FLUX

FLUX is a new magazine for lawyers which is published as a collaborative project between LexisNexis and the Cambridge Judge Business School. The publication celebrates diversity and women in law, and focuses on outstanding contributions to the legal industry within in-house and top law firms, on both a national and international level

Cover illustration by Jason Ford

Size of the magazine is 280x210mm and is printed on our StarFine White, with a 4pp cover on 240gsm and 48pp text on 130gsm giving the publication a 5mm spine. StarFine is a quality, uncoated paper and as the images show, image reproduction is excellent. The solids, photographic images and the illustrations look stunning - a great amount of detail for an uncoated paper, colours are bright and vivid.

The magazine is produced by YBM who are specialists in magazine publishing and content. The editor is Mira Katbamna. It is printed offset litho in CMYK throughout by London based Park Communications.

The superb art direction is by Zoë Bather. The design reflects the accessible tone of the title’s features and interviews. The use of illustration throughout the publication, probably more than images, create a gentle pace but the title pages use an energetic mix of solid colours and typography. I noted all the illustrators, who are: Ben Kirchner, Holly Wales, Olivier  Kugler, Allan Sanders, Hanna Melin, Jason Ford

Another interesting feature is the use of Gloss UV varnish on the title header and illustration (by Jason Ford) on the front cover (pictured below). A single hit of gloss UV varnish has worked really well and just gives the cover a point of difference,

The magazine is produced by YBM. Editor is Mira Katbamna. Art direction by Zoë Bather. The excellent print is by Park Communications, who are based in East London.

https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/home/
http://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/
https://ybm.co.uk/
http://zoebather.co.uk/
http://www.parkcom.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 08.09.2016

An Evening With Vint Cerf

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of attending a talk in London by Dr Vinton Cerf. Widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet".  Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet along with his colleague, Robert E. Kahn. As a Vice President of Google, he contributes to global policy development and the continued spread of the internet. The lecture was at Stationers' Hall in London and hosted by three city of London Livery companies including the Stationer's Company.

The hall was packed to capacity. Vint Cerf is an excellent speaker, injecting his talk with personal anecdotes and humour. He fears that future generations will have little or no record of the 21st Century as we enter what he describes as a digital Dark Age. "Even if we accumulate vast archives of digital content, we may not actually know what it is” His concerns about archiving our digital age are many and he is spending much time looking into the problem and the possible solutions. He outlined many of the issues whilst introducing those people and institutions who are also trying to address the problem of archiving the internet.

When pontificating about the current best way to preserve information for the future, he said "best to print it on some good quality paper and store it in good conditions" (I've paraphrased the remark) - an interesting comment in this day and age.

The lecture was excellent and left the audience all wondering for the future....
https://stationers.org/

Readers may also be interested to read the article I wrote previously about a paper mill in Finland that has been converted to a data farm by Google!

http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/from-paper-to-data.html

Posted by Justin Hobson 06.09.2016

Peace Signs

In May, I wrote about the opening of an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum called Peace Signs , by the photographer Edward Barber and I was pleased to have been invited to the opening. http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/peace-signs-by-edward-barber.html



This is the simple piece of literature which accompanies the exhibition.  It's a well designed, beautifully produced piece of print with high impact. The finished size is 152x108mm folding out to a flat size of 304x434mm.

The mono image is printed with a border of  'nuclear' yellow which reflects the colour used on the walls in the exhibition. There is one image on the front...

...on the reverse is an image of the graphic installation entitled the Mind Map of Anti-Nuclear Protest, created by Danielle Inga and Edward Barber specifically for this exhibition. It's folded as a map fold - concertina and then folded over.

Click on Images to enlarge

One thing which is almost impossible to convey is that it's been printed on our Offenbach Bible 60gsm. It is superbly light and has a great "rattle" which it's just not possible to convey in pictures. It folds and handles beautifully.

You probably won't be able to guess, or even believe, is that it's digitally printed! The job was printed and finished by a digital print company called Typecast Colour, based in Paddock Wood, Kent. It was printed on their Xerox digital press and the result is superb. Printing digitally printing the limited run viable - even on a material such as this, which many litho printers are scared of!...just look at the print result.

