Thursday 27 July 2017

How to Excite the Senses

Jaguar is a purpose-led organisation and their purpose is to excite the senses. This superb publication commissioned by the Jaguar PR and press department is to convey this purpose. This piece of literature embodies all the core values that Jaguar stands for and is produced to a very high specification.
The size of the publication is 165x240mm, landscape. The outside cover is case-bound using a combination of a soft touch covering material and 'quarter bound' in black book-cloth. The front cover is hot foil blocked in a gloss black foil. 

The binding is what is generally called "swiss-bound", so the text is mounted onto the inside back cover with the front cover and freestanding spine. The below image shows the inside front cover, inside spine and page one of text.
However, what is unusual about the binding is that the text is section sewn but left as what I describe as "open-bound" with the sections being held together with just thread and a very small amount of glue.
Click on images to enlarge
One of the things about this project which is so exciting is the use of different materials. The introduction is an 8pp section printed on Offenbach Bible 60gsm - which is printed sensationally with an amazing image ...the alloy wheel below:
...and below you can see the way the very lightweight Offenbach Bible flops and flows:
The majority of text is printed on our Omnia 120gsm. The majority of pages are printed in a solid black, which looks wonderful on the Omnia.
Click on images to enlarge
...but to keep the reader stimulated there are eight "tip- ins" 140x110mm, which are printed on our Astralux 1 sided 90gsm, which is high gloss one side and an uncoated reverse.
The below image shows the way the uncoated and coated combination of the Astralux works really well.
Many of the spreads are also vibrant colours or solids which all work equally well on the Omnia.
The publication is printed offset litho throughout and there is also gloss UV which runs throughout the book. Unlike most uncoated products, you can successfully gloss UV varnish on Omnia (with a single hit) and it works really well - as you can see in the below pic...
Click on images to enlarge
Another luxurious touch is the use of coloured thread for the section sewing:
Concept, art direction and design of the publication is by Brand Union.

This is an exquisitely produced book which using a great choice of materials does "excite the senses". The project is printed offset litho throughout. Print is by CPI Colour with Alan Gillespie handling the project.
https://www.jaguar.co.uk/index.html
Posted by Justin Hobson 27.07.2017

Tuesday 25 July 2017

Verge

Verge is the name of the collaborative exhibition showing the work of the graduates from the 2016 BA Honours Photography course at the University of Portsmouth. The exhibition was held at Hoxton Arches in London in June 2016 and included a panel discussion on Collaborative Practice after University held on the Saturday.
The superbly produced publication is a professionally produced gallery catalogue. The size is 265x210mm portrait and it is perfect bound.
The 4pp cover is hot foiled blocked in metallic blue foil on the front cover and also on the inside front cover, listing the 26 photographers on the course. The 4pp cover is produced on Colorset Aquamarine 350gsm.
The 64pp text is printed offset litho on our Marazion Ultra 115gsm, which is a bulky sheet and gives the publication a spine of 5mm, although as you can see from the below image it flows really nicely.
Click on images to enlarge
Marazion Ultra was chosen mainly because of it's matt flatness which would reproduce the artworks well without a glossiness which can often detract from the images. The combination of the Colorset and Marazion Ultra is a simple but effective choice of materials.
Anca-Ioana Pirvu
Krasimira Butseva
Emma Durrant-Fellows
It's not been possible to reproduce all the spreads in the publication, so there are just some of my favourites here. As you can see from the spread below, even when the images are very dark and saturated with CMYK, the detail has been retained.
Sarah Benstead
For readers not familiar with Marazion Ultra, it's a fully coated paper but it really does have a dead flat MATT surface. There are many papers on the market which profess to be matt (and some which incorporate the word matt in the name, but aren't!) ...but this really is - and if you don't believe me, just ask for a sample!
Chris James
Detail showing the 5mm spine
Catalogue design is by Éloïse Parrack. Print was handled by Philip Herridge at printing services at the University of Portsmouth. Print is by PPG who are based in Portsmouth. 

http://www.source.ie/graduate/2016/univportba/univportba_index.php
http://www.eloiseparrack.com/
www.port.ac.uk
http://www.ppgprint.co.uk/
Posted by Justin Hobson 25.07.2017

Thursday 20 July 2017

Gillian Hyland cards

Originally from Ireland, Gillian Hyland began her career in publishing, where she worked as a fashion stylist and features writer for a number of well-known national magazines. This led to a move into the television industry, and later into the film industry.

As an artist and photographer, she creates supernatural staged images, presented as film stills or dramatic moments. Hyland’s unsettling mise-en-scene are full of sex and desire, sadness and nostalgia. Last year Gillian won a Royal Arts Prize and is represented by Saatchi Art.

This series of 2pp, A6 size cards are printed on Omnia 280gsm. The images have lots of detail but are all quite dark and therefore it was important to retain as much detail, especially in the dark areas. This is the reason that Omnia was chosen rather than a regular uncoated board, Omnia gives the uncoated look and feel but with great colour reproduction.
Click on images to enlarge
Unlike many of the printed items featured on this blog, which are printed offset litho, this series of cards has been digitally printed on an HP Indigo press. The colours are strong and punchy and the cards have a tactile look and feel. Being a digital print process it also means that small quantities can be printed economically and updated frequently, without the pressure of having to do a large print run.
Click on images to enlarge
Although Omnia was never originally developed for digital printing, we now keep it as a stock item with "sapphire treatment". This treatment is often applied to more unusual papers and provides a "key" so that the inks (which are different to litho inks) work on the paper surface. The great thing is the job just doesn't look and feel like a digital job. 
All the cards have the artwork details printed in black on the reverse, as you can see above.

