The Make Bank

During the Covid-19 Lockdown period, Fenner Paper has supported a social project called The Make Bank. It was set up a year ago by Kirsty Thomas, founder of Tom Pigeon, to provide support and materials for disadvantaged school pupils to enable them to pursue creative education and creative careers. Their work is predominantly with senior pupils and they have sent over 200 kits out to young people in the past 12 months.

During the lockdown period The Make Bank have created ‘Mini Kits’ for the UK's most vulnerable primary pupils to help them create and learn at home. The kits have been sent to kids nominated by their teachers who are dealing with poverty, domestic abuse and extreme living conditions.

Kirsty approached us to see if we were able to supply the paper for the packs...

During the lockdown period, Fenner Paper has been open for business running with a skeleton staff. Using our spare time during the day, a team of three of us have hand collated packs of A4 plain white paper, together with 20 sheets of assorted coloured papers and boards.

We collated 250 packs, which will go with drawing and colouring materials to help make the kits for the kids.

We were particularly pleased to be able to help as we normally use our offcut papers to support the St Brides Wayzgoose where last year, we raised £357.00 for the St Bride Foundation. This year's Wayzgoose was due to be held this coming weekend but has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

You can read more about The Make Bank and how YOU can support the project here: https://www.themakebank.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 11.05.2020

St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose

Here's a date for your diary...

This year, the Annual St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose takes place on Sunday 17th May  

The above flyer is printed letterpress by Andrew Long ( ...on our Colorset Lemon 270gsm!)

Wayzgoose is a term (unfamiliar to many people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a printworks and was often an away-day to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm.

 However, in this instance the St Bride's Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale. There are companies selling type, letterpress accessories, ink and lots of letterpress printed books and cards and the proceeds from the event go towards the St Bride Foundation. Why not come along... ? For interest, this is what it was like last year:
https://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-5th-wayzgoose-at-st-bride-foundation.html

http://www.sbf.org.uk/ 

Posted by Justin Hobson 10.03.2019

The Brunswick Prison Camp Map Printers

Next week, there is a wonderful opportunity to hear a talk at the St Bride Foundation about a fascinating subject...

This is the little-known story of how a clandestine press was made and run by a group of industrious British prisoners of war in a German camp (Oflag-79) in order to mass produce escape maps, towards the end of the second world war.

With Mark Evans’ knowledge of his father’s experiences as a prisoner in the camp and Ken Burnley’s life in printing, together they will bring this incredible story to life and shed light on the background, context and the circumstances in how these maps – all to scale and printed in three or four colours – were produced in secret, including the technicalities of their hand-made press, making of inks and printing.

Mark Evans is an artist, sculptor and trained stonemason; son of Brunswick Prison Camp map printer, Philip Radcliffe-Evans. Ken Burnley is a compositor and letterpress printer.

 

The talk is next Tuesday, 3rd December and tickets are a bargain at £12.50 and are available here.

 

https://billetto.co.uk/e/the-brunswick-prison-camp-map-printers-tickets-385910

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.11.2019

Set in Stone

Yesterday evening I was at the St Brides Foundation in London for the launch of a wonderful notebook titled "Set in Stone". The project was a collaboration between design agency Carter Wong, printer Boss Print and us! This is the fifth notebook in the series, each one with a different and equally fascinating subject!

This edition showcases the fascinating examples of Jurassic fossils which can be seen all across London and its buildings.

The evening started with lashings of beer and wine and the opportunity to look at the exhibition showing the concept and the images that are the subject of the book.

There was then an introduction to the project by Sarah Turner, Managing Director of Carter Wong followed by a short presentation by Fenton Smith from Boss Print. There were over 100 people who attended....

...and here is the actual notebook that was the centre of attention.

The wonderfully debossed cover is on a vinyl based cover material. Flexible, durable and just right for a notebook.

...a birds eye view showing the binding and the pages with the images of the tiles printed, which are "french folded"

The below image shows a spread of the notebook with the image page on the left, showing the building and on the reverse side of the French folded image sections is an image of the stone/concrete that includes the fossils.

- what you cannot see and is impossible to show/photograph is the way that all the fossils are embellished, either with the most superb embossing, so they are actually in relief - a truly amazing effect or the most amazing foiling...

Above is the most amazing relief deboss and below is incredible foiling, which just brings the image alive...

The paper used in the books is our Redeem 100% Recycled 80gsm for the text pages and Omnia 120gsm for the fossil pages. The text pages printed on the Redeem are all printed with a solid tint which increases in tint as it goes through the book, representing the strata of rock.

Omnia is the perfect material to use for the Text pages as it's dead flat mattness gives incredible tactility to the fossil images, whilst still reproducing the images of the buildings superbly.