...and there is an interesting story as well. Fran De'Ath is the lady in the main photograph and she was interviewed for The Guardian last month for their series called "That's me in the picture"
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/aug/12/one-person-picket-fran-death-protests-greenham-common



If you want to see the exhibition, you'll have to hurry as it finishes tomorrow (4th September)

http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/iwm-contemporary-edward-barber
http://edwardbarber.net/
http://concreteed.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.typecast.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.09..2016

Jobs from the past - Number 83

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 here's one from 2012. 

Alexander Brodsky Catalogue
Oct/Nov 2012

Founded by Nonna Materkova in 2009, Calvert 22 is focused on supporting and sharing the contemporary culture and creativity of the new east – eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia and Central Asia – enriching perceptions of the region and furthering international understanding. Through a regular programme of exhibitions, publications and debates Calvert 22 has established itself as a significant presence in the international contemporary art scene as it continues to support both established and emerging artists.

Photo courtesy of Russell Warren Fisher

This is the catalogue produced for the first UK showing of Russia’s leading avant-garde architect, Alexander Brodsky. White Room / Black Room saw Brodsky transform an entire floor of the gallery into two rooms filled with light and darkness, making for a fully immersive experience. Viewers entered through a small door and the space was divided into two contrasting rooms first encountering a seemingly endless corridor of white light and then a more confined darker chamber, hidden from view and filled with blackness.

The exhibition catalogue was designed to reflect this Black Room and White Room with a book divided in two halves, half with the text in white and half with the text in black. The publication is what I would describe as a 'double-ender' - the cover and text read one way and then you turn it over and it reads the other way. The image below, shows the way the cover works:

Click on images to enlarge

To further reflect the black and white theme, the pages of the catalogue at either end are unprinted pages which are 'Ram Punched' with a shape to represent the seemingly endless corridor of white light.

...and then a shape to represent the darker chamber:

The size of the book is 243x168mm, portrait and contains a total of 322 pages, which gives the book a chunky 21mm spine. The 322 page pagination includes equal thicknesses of black and white text paper and a 32pp centre section, without ram punching, on which the story about the exhibition is told.

Click on images to enlarge

The cover and middle section of text is printed on our Redeem 100% Recycled (315gsm and 100gsm). It is printed offset litho in just one colour. The 130pp of black, uses our Colorset Nero 120gsm and the below image shows how the black/white divide works

Click on images to enlarge

Catalogue design is by Russell Warren-Fisher, who runs his studio in Corsham just outside Bath. You can see other exhibition catalogues he has created here. Russell also created the brand identity and logotype for Calvert 22.

Print is by Emtone in Bath and as you can see, it was a seriously tricksy bit of finishing with a perfect 10mm thick cut

You can read more about the exhibition here:
http://calvert22.org/exhibitions/white-room-black-room-alexander-brodsky

http://calvert22.org/
http://www.rwfhq.com/
http://www.emtone.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 01.09.2016

SWD - Information Design

SWD is a graphic design company based in Holborn London. They have a wide and varied client base and their work covers an extensive range of disciplines. This piece of literature is one of a series of promotional pieces - and this one demonstrates their work in information design. 

Printed offset Litho in CMYK plus a special pale green. It's printed on Omnia 120gsm, which gives it a lovely tactile feel but the images have reproduced superbly. Finished size of the piece is 140mm square, which if used as a mailer, can be mailed out economically in a 155mm square envelope.

Folding out to 420mm...

and out again...

...to reveal the centre spread

Below image shows the reverse of the mailer.

Design is of course by SWD, Creative Director is Shaun Webb. Printing is by Chadbon Printing based in London.

http://www.swd.uk.com/
chris.chadbon@btinternet.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 30.08.2016

Boxes in Boxes

The nature of this blog means that most of the projects I write about are either on paper supplied by Fenner Paper and more often than not, because I've had some personal involvement in the project. However, sometimes a piece of print comes along (where I have had no involvement) that is so utterly worthy of note that I feel it needs bringing to your attention and this is one of those pieces!

This is actually quite a high profile piece of work having won a yellow pencil at D&AD this April, so you may have seen it before but for those of you who haven't read on...

