The Beatrice Warde Memorial Lecture

The 2018 Beatrice Warde Memorial Lecture is being held at the St Bride Foundation in London next Thursday - why don't you go along and stimulate the brain....

Drawing on her experience as a type historian, type-designer, and educator, Fiona Ross will discuss how, despite notable historical accounts to the contrary, type design is rarely a solitary occupation conceived in a vacuum but rather a collaborative enterprise informed and executed by different contributors in answer to specific typographic needs.

This illustrated talk will highlight particular examples of Indian-script type development to illustrate how our understanding of contemporary design issues can benefit from an appreciation of the key contributors who, in specific contexts, combined to determine the typographic representation of South Asian languages.

Fiona Ross specializes in non-Latin type design and typography, having a background in languages with a PhD in Indian Palaeography (SOAS). From 1978 to 1989 she worked for Linotype Limited (UK), with responsibility for the design of their non-Latin fonts and typesetting schemes. In 2003 Fiona joined the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading (UK), where she is Professor of Non-Latin Type Design and Curator of the Department's Non-Latin Type Collection.

The talk is on the 8th November at 7pm

Tickets are £8 - £12.50 - you can book them HERE

https://www.sbf.org.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 31.10.2018

Country by Will Burns

This is a beautiful letterpress print, which is a combination of a lino-cut and wood type of a poem by Will Burns. The Lino-cut is by Jeb Loy Nichols. Originally from Texas, Jeb Loy Nichols moved to a quiet spot in mid Wales via New York and a twenty year stint in London. Jeb now takes commissions to produce lino-cuts and also has an online shop selling prints.

The size is 1000x350mm - which exactly half the B1 sheet size (700x1000mm) cut lengthways, which is a lovely format.

Printed letterpress in three colours on a FAG Swiss proof 40, a letterpress proofing press. The poster is printed on our Colorset (100% Recycled) Natural 160gsm and it looks just beautiful.

Printing is by Jeb Loy Nichols and The Letterpress Collective in Bristol. The Letterpress Collective started a few years ago after the last letterpress printer in Bristol quietly closed it's doors. They now have a  Heidelberg Windmill Platen, a Stephenson Blake proofing press, various Adana's together with a collection wood and lead type. Put this all together with a lovely workspace and experienced compositors and printers and you have a thriving environment for creativity - and education, as they run courses as well!

 

Do have a look at their site:

www.theletterpresscollective.org
The Letterpress Collective, Studio 31 Centrespace, 6 Leonard Lane, Bristol BS1 1EA

You can buy these beautiful prints here: https://www.jebloynichols.co.uk/shop/country-2018

https://www.jebloynichols.co.uk/

www.theletterpresscollective.org

Posted by Justin Hobson 29.10.2018 

Villa Saletta

This is one of the most wonderful books to have appeared on this blog, it is quite simply stunning. Villa Saletta is a 1,760-acre estate in the heart of Tuscany, featuring an historic borgo, three luxurious holiday villas and a boutique winery. The estate was purchased by British investor, Guy Hands around 15 years ago and it is used both as a family holiday home and is also being developed with apartments and houses as a resort for Tuscany loving guests.

This superb case-bound book is bound in leather. The size of the book is 300mm square and has 284pp text pages given an overall spine thickness of 35mm.

The book which is subtitled 'History in the Making' is divided into seven chapters, explaining the history, the estate, the wine and produce and the vision for the future...

In the centre of the book there is a gatefold throw out showing a stunning panorama of the Italian countryside surrounding the Villa.

The one thing that has struck me about this publication is the space. It is unhurried and nothing is crammed in. Photography by Richard Waite is allowed the space to breath and it really makes the most of the wonderful images.

It is printed offset litho throughout in CMYK. The paper chosen is our StarFine, White 170gsm. StarFine is a quality, uncoated paper and as the images show, image reproduction is excellent. The solids chapter dividers, photographic images and the illustrations all look equally stunning - a great amount of detail for an uncoated paper.

One of the chapter divider spreads, the terracotta colour is made out of CMYK, not a solid special colour.

Image below shows the head and tail bands and the way the text moves. The edge of the book is gilt edged in gold.

The below image shows the thread in the centre of the 24pp sections...

Below image shows the ribbon marker and also the gilt edge binding.

The book is published by Terra Firma Holdings Ltd. Photography is by Richard Waite.

The truly stunning printing and production is by Stuart Van Den Bergh at Intaglio Communications who are based in London.

https://www.villasaletta.com/
http://www.intaglioltd.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 23.10.2018

Dermatology M

Dermatology M is an exclusive range of carefully designed topicals and cosmetic skincare creams, ointments and tinctures, developed by world-renowned dermatologist Mazin Al-Khafaji. Mazin is recognised as one of the leading experts in the field of dermatology and Chinese medicine, and for three decades has treated unusual and difficult skin, auto-immune and allergic diseases with great success.

This 2pp 'dispensary slip' is 175x112mm. Printed CMYK in offset Litho, these slips are laser printed in the dispensary. The material used is Shiro Echo, White 80gsm, which is very lightweight but has a wonderful feel in the hand.

Beautifully printed, the fine (small) type is crisp and sharp.

Branding and design is by Aloof and it was kind of Michelle to send me some file copies and a lovely note too.

Printing is by Dayfold, who are based in Dorset.

https://dermatology-m.co.uk/
https://aloof.co/
https://www.dayfold.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 18.10..2018

Namma by Kricket

Kricket is a modern Indian restaurant group with three restaurants in Soho, Brixton and the former Television Centre (White City). Founded by partners Rik Campbell and chef Will Bowlby, Kricket has recently expanded into the takeaway market, launching a new brand Namma by