Printing is all offset litho. Embossing and foiling is all by Boss print and it is all to an exceptionally high standard.

 

A big thank you to Carter Wong, Boss Print and of course, our friends at the St Brides Foundation who made the event special as always.

http://www.carterwongdesign.com/
https://www.bossprint.com/
http://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson on 23.05.2019 

The 5th Wayzgoose at the St Bride Foundation

Yesterday, I had a stall at the St Bride Foundation WAYZGOOSE. This is a term (unfamiliar to most people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a print-works and was often an awayday to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm. In this instance the St Bride Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale.

Thirty tables displaying and selling many different items - everything from lead type to the Adana tabletop presses from Caslon, to secondhand books and printed examples of work.

Below is the table that I was allocated, where, as with previous years, I adopted a "throw it all on the table" approach! I took lots of offcuts and discontinued paper and board items. All paper and card sold by weight - 30 pence per 100 grams.

I served at my 'paper stall' from 11am to 4pm  ...and by the end of the day I had raised a record breaking £357.00, all donated to the St Bride Foundation.

...and here is my beautifully crafted 'Weigh & Pay' signage.by Helen Ingham from the Hi Artz Press - It's now lasted two wayzgooses!

My thanks to Mick Clayton for organising the event and to all the staff and friends at St Bride's.

http://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 20.05.2019

St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose

The Annual St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose takes place next month on Sunday - 19th May

Wayzgoose is a term (unfamiliar to many people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a printworks and was often an away-day to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm.

 However, in this instance the St Bride's Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale. There are companies selling type, letterpress accessories, ink and lots of letterpress printed books and cards and the proceeds from the event go towards the St Bride Foundation. Why not come along... ? For interest, this is what it was like last year:
https://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-4th-wayzgoose-at-st-bride-foundation.html

http://www.sbf.org.uk/ 

Posted by Justin Hobson 05.04.2019

Progress? On the evolution of Arabic type

Next week, the Justin Howes Memorial Lecture is being delivered by Titus Nemeth at the St Bride Foundation.

The history of typography is also a history of technologies. As the means of multiplying texts evolved through time, different tools left distinct marks on letterforms. This dynamic accelerated from the late nineteenth century, as technological developments began to radically change the making and setting of type. At increasingly shorter intervals new machines and techniques shaped how text was represented and multiplied. Arabic typography is no exception to this, but its history is shorter.

Only when in the West, print was industrialised began Muslim printers to use letterpress printing on a large scale. In consequence, the mechanisation of Arabic typography occurred at an earlier evolutionary stage, lending machinery a key role in its development.

In this talk Titus, discusses this history from the perspective of progress: He will present key moments and contributions, consider drivers and motivations, and query if and how new technologies really did result in advances for Arabic typography.

Titus Nemeth is a type-designer and typographer with a special interest in the Arabic script. An alumnus of the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at Reading, Titus has pursued an independent career for over ten years. He has taught in France (ESAD Amiens), Morocco (ESAV Marrakesh), Qatar (VCUQ), and the UK (Reading). His doctoral research formed the foundation for Arabic Type-Making in the Machine Age, recently published with Brill Publishers.

The talk is next Thursday, 14 March 2019 from 7–9pm at the St Bride Foundation. Tickets are a bargain at £8–12.50 - this is a fascinating subject, why not go and stimulate the grey matter!
You can book tickets HERE

https://www.sbf.org.uk/whats-on/view/the-justin-howes-memorial-lecture-progress-on-the-evolution-of-arabic-type/

Posted by Justin Hobson 07.03.2019

David Hebrew Typeface Family

Ismar David was a prolific type designer, calligrapher, graphic designer and illustrator. He also engaged in architectural design and taught calligraphy. From the 1930s to the 1990s, he created exquisite designs, studying in Berlin in 1928, emigrating to Jerusalem in 1932 and to New York City in 1952.

His most important work is considered to be the David Hebrew Typeface family. It was the first of its kind when it was issued in 1954 and up until today it is the pinnacle of Hebrew type design.

What are the challenges entailed in designing a Hebrew typeface family? How did David tackle these obstacles? Why is this work paramount and what has become of it over the years ...?
You can hear the answers to these questions at a talk being given by Shani Avni, based on her  research for her MA dissertation at the University of Reading. Her talk will shed some light on David’s fascinating design process and ground-breaking results.

Shani Avni is an independent designer and researcher. She holds a BA from Shenkar College of Design in Tel Aviv and an MA in Typeface Design from the University of Reading. Shani has been chosen for the 2017 Cary Collection Research Fellowship at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), USA, where David’s work is archived.

