Thursday, 7 January 2016

Shakespeare Schools Festival

The Shakespeare Schools Festival is the UK's largest youth drama festival, offering students from all backgrounds the opportunity to perform Shakespeare on their local professional stage. Alistair Hall and his Clerkenwell studio 'We Made This' was commissioned to create a promotional pack of exercise cards to send out to schools. The brief was "to challenge, support and inspire teachers to inject some SSF style creativity into their classrooms"

They created a stunning box set of hot foil-blocked cards featuring quotes from Shakespeare's plays.
This size of the box (outside dimensions) is 160x222mm and the depth of the box is 16mm. The box is a two piece 'tray and lid'. The cards are all A5 (148x210mm), hot foil blocked and 'round cornered'
Click on images to enlarge
The cards are printed on our Colorset Light Grey, 350gsm (above) which is 100% recycled and the natural kraft colour below is printed on our Plexus 350gsm (below)
Click on images to enlarge
The quotes are set in bold, engaging lettering on the fronts of each card and are beautifully hot foil blocked ...just look at the image below:
Alistair says "the client's response was - They are beautiful! Thank you so much, I couldn't be more pleased" and it was lovely to have that passed on and to receive a file copy and his kind note
The superb execution of the project is by Benwells. They produced all the print, foiling and finishing of the cards - all of which is superlative. Paul Haslam at Benwells oversaw the project.

The exquisite boxes are produced by W. MacCarthy & Sons Ltd, who are based in Woolwich in South London.

This project is a truly outstanding piece of design, typography and print.

http://www.ssf.uk.com/
http://www.wemadethis.co.uk/
http://www.benwells.co.uk/
http://www.maccarthyandsons.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 07.01.2016

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Jobs from the past - Number 75

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...

Open to Learn - Pearson 2010

Pearson is a company with 150 year old history. Most recently they have been regarded as a publishing company which has now been restructured, becoming the world's largest education company.

Open to Learn is a publication produced at the time of their re-branding, to introduce Pearson as a learning company. Subtitled 'Pearson in Ten Lessons', the introduction is by Dame Marjorie Scardino, who was then CEO of Pearson.
The booklet is an A5 portrait, limp bound with an 8pp cover and a 24pp text (plus a 'throw out') - making it 26pp text.
One of the really interesting facets of this job is that they produced four different coloured covers. Just simply by picking up on the lead colours used throughout the publication. Both the outside covers and the inside of the 8pp covers were changed, two of the colours are shown below...
Below image shows inside front spread:
Click on images to enlarge
The paper used is our Neptune Unique SoftWhite. The cover is 300gsm and text is 155gsm. The choice of paper was particularly important for this publication. As it was being produced by a publisher, it had to have the right 'booky' feel which also meant that an off white shade and uncoated tactile feel was desirable - and as you can see from the design, a coated paper would not have been right.

The below image shows the throw out...
Click on images to enlarge
This project was part of the new Pearson brand identity which was completed by Interbrand in London. The team that worked on the identity is as follows: Creative Directors: Ian Styles/Chris Davenport/ Simon Thompson Design Directors: Ed Bolton/Arielle Breit Copywriter: Chris Davenport Graphic Designers: James Holland/David Lismer. You can read more about this project on the following link:
http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/design-casestudy/pearson-pearson-brand-identity-14858105/

Print was managed by Peter Roberts and Emma Dixon from Urban Print Support - who are self styled "print guardians to brand guardians" - they work for many agencies and end clients to bolster their print production knowledge. Print is by Gavin Martin Colournet.
All in all a very well executed project - a really, really well produced piece of literature.

https://www.pearson.com/
http://www.interbrand.com/en
http://www.urbanprintsupport.co.uk/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 05.01.2016


Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Simon Winnall

Simon Winnall is an advertising photographer, specialising in lifestyle and portraiture work for brands and ad agencies across the world. Here are just some of the names he has worked with: BMW Coca-Cola DHL Honda LG Nescafé Nivea Oriflame Panasonic SFR France Sony Vodafone Volvo BBH Brave DDB Huge Inc Leg Paris Leo Burnett McCann Erickson Nexus/H Ogilvy Sapient Nitro VML Sao Paulo ...and the list goes on!
 
