go-to graphic designer for creative clients” . The studio is renowned for its original work and exceptional clients including some of the world’s leading cultural institutions.

Fenner Paper was approached by Studio Frith about the possibility and practicality of producing watermarked paper for use as the menus for the new restaurant. Having explained the process of reproducing a design as a watermark and the producing a "mill making" of paper, the studio then asked me about the the possibility of not just one watermark but six different watermarks! ...a different one for each use, wine list, starters, deserts and cheese etc. Having costed the whole exercise with our paper mill partner, the go ahead was given for a mill making of over three tonnes of paper - approximately half a tonne each of six different watermarks.

The illustrated artworks were supplied as pdf's to the mill, where they have to be interpreted by the master craftsman who solders (by hand, using his eyes and experience) an electrotype die onto a skeletal "dandy roll" as you can see from the image below.

The below image shows the finished Dandy Roll

Watermarks are created during the early stages of paper manufacture using this "Dandy Roll" (the invention of the dandy roll is attributed to John Marshall from England in 1826) This skeletal roll made from a copper wire mesh, skims the top side of the paper on the machine at the point that the paper is still very wet. The image mark is pressed on the surface whilst also displacing the fibres causing areas of higher and lower density, this has the result that the image is apparent both on the surface and on looking through the sheet.

The picture above shows a Dandy Roll on a paper machine, just 'skimming the surface' and the picture below shows a close up of the mesh type nature of the skeletal Dandy Roll.

Studio Frith were kept informed throughout the whole process, including being sent photographs of the manufacturing process.

One of the hardest things for me to show in this article is the end result! Although I am sure that a professional photographer would be able to do a fantastic job, my limited facilities don't do justice to the end result, however, here are a couple of examples of the final product...

Click on images to enlarge

The paper was supplied as A4 sheets and is a 90gsm weight in a neutral white shade. As I mentioned earlier, in total there were six different watermarks, which I show below from the original pdf's I was sent.

It was an amazing project to have been involved with and it was great to work with a design studio and end client who had the creative vision to embark on such a project. 

If you are interested, you can read more about the watermarking process here.

http://springrestaurant.co.uk/
https://studiofrith.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.04.2019

What is ...Laid Paper?



What is ...Number 11

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 ...Laid Paper?

Modern day laid paper is a simulated effect to re-create something that was charcteristic in handmade papers. When paper was made by hand, a frame with a wire mesh was used. The crude wire mesh formed a pattern in the paper and it is this pattern which is now synonymous with the term 'laid paper' today. It was quite often combined with the papermakers mark, which has translated today into what we understand as a watermark.

Today, what is considered as a 'traditional' laid pattern consists of a series of wide-spaced lines (commonly 25mm apart) which are called "Chain Lines" and more narrowly spaced lines which are at 90 degrees to the chain lines, which are called "Laid Lines"

 

Typical machine made Laid paper pattern.

The laid pattern is created during the early stages of paper manufacture using a "Dandy Roll", This skeletal roll made from copper wire with a laid mesh pattern, skims the top side of the paper on the machine at the point that the paper is still very wet. The pattern is pressed on the surface whilst also displacing the fibres causing areas of higher and lower density, this has the result that the pattern is apparent both on the surface and on looking through the sheet. The picture above shows the Dandy Roll on the paper machine and the picture below shows a close up of the mesh type nature of the skeletal Dandy Roll.

There are many types of Laid papers which can made. The Chain lines can be closer together or further apart or only chain lines, as in what is often called "broad laid", pictured below.

...and here are two types of what are often described as "Antique Laid" or "Rustic Laid"

It's worth pointing out that machine made Laid papers are made to a specific orientation, which is dictated by the direction of the machine. The chain lines run parallel to the machine direction and the laid lines run horizontally across the width of the machine.

In recent decades, Laid papers have been used as 'prestigious' stationery although arguably the look is now seen as a bit cliched. It is rarely, but occassionally, used as text and cover papers but often used as end papers.

Posted by Justin Hobson 18.11.2014