Unfolding the First Hebrew Typeface Family by Ismar David is at the St Bride Foundation on 6th February 2019 7pm – 9pm. Tickets cost £8 – £12.50 and you can book tickets HERE

www.shaniavni.com
https://billetto.co.uk/e/unfolding-the-first-hebrew-typeface-family-by-ismar-david-shani-avni-tickets-317064

Posted by Justin Hobson 28.01.2019

Talkin’ ‘bout my g-g-g-generation

Here's a talk which is well worth getting tickets for... 

Design Educator Glen Robinson has been connecting generations of graphic design students and graduates with one another for over a decade.

Together with past students Rick Banks (Face37), Marianne Waller (CNN Digital) and current students Rowan Collins and Olivia Bush (studying Design for Publishing) they will share some personal insights from their creative lives and loves.

The talk is on Tuesday 27 November and the tickets are only £12.50 (concessions available)

You can read more about the talk here:
https://www.sbf.org.uk/whats-on/view/talkin-bout-my-g-g-g-generation/

You can buy tickets here:
https://billetto.co.uk/e/talkin-bout-my-g-g-g-generation-tickets-314532/select

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.11.2018

The Beatrice Warde Memorial Lecture

The 2018 Beatrice Warde Memorial Lecture is being held at the St Bride Foundation in London next Thursday - why don't you go along and stimulate the brain....

Drawing on her experience as a type historian, type-designer, and educator, Fiona Ross will discuss how, despite notable historical accounts to the contrary, type design is rarely a solitary occupation conceived in a vacuum but rather a collaborative enterprise informed and executed by different contributors in answer to specific typographic needs.

This illustrated talk will highlight particular examples of Indian-script type development to illustrate how our understanding of contemporary design issues can benefit from an appreciation of the key contributors who, in specific contexts, combined to determine the typographic representation of South Asian languages.

Fiona Ross specializes in non-Latin type design and typography, having a background in languages with a PhD in Indian Palaeography (SOAS). From 1978 to 1989 she worked for Linotype Limited (UK), with responsibility for the design of their non-Latin fonts and typesetting schemes. In 2003 Fiona joined the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading (UK), where she is Professor of Non-Latin Type Design and Curator of the Department's Non-Latin Type Collection.

The talk is on the 8th November at 7pm

Tickets are £8 - £12.50 - you can book them HERE

https://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 31.10.2018

The Print Show 2018

Last week I visited the Print Show at the NEC in Birmingham. It was an interesting show and there were dozens of companies from ink manufacturers to software, finishing equipment, digital and press suppliers ...and even one or two paper companies too!

One particularly interesting section was "Traditional Print Masterclass" are, where I caught up with my friends from the St Bride Foundation - Mick Clayton below operating a handpress.

...and Nick Hand from the Letterpress Collective in Bristol together with his Printing Bike, which I've written about on this blog before. I'd never actually seen the bike and it really is a beast.

https://www.theprintshow.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.09.2018

The 4th Wayzgoose at the St Bride Foundation

Yesterday, I had a stall at the St Bride Foundation WAYZGOOSE. This is a term (unfamiliar to most people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a print-works and was often an awayday to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm.

In this instance the St Bride Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale.

Thirty tables displaying and selling many different items - everything from lead type to the Adana tabletop presses from Caslon, to secondhand book and printed examples of work.

Below is the table that I was allocated, where, as with previous years, I adopted a "throw it all on the table" approach! I took lots of offcuts and discontinued paper and board items. All paper and card sold by weight - 30 pence per 100 grams.

...and here is my new, beautifully crafted 'Weigh & Pay' signage 

It was sign-written by Helen Ingham from the Hi Artz Press, pictured below and I am really touched that she kindly produced such an exquisite sign. I am sure it will come in useful for many years to come!

I served at my 'paper stall' from 11am to 4pm  ...and by the end of the day I had raised a record breaking £247.00, all donated to the St Bride Foundation.

My thanks to Mick Clayton for organising the event and to all the staff and friends at St Bride.

http://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 21.05.2018

St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose

The Annual St Bride Foundation Wayzgoose takes place next month on Sunday - 20th May

Wayzgoose is a term (unfamiliar to many people) that used to refer to an annual holiday in a printworks and was often an away-day to the coast or some other sort of day out, more often than not, paid for by the firm.

 

However, in this instance the St Bride's Wayzgoose is a kind of letterpress 'bring and buy' sale. There are companies selling type, letterpress accessories, ink and lots of letterpress printed books and cards and the proceeds from the event go towards the St Bride Foundation.

Why not come along... ?

 

For interest, this is what it was like last year:

http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/the-3rd-st-bride-foundation-wayzgoose.html

 

http://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 13.04.2018