What is ...Number 27
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 ...Spiral Binding?
Spiral binding, also known as plastic coil binding is a useful, functional binding method and a worthy alternative to
Wiro Binding. The advantages are that the text pages lie completely flat when open and that the plastic is virtually crush resistant, unlike wire-o, which when bent, will never truly regain it's shape.
Here's an example of a project which has been spiral bound using a clear (transparent) spiral
...a close up of the spine:
The binding elements are available in 16 standard colours and can even be bespoke manufactured to special colours for large enough runs. They come in standard sizes from 6mm to 50mm in diameter.
Using a specialist binding machine, these elements are “spun” through punched holes in book blocks and crimped in place. Below is the Hato Press studio Cookbook, bound in a deep red spiral.
Spiral binding is a popular option for products that are frequently handled in classroom and industrial settings such as calendars, children’s books, cookbooks, instruction manuals and even paper swatches!
One important consideration when using spiral binding is the "step up" which happens. As you might notice from the picture below the page on the right is stepped up and this is because it is made from one continuous spiral.
Below is a detail of the top of the spine
...and the bottom of the spine:
Therefore the one important piece of advice when using spiral binding is to avoid image or type read-overs over the spine.
With thanks to
Dash Finishers for the information and help.
http://dashfinishers.co.uk/?p=68
Posted by Justin Hobson 16.03.2016
This is a beautifully simply lookbook for London based fashion designer Alexander Lewis. Half American, half Brazilian, his education took him around the world, before working for Vogue and then began working on Savile Row, at Norton Sons and later E. Tautz. In London he learned about pattern-cutting, fit and how to turn a design into a beautifully crafted piece of clothing. After establishing his own design consultancy, he launched his own womenswear line in 2012.
These are the tour posters for a band called Hot Chip. The tour follows their latest album Why Make Sense? This new LP features the acclaimed singles Huarache Lights and Need You Now. Recorded in Oxfordshire and London and produced by Hot Chip with Mark Ralph and mixed by the band, David Wrench (FKA Twigs, Caribou) and Jimmy Douglass (Timbaland, Aaliyah). The album features guest appearances from De La Soul’s Posdnuos and Scritti Politti’s Green Gartside (Love Is The Future), as well as live instrumentation and backing vocals from touring band members Sarah Jones and Rob Smaughton. 
Yesterday, I attended a lecture day at St Bride's put on for students which was funded by the Wynkyn de Worde Society Charitable Trust.
The speakers at the event were Alistair Hall (from We Made This), Sharon King-Chai (an author-illustrator and book designer) and Chris Bounds (from Carter Wong design). There were around a hundred students from universities around the country. I spoke to some from Kingston, University of the Creative Arts and University of Reading.
33 Grosvenor Street is a period townhouse reimagined as a headquarters building. The building’s contemporary new Grade A office accommodation is joined with listed period space to provide an a business environment in one of London’s most prestigious addresses, Mayfair. The building is situated on the north side of the street between Grosvenor Square and Davies Street.
The images above and below show how it is unbound and how well it works - it holds together beautifully ...and that is because it is the correct choice of weight of material - Omnia is very bulky and 150gsm works perfectly. As a 12pp it holds itself together as a single piece of literature. The one thing I am unable to show here is the way it just flops in the hand - just right.
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