Jobs from the past - Number 134

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 and this publication is from only a few years ago in 2017.

The Print Shop - 40 Years of Calverts

Calverts is a workers' cooperative with a history of creating and producing eye-catching print and design. To celebrate Calverts 40th year, they invited Alice Pattullo and publishers Design For Today to work with them on a creative print animation, following the journey of an idea as it transforms into a finished product. It's a whirlwind tour through illustration, art direction, design, file set up and reprographics, with a sprinkling of handy tips along the way.

The size of the publication is 148x95mm, portrait with a 6mm spine.

The below image shows the inside spread with hot foil blocking on the right hand page...

This publication is a long concertina - it is quite simply one long sheet which concertina folds into a pre-creased spine, which forms a cover.

The below image shows a 'birdseye' view which demonstrates how it folds into the spine. Over the last 30 years, I have always referred to this format as a long concertina, however in recent years people have started using the term Leporello to describe this type of folding - personally I think this is just confusing! 

The 26pp book is actually made from two sheets of paper, carefully joined, with a glued tab, which you can just make out in the image below.

The below image shows both sides stretched out fully.

Click on images to enlarge

The publication is printed Offset Litho on our Shiro Echo, White 250gsm, which is 100% Recycled and FSC accredited. The weight of the material is crucial for this format - too heavy and it will be too springy, too light and it won't take the creases and hold together well enough, 250gsm is just perfect. Here are some of the spreads...

Click on images to enlarge

Below is the spread about Riso printing, where there is a 'tipped in' sheet, which is Riso printed on the right hand page.265x168

The page is 265x168mm and is folded once to reveal the below...

...and then folding up.

...there's even information about paper sizes.

It's a really beautifully conceived and executed publication with superb illustrations by Alice Pattullo and excellent writing.

And the great news is that if you would like to have your own copy, you can buy still buy them online HERE.

https://www.calverts.coop/

https://www.designfortoday.co.uk/about

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.01.2021

Crush 03

Crush is a beer 'zine, which is an ongoing side project for design and branding studio O Street. The project allows the studio to combine a bunch of things they love: illustration, print, design and beer!

The focus of issue 3 is 'women in beer'. Historically, brewers were primarily women, until many were targeted as witches and this subject provides a rich seam of content for illustration ...perfect, as we are only a few weeks from Halloween! 

The size of the zine is 297x105mm, portrait and is saddle stitched. There is a 4pp cover printed on our Colorset (100% Recycled) Amethyst 270gsm with a 32pp text on our Crush Corn 100gsm, which is made using 15% residues from the processing of corn plus recycled and FSC fibres. You can read about it here.

Click on images to enlarge

There are articles about six beers, breweries and women in brewing, all beautifully and wittily illustrated.

Click on images to enlarge

There is also photography but you might have noticed that the images have an unusual look. The reason is that this 'zine is 'Riso' printed as all good zines are! If you aren't familiar with Riso printing, you can read about it here. Image reproduction is quite crude as it is a monotone with a coarse screen but the result is really unique and characterful and the illustrations have a wonderful quality to them. 

The below image shows all the illustration spreads, all printed 2 colour Riso - SUPERB! 

Click on images to enlarge

The project was co-ordinated by Jonny Mowat at O Street and my thanks to him for sending me file copies...

The zine is Riso printed and saddle stitched by Good Press who are based in the centre of Glasgow and they really have made a beautiful job of it.

https://www.ostreet.co.uk/

http://goodpress.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 13.10.2020

Quaderno Notebooks

RISOTTO is a risograph print and design specialist based in Glasgow established by Gabriella Marcella. Riso printing has grown in popularity and is probably the cheapest of the "craft" printing techniques, enabling entry level creative projects to happen. You can read more about Riso printing here: http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/what-is-riso-printing.html 

Risotto has produced this lovely series of eight "Quaderno" notebooks using our Colorset 100% Recycled 270gsm for the cover materials.

Size of these super little notebooks is 180mm x140mm. The 4pp covers are on Colorset and there is a 40pp text. Covers are printed in just one colour (black) on front cover and the reverse

Below image shows detail of the imperfectly perfect result that you achieve with Riso printing. The effect is like a cross between letterpress and silkscreen.

The text pages are printed in a different style for each book.

The notebooks are saddle stitched and well finished.

Thanks to Gabriella for sending me copies and the lovely note...

