Westerham Press set to close

St Ives has announced the closure of the award-winning report and accounts and fine art printer St Ives Westerham Press (together with its Blackburn print site). Although it has been phrased as an "intention to close" (because of employment legislation) it is certain that it will close, thus marking an end to a sixty year history.

Westerham Press has been one of the most important offset litho sheet-fed printers in the UK, both from an innovation and quality point of view, since I have been involved in the industry. This move signals the further diversification of the St Ives group away from the core activity of printing.

The full article on Printweek is here:
http://www.printweek.com/Business/article/1103549/St-Ives-Direct-announces-Westerham-Press-Blackburn-closures/

Earlier in the year I wrote about the passing away of the founder of Westerham Press:
http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2011/03/rowley-atterbury-printer.html

Sadly, there is little positive news in the print (or paper) industry at the moment.
http://www.westerhampress.co.uk/westerham
http://www.st-ives.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 10.11.2011

The Necessary Cat

This is a self published book by photojournalist Chris Kelly. Chris has previously produced other publications but she sometimes felt that the material choice could have been more considered.

For this new project, she met with Emma Horner at London printers Push and Emma suggested that Chris call me to discuss materials. Chris popped in to our office in Tonbridge and I showed her various materials and how they worked with mono images. The end result  is this modest, simple but beautifully produced publication.

The book is 203x152mm Landscape, perfect bound. The paper used is our Marazion Ultra, 4pp cover on 250gsm with a 46pp text on 135gsm. The cover is matt laminated with gloss UV varnish over the images.The mono images are reproduced in CMYK throughout.

If you like cats, you'll love this book (I think it's on Amazon)

...and thanks to Chris for her appreciative note.

ckeditions@blueyonder.co.uk

www.push-print.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 09.11.2011

2011 International year of the forest!

Well here's an interesting one...

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. All in all, very laudable and interesting from a paper point of view ...but we're now in November and I've only just found out about it!

It appears that there have been some good events throughout the year but personally, I think it has been poorly promoted. Had I been aware, I would certainly have been interested and tried to raise awareness. Sadly, I don't think we feel very positive about forestry and far too much emphasis is placed on negative publicity about "saving trees" as opposed to planting and growing trees in a sustainable way.

http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/

Posted by Justin Hobson 07.11.2011

It's Nice That...

The It’s Nice That’s one-day conference has just been announced and the "earlybird" tickets have already sold out! However, there are still regular tickets available so why not have a look?

In Progress promises a deliberately curated programme of talks and insights from some of the most exciting and forward-thinking people in the creative industries.  The aim is to explore future trends, insights and potential highlights for 2012, opening up discourse about the direction of practice, process and innovation across a broad range of disciplines for the coming year.

There is a panel of influential creatives, commentators and industry specialists, including the following:
Tom Uglow creative director of Google and YouTube, Matt Jones of Berg, Lindsey Hilsum Channel 4’s award-winning international editor, Mills co-founder of UsTwo, publisher and writer James Bridle, Saatchi and Saatchi creative partner Kate Stanners, Emer Coleman director of digital projects at the GLA, Tony Davidson and Kim Papworth from W+K London, Dazed's Francesca Gavin and David McCall director of Hyper Island UK plus there will be additional names to be announced over the coming weeks.

...if you're sitting there reading this thinking "what's the point?" then ponder on this:
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival.
W. Edwards Deming  (US business advisor & author 1900 - 1993)

www.itsnicethat.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.11.2011

Jobs from the past - Number 25

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...

British Council

Design, Architecture & Cultural Relations - 2008

This is a modest and cost effective publication produced for the British Council in Spring 2008. The publication covered recent projects, showcasing the best of UK creativity and the way in which the work of the council engaged in international cutural relations.

Although the pictures make them look like a series, they are simply the same publication but with a change of coloured cover board. Extremely simple, very effective and bringing the project a lot more value than if the covers were all the same.

They are A5 portrait, wire stitched (with black stitches - nice touch!) The covers are all 4pp printed on 5 different shades of Colorset 100% Recycled 270gsm (Spring Green, Mango, Deep Orange, Magenta and White)

Fronts:

 Backs:

Covers are printed in two colours (special blue and black) common, on all colours. The 16pp text for reasons of cost was printed on a cheaper uncoated offset (which is called Evolve, I think) is printed in CMYK.

The job was printed by Beacon Press (now Pureprint).

Design is by Wood McGrath and even though it was three years ago, I've still got the lovely note they sent me with the file copies (which also happens to be printed on Colorset Solar 270gsm!) Thank you Martin and Suzy:

www.britishcouncil.org

www.woodmcgrath.com

www.pureprint.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 02.11.2011

Celia Sings

Some of you may remember the post that I wrote last December about the sad passing away of Celia Stothard. http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.com/2010/12/celia-stothard-1949-2010.html. Well, I can now happily report that a fantastic book celebrating her life has now been published, a book of which I am sure she would have been proud.

Celia was Alan Kitching's partner both in life and work. They happily collaborated on so many projects and this book is Alan's testament to Celia's creative life from working at the Sunday Times Magazine in the 1970's up to recent projects, at the same time as covering her life as a singer and performer.

It's a beautifully produced book. Look at the pictures and then I'll describe it!

End papers (Colorset 120gsm) with a pocket including a CD:

Unfolded wrap, that forms a dustjacket around the book, printed letterpress by Alan Kitching:

OK, now for the details....

The book is 280x205mm, portrait. It is section sewn, with blue cloth tape around the spine and has 3000 micron greyboard mounted to form the front and back "hard" covers. The outer front cover is hot foil blocked in two colours (red and blue) and there is a "plate sunk" panel with a picture of Celia mounted in the panel. The endpapers are blue in the front and red in in the back, both produced using Colorset 120gsm. There is 80pp of text which is all printed on our StarFine White 150gsm (an uncoated text and cover paper) which looks amazingly printed aaaaaand, (here's the slightly incredible bit) it's is all printed digitally on an Indigo press, printed by Pureprint - simply a stunning printed result.

The book is art directed by Simon Esterson. Designer on the project (and researcher and archivist) is Jon Kielty with Alan Kitching overseeing and orchestrating the whole project.

Richard Owers at Pureprint handled the print. Aaron Archer, Technical Director at Pureprint dealt particularly with the Indigo printing aspects of the production.

Alan Kitching presented last week at the AGI Congress 2011 in Barcelona, his work and the work that they had made together, as well as this lovely book:
http://www.a-g-i.org/5184/current-articles/barcelona-2011-agiopen-and-the-agi-congress.html

The book can be bought in all good bookshops (such as Magma) and on line, with all profits from the publication going to the Stothard/Kitching Trust. (PS only a limited edition have the signed poster/dustjackets)

www.thetypographyworkshop.com

www.pureprint.com

www.estersonassociates.co.uk

www.jmgstudio.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 31.10.2011

Other blogs...

It's always nice when you see projects that you've been involved with on someone else's blog - and here's one of those instances!

Paddock Wood based printer, Principal Colour have recently started their blog (they also twitter and facebook which is way more advanced than me!)

 Illustration by Kellie Black

(Above is the lovely illustration by Kellie Black (http://www.misspearlgrey.com/) of Martin and Alan, the two founders of Principal Colour. The illustration was commissioned to celebrate the launch of the last book for amelia's magazine)
Anyway, one of their very first posts is about paper and the coated/uncoated debate. It shows Amelia's Magazine (with a scratch and sniff cover! - on our Omnia) ....I shan't say anymore, otherwise you won't want to read their post:

http://principalcolour.tumblr.com/post/11948257268/coated-or-uncoated-paper

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.10.2011