3D Printing - the future is coming!

I was recently contacted by a company offering a 3D printing service, which I thought I'd share.

I have heard a bit about 3D printing or "rapid prototyping" as it is sometimes called, but hadn't really looked into it in too much detail. This new technology has the ability to change the way we manufacture individual (custom) items and could literally be the pathway to us having the ability to make individual items in our own homes and offices - and has the potential to produce everything from machine parts to replacement teeth!

The company that sent me the information about their 3D printing service is positioned at the more "novelty" end of this new technology, although a very nice novelty it is...

Have a look ...maybe there's a Christmas present idea here! 

http://www.miniaturemoments.com 

for more info about 3D printing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing

Posted by Justin Hobson 28.11.2011

French Connection

This is a few months old now but I've only just got some file copies - It's the publication to accompany the French Connection marketing campaign for the Summer - it was a big press campaign, so I'm sure that some of the images will be familiar. As you can see from the pics below, it is a beautiful piece. Art direction, photography and reproduction is superb.

It's a 40pp self cover. Size is 240x345mm, portrait  and it's printed on Marazion Ultra 90gsm. It is loose bound - no saddle stitches.
Art Direction, design and production is by French Connection. It just has a fantastic feel - it is difficult for me to say much more about it - just look at the images, they speak for the job...

It is a "double ended" publication - ie two front covers, one way works as Womens (above) the other way works as Mens (below)

Design is by Graeme Williams. Print is by Geoff Neal Litho. A lovely piece

www.frenchconnection.com

www.geoffneallitho.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 24.11.2011

Mantis World 2011

This is a catalogue produced earlier in the year for ethical clothing company Mantis World.

For this catalogue, the desire was for a "tactile" cover material that had an uncoated feel but that wouldn't let down the brightness of the colours and to introduce a "magazine" section with interviews and news. The factory that makes these clothes is in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and they use 100% certified organic cotton and are a pioneer in ethical manufacturing, therefore using environmentally concious materials is important.

The eventual choice of materials combined the tactile Omnia as a cover but only in 200gsm (which is very bulky) with our lightweight Redeem 100% Recycled in 70gsm which has a newsprint look and feel for the "magazine" section. This was combined with some Hanno Art Gloss (FSC) for the basic text pages.

All the below spreads show imagery reproduced on Redeem 100% Recycled 70gsm - exceptionally vibrant result:

The job is 4pp cover with a 124pp text. Size is 165x220mm, portrait, perfect bound.

Print is by Quadracolour.

Design is by Astroman. Creative Director on the project was Doug Hurcombe. Designer on the project was Katerina Karamallaki and thank you for the lovely note...

http://www.mantisworld.com/

http://www.astro-man.com/

www.quadracolor.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 22.11.2011 

New Press at Push

Regular readers of this blog will know that apart from some beautifully printed work demonstrated on this blog, there isn't very much good news in the printing industry. Many companies have simply gone bankrupt Midas Press, Good News Press, SV2, Moores, to name but a few, so positive news is hard to come by.

However last week, I popped in to London printer Push who are in the middle of installing a brand spanking new B1 Heidelberg Press (a CX102) ...and below are the pics of installation in action.

This represents an extremely big investment but demonstrates that if a company wants to continually improve quality and keep up with the latest technology, it must invest.

Good luck and good printing!

www.push-print.co.uk

www.uk.heidelberg.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 21.11.2011

Morgan McKinley

This is an excellent example of a corporate brochure. It is beautifully designed, with innovative print and finishing features and is produced to a very high standard.

Morgan McKinley are a company working in the global professional recruitment industry and this corporate brochure is to give a company overview to potential clients.

Hot foil blocking in gloss black foil together with matt red foil features on the front cover and on the endpapers, gloss UV varnish used to great effect, below.

The publication is 215x280mm, Landscape, perfect bound. It has a 4pp cover, 2x2pp endpapers (front and back) and a 28pp text printed on our Omnia 150gsm - which as you can see from the mono photography and the flat solid areas of red and black, have given this job an amazing mattness and tactility.

Design is by Glazer. Creative director on the project is Jonathan Wybrow. Print and finishing is by Gavin Martin.

One final word ...how lovely to see an outstandingly produced corporate brochure that doesn't rely on stock photography, bright four colour work and glossy paper - it looks great.

www.morganmckinley.com

www.glazer.co.uk

www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk

BSME Art Director of the Year 2011

Simon Esterson

Last week, at the British Society of Magazine Editors awards, Simon Esterson, editor of Eye Magazine won Art Director of the year (Business publications). Congratulations to Simon and the whole team at Eye for this success.

In the last few years since Esterson took control of the publication, Eye magazine has truly gone from strength to strength and at a time when magazine publishing, in general, is going through a difficult period.

Although we do supply a small amount of material for the magazine (not the main text) I wouldn't want anybody to think reading this that I'm just "sucking up"! Quite apart from the paper, in my opinion it is an excellent publication and well worth subscribing to ...so there!

Here are some previous posts about Eye:
http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2011/02/eye-78-seven-colour-marathon.html
http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2010/08/eye-76.html

www.eyemagazine.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.11.2011

And the Sun will Shine...

Well if your Tuesday, November morning is looking as grey and dank as mine, here's something that will brighten it up!

I've just received a lovely screenprint from designer and illustrator Billy Allinson, who produced this print on our Colorset, Natural 270gsm (100% recycled) ...and he very kindly sent me one.

Size is 330x475mm

I first met Billy at Kingston University as he was arranging the invitations and promotional material for their graduation show. Since then he worked for many years at Formula One, designing a wide range of their promotional material including a party invitation for one of Petra Ecclestone's extravagant parties!

Billy now combines working with his own clients with freelancing and has his own silkscreen studio  - a man of many talents!
www.billyallinson.com

...and thanks for my lovely print which is definitely brightening up the day!

Posted by Justin Hobson 15.11.2011