You can buy the notebooks individually or by the set here:
https://shop.risottostudio.com/collections/cards-envelopes/products/quaderno-no-1-8-bundle

...and you can find more about Risotto and the Riso print studio here:
https://www.risottostudio.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 07.02.2017

Kids With Puns #5

Kids With Puns is a printed publication which celebrates the humble pun. The magazine is a collaboration between illustrators, artists and designers and showcases a variety of wordplay related work. So if you love puns and visual puns in particular, you'll love this publication.

Click on images to enlarge

The size is A5 (210x148mm) portrait and is saddle stitched. It has a 4pp cover on our Colorset Pink Ice 120gsm and 20pp text on StarFine White 115gsm. It is printed in just one colour on a Riso machine. If you don't know about Riso, or Risography, you can read about it on an earlier post I wrote here:http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/what-is-riso-printing.html

Kids with Puns is the brainchild of designer Tom Dunn, who compiles and publishes the publication. It is published at irregular intervals - once he gets enough submissions!

Print is by Hato Press, who are based in East London and they have made a very tidy job of it.

...Thanks to Tom for the file copies and for the card.

Contributors (all links) are here:
Punny Pixels, Leeann Walker, Kieron C, Tiana Tucker, Henry Brown, Masum Khan, Alyssa Duhe, Keegan Steele, Pâté,
Adam Avery You can buy your copy here: http://www.kidswithpuns.com/
http://hatopress.net/

Posted by Justin Hobson 06.10.2015

What is ...Riso Printing?

What is ...Number 9

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 ...Riso Printing?

Riso or Risograph printing is one of the earliest forms of 'electronic' printing (as opposed to digital). Neither a photocopier or a duplicator, Risography was launched in the mid 1980's and provided a cheap method of colour printing that was cheaper than photocopying for short to medium runs and cheaper than short run offset litho. It was particularly aimed at educational establishments and offices.

Riso EZ200 model

Picture showing the master around the drums

The technology is an evolution of the old 'spirit duplicators' which worked on a typed or drawn wax 'master' through which ink is forced through and onto the paper.

The Riso machine scans an original (or today a digital interface is used) and a 'master' or stencil, which is similar to and can be described as printing plate is produced - through a heat process. From then on the process is similar to a cylindrical screen printer! The master/stencil (plate) is wrapped around a drum (which contains the ink). The drum revolves and the ink is forced through the master, printing the ink directly onto the paper that is fed past it through each revolution, one colour per drum, at a time. Each drum is charged with ink and is a particular colour, of which there are about 20 colours currently available. Inks come from the manufacturer ready mixed and only standard colours are possible. It is possible to crudely register colours although 'process' colours and registering four colours isn't feasible.

To illustrate this post, here is a project which has been printed Riso and a great example of what can be achieved. Open Books is designed by Sophie Demay and Lola Halifa-Legrand. It's a sub A5 format, wiro bound with a variety of different text papers and printed is a blue, green and red.

Cover, above is printed blue, on Colorset Suede 270gsm.Below shows double page spread printed in green...

Below is an example of solid red (looks pretty good)

 Below is an example of solid blue (not so great!) ...but as all printers will say, if you're going to have a problem with any colour, it'll be blue!

Invitation, below, printed Riso in two colours, yellow and blue on white:

Open Books is Riso printed by Hato Press, also based in London.

So what else should you know about Riso printing?
Some of the machines are A4, oversize A4 or A3, so it depends on the size that the printer has. Riso printers only print on uncoated papers and ideally paper which has a slightly rougher, more 'open' surface. Riso machines don't like lightweight or heavyweight papers, so the acceptable weights tend to be from 100gsm up to 270gsm.

There are now quite a few independent Riso printing companies or studios around, some of whom have been established for a few years. It is an increasingly popular printing method for independent publishers and designers wishing to experiment with printing. It is considerably cheaper than offset litho printing and HP Indigo print, although the quality is unique and characterful, but won't be appreciated by everyone!

You can read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risograph
http://www.riso.co.uk/

This is a very good resource: http://stencil.wiki/atlas

...and here is a list of a few Riso printers that I know of:
www.hatopress.net
http://www.dittopress.co.uk/
http://victorypress.co.uk/

https://www.calverts.coop/portfolio/risograph/
http://bellevuepress.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.two-press.co.uk/
www.londonbookarts.org
...and now in Glasgow (Updated 2016): https://www.risottostudio.com/
...and another one in London (Updated Sept 2017) www.beforebreakfast.london
...and another one in London (Updated Sept 2018) https://jumbo-press.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.09.2014