Firstly I'll explain the background. Boss Print are a printer based in Acton, west London, who's work has appeared on this blog many times before. Over the years when they had put out box-making to various 'trade' box-makers, they had been frustrated with the quality of the boxes they had received back and however hard they managed the project there was always some dissatisfaction with the quality of the end result. Just to clarify, we are talking about 'paper over board' rigid boxes here. Consequently, last year they invested in their own equipment, staff and  (most important of all) staff training so that they could make their own boxes 'in-house'. They started to make beautiful boxes (and they really are the most amazing quality) but were faced with the problem of letting their existing and new customers know about this new service ...enter Studio Sutherl&!

Jim Sutherland has worked with Boss for many years and having seen the amazing quality of the boxes created this superb demonstration piece using the words "There was an old lady that swallowed a fly" - from a well known cumulative children's song and working the story into the "Russian doll" type set of boxes.

To give you an idea of scale, the size of the first box (which is a lid pictured above) is 208(h) x 178(w) x 83(d)mm. The lid comes off to reveal what is described as a 'flush finish box'.

The 'flush finish box', (in white) which has a magnetic flap, opens to reveal a 'clamshell' box (in sand colour)

Click on images to enlarge

The clamshell box opens to reveal a 'flush finish lid/tray box'

 ...just look at the superb finish on these boxes - an amazing snug fit and beautifully turned edges and corners. This is real craftsmanship. 

The Flush finish box opens to reveal an 'overlap lid/tray box' (pale blue)

As you can see the hot foil blocking appears on the top, sides and even insides of the boxes.  

 

Inside the overlap box is a 'matchbox' (yellow)

Opening like so... 

Inside the matchbox (which has a red liner) is a slipcase (grey)

...and inside the slipcase is a little casebound book.  

The book gives the lyrics of the whole story/poem/song written by Alan Mills with lyrics by Rose Bonne in 1952. It also lists all the styles of boxes and all the credits for those involved, including all the paper, which was supplied by Fedrigoni.

Design is by Studio Sutherl&. Creative director is Jim Sutherland and the designer on the project is Alice Tosey.

It really isn't easy to try and convey the quality of manufacture of these boxes. Everything fits superbly and there isn't a ripple or a bowing of the board to be seen on any of these boxes. The two images below, I hope will demonstrate the super tight tolerances that the boxes are made to:

This is the whole set of boxes sitting together...

You can read more about the project and see much better images that I can take on the following link:

http://studio-sutherland.co.uk/projects/boxes-in-boxes

It most deservedly won a yellow pencil at this years D&AD awards and was shortlisted in two categories of the DesignWeek Awards, winning the award for Print Communications.

...and I'm sure if you have a project, where you are looking for a beautiful bespoke rigid box, Boss print would be more than happy to hear from you! ...just email Bonnie Lo (bonnie@bossprint.com) at Boss and I'm sure she will be pleased to help.

https://www.bossprint.com/
http://studio-sutherland.co.uk/
http://www.fedrigoni.com/en/

Posted by Justin Hobson on 26.08.2016

Universal Works S|S 2017

Universal Works produce contemporary menswear. From their beginnings working from a kitchen table in 2008, their clothing has a following and is now stocked from Los Angeles to Seoul, with three of their own shops in London and Nottingham.

I've written many posts on this blog which includes the phrase "...just the cover makes the difference!" ...and this is one of those pieces of work. The whole job is superb but the cover is really stunning.

Size of the book is 297x210mm (A4) portrait. The cover is printed offset Litho in one colour (black) on our Colorset Bright Red 270gsm (100% Recycled). The book is completely unbound, just relying on the fold on the spine holding it all together - some people see this as a brave move and designers often feel their clients won't go for it, but on some projects (such as this) it just works....

Click on picture to enlarge

Another really interesting facet of this job is the use of our Offenbach Bible 60gsm as a completely unprinted flysheet. It beautifully layers the text and conveys an understated quality - not over the top , just a nice little addition which, being unprinted, is also particularly economical!

 

If you click on the image above, you'll be able to clearly see the Universal works logo showing through.

 

The unbound 24pp text is printed offset litho in CMYK on PhoeniXmotion Xantur 115gsm and because it is unbound, it can be mixed up, used individually and even stuck on the wall.

The below image shows the way Offenbach Bible works on the inside back cover

Outside back cover....

Design is by Nottingham based Waste Studio.  Print is by Pureprint with Rob Squires handling the project.

 

https://www.universalworks.co.uk/

http://www.wastestudio.com/

www.pureprint.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 23.08.2016