This piece of promotional print is to show new work and it is a particularly engaging piece of print. The size is 150mmx 200mm, landscape format. There is a 4pp cover which is unprinted, just simply debossed with his name on or Colorset 100% Recycled Light Grey 270gsm.
The 16pp text is 'singer sewn' in a bright red thread - beautiful detailing.
The text is printed Offset Litho on our Omnia White 150gsm, the results of which are superb. The look and feel of the whole publication is very uncoated and tactile but there is absolutely no loss of detail in the images.
Click on images to enlarge
The spreads look superb with the mono images in particular, really rocking:
Image showing inside detailing of the singer sewing:
Photography, design and production is by Simmon Winnall. Superb print is by London based printer Push.

http://www.simonwinnall.com/
www.processphotography.com
http://www.push-print.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 30.12.2015

Monday, 28 December 2015

Christmas card by S-T

Thank you to everyone who has kindly sent me cards this Christmas. I've received a wide selection of really lovely designs and beautifully produced cards, not all on our paper, of course! ...but many are.
 
This one particular card, I did think I would write about, because not only is it printed on our Colorset Bright Red 270gsm (100% Recycled) but it is printed in an unconventional way. The card is designed by London based studio, Design by St. The size of the card is A6 (105x148mm) landscape format and is hinged at the top of the card.
Click on images to enlarge
The card is printed in just one colour - white. The result is fantastically effective and I looked at it to see how it has been achieved:
Was it matt hot foil blocking? Silkscreen? HP Indigo digital white?
...Nope, none of the above!
In fact, it was printed by a Scottish printer called Kestrel Press based in Irvine. They have a digital press which is toner based and this is the result - in just one pass! The result is truly superb and as I discovered from speaking to Graeme Ferguson at Kestrel, achieved at a much more economical price in comparison with the processes I listed above.
Creative Partners at Design by St are Steve Fenn and Tom Pollard.

http://www.designbyst.com/
http://www.kestrelpress.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 28.12.2015

Wednesday, 23 December 2015

Fenner Paper 2016 Diary

If you are a wonderful customer and therefore a deserving user of our papers, you should have already received your new 2016 diary in the post, here's a sneak preview, if you haven't yet received it.
As in previous years, the diary is 230x162mm, portrait and retains the popular 'month to view' format. The cover board is printed offset in just one colour on our new Zanders Zeta Linen 270gsm.
 
The 40pp text is simply printed in one colour, offset litho, on our lovely Redeem 100% Recycled 60gsm, which has a superb opacity and a good writing surface making this an ideal paper for a diary or notebook.
 
The 'tent' calendar is printed on Zanders Zeta Hammer 270gsm and should be a useful addition to any desk! Our thanks go to the Reflex Paper Mill for supplying us with the material for the diary cover and calendar.
 
If you aren't a user of our papers and just fancy one anyway! ...they are available for purchase, just e-mail me for prices.

justin@fennerpaper.co.uk
Posted by Justin Hobson 23.12..2016

Monday, 21 December 2015

Waddesdon Wine - Bottle wrap

Waddesdon Manor is the historical country seat of the Rothschild family in Buckinghamshire and home to Waddesdon Wine, the official distributor for the Rothschild collection of wines.
This branding project includes a bottle wrap, printed using reproduction maps of the vineyard areas. The material used is our Offenbach Bible 40gsm, which is light enough to be used as a lightweight, 'tissue' type wrapping material and yet can still be printed offset litho in four colour process. Here is the final result, wrapped around the bottles...

The identity for Waddesdon Wine was created by Paul Belford Ltd and includes a wide range of printed collateral, including boxes and a brochure and features this W device.

Design and photography is by Paul Belford Ltd with creative direction and photography by Paul Belford and Martin Brown. The Offenbach Bible 40gsm is printed offset litho in CMYK by Identity.

http://www.waddesdon.org.uk/
www.paulbelford.com
http://www.identityprint.co.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 21.12.2015

Friday, 18 December 2015

Alfred & Wilde

Alfred & Wilde is an East-London based design brand producing art prints, stationery and homewares featuring bold metallics and cool graphics. Founded by artist and designer Simon Mitchell in 2013, Alfred & Wilde draw inspiration from the architecture and history of London (and beyond), using geometric shapes and typography to create beautiful printed designs.  All products are designed with heart in their East London studio.

These distinctive and fun Christmas cards are produced in conjunction with the Science Museum. Size is 170x120mm and they are printed on our Colorset 100% Recycled 270gsm.
Click on images to enlarge
The cards are printed on Colorset Bright Red and Natural 270gsm. They are printed using a combination of digital print using an HP Indigo Press plus hot foil blocking by specialist greeting card printers, The Imaging Centre. Unusually for a print company, they have hot foil blocking in -house.
As well as the Science Museum, you can find Alfred & Wilde at good design stores and independent boutiques across London and Europe. Throughout the year you may also spot them at selected markets and shopping events, particularly in East London.

http://www.alfredandwilde.co.uk/
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
www.theimagingcentre.co.uk
Posted by Justin Hobson 18.12.2015