Design is by Gillian Hyland Creative. Printing is by Chadbon Printing based in London.

https://www.gillianhyland.com/
http://chrischadbonprinting.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 20.07.2017

Monday 17 July 2017

Delicious new swatch...

We now have a wonderful new swatch for our Dolcelicious range of papers. We launched this new range at the PrintweekLive! exhibition in March after being appointed as the UK stockist
Dolcelicious is a tactile and beautifully coloured range of high quality, certified food contact papers - suitable for contact with dry, moist and fatty foodstuffs developed by Britain's master papermaker James Cropper.
Innovation is at the heart of everything James Cropper does and this range of papers reflects this ethos. Having identified that what was lacking in the packaging market was a high end, luxury option for the food sector that was certified for food contact and readily available, they started product development.

The range they developed is an uncoated range in seven different paper shades, and four film laminates (matt/gloss, gold and silver).
The new swatch shows all the colours and the metallics, together with printed examples, die cut and embossed samples.
Richard Burnett, market development manager at James Cropper, said "We have been working in the food packaging market for a number of years, making lots of bespoke papers for customers. But we recognised that there can be a time delay for a bespoke product and what we needed was an own range that is ready certified for food contact yet was suitable for the luxury end of the food market. Dolcelicious can be used for things such as confectionery, drinks and high end bakery items – in fact it is suitable for contact with dry, moist and fatty foodstuff."
The new Dolcelicious food contact-approved paper range was first shown by Croppers at the Luxe Pack trade show in Monaco last year. A range of sample packaging has also been produced using the range to demonstrate how the material can be used.
This is the first and (..so far) only, luxury direct food-contact paper available from stock and is a fantastic addition to our range. If you would like to see samples, please let me know: justin@fennerpaper.co.uk

http://www.dolcelicious.com/
http://www.jamescropper.com/mill/
Posted by Justin Hobson 17.07.2017

Thursday 13 July 2017

Simone Rocha Exclusive Book

http://simonerocha.com/Simone Rocha was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1986. In 2008 she graduated with a BA in Fashion from The NCAD in Dublin followed by an MA from Central Saint Martins in 2010. Simone debuted at London Fashion Week in September 2010 and her collections can be found in some of the most prestigious stockists in the world.

Last year at the British Fashion Awards Simone received the “British Womenswear Designer Award” as well as the 2016 Harper’s Bazaar Designer of Year Award. This year Simone opened her first USA store in Soho, New York.

This superbly conceived publication is a limited edition production. The scale is a luxuriously large 420x305mm, portrait format, which flops and rolls beautifully.
Front Cover....
Click on images to enlarge
Simone works on seasonal imagery and produces limited edition printed books featuring the works of collaborators and inspirations. Contributors for this book are Jacob Lillis, Eoin McLoughlin, Colin Dodgson, Louise Bourgeois, Perry Ogden, Ross McDonnell.
The publication is a collection of loose 4pp, forming spreads which Juxtapose the different subject. It is loose bound using a rubber band which holds it all together remarkably effectively for the size. The publication is a self cover, all produced on Omnia 120gsm.  Below you have Flowers and Cars (Jacob Lillis) with Pony Kids (Perry Ogden).

Click on images to enlarge
The publication is printed offset litho on our Omnia White 120gsm, the result is 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.
Above you have Simone Rocha collection on the left page (Colin Dodgson) with Louise Bourgeois on the right page. When the publication is disassembled, you can see the whole spread ...as you can see in the below image
Click on images to enlarge
Below shows the publication separated into individual 4pp with the band removed.
The below image shows the outside back cover and the way that the band holds the folded 4pp unbound sections in place:
Art direction and design is by Simmonds. Print production, including the binding is by Pureprint.

http://simonerocha.com/
http://www.simmondsltd.com/
http://www.pureprint.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 13.07.2017


Monday 10 July 2017

ISTD Student Awards 2017

Last Friday, I was invited to  the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) Student awards ceremony, hosted by Pentagram at their wonderful studio in Notting Hill with Pentagram partner, Angus Hyland, presenting the certificates to the successful students and tutors.

It was a beautiful summer evening, and as with all ISTD events it was a very warm and friendly occasion with beer, wine and nibbles all laid on.
This presentation evening is for the main Student Assessment scheme held in the UK and Ireland. Students from Universities and Institutions around the UK and Ireland answered a number of briefs written by the ISTD's Education team. This is an international education scheme and the assessments for other regions of the globe are on-going.
 
Below is ISTD education officer John Paul Dowling talking through the judging process.  
Pentagram partner, Angus Hyland, presented all the certificates and also an excellent goody bag. There were students from universities from all over the country and further afield, with one student from Moscow. The Vincent Steer award, which is the highest accolade, was awarded to Conor Foran a student from NCAD.
Contents of the goody bags was excellent, with items generously supplied by Cass Art and a copy of Logo published and donated by Laurence King.
My thanks to the ISTD board for inviting me and as I have said many times on this blog before, it's very important to support organisations such as the ISTD and events such as this. A big thank you to all those members of the ISTD who freely give their time for the benefit of others, in particular, Freda Sack, who has been such an important figure in the society for so many years.
Posted by Justin Hobson 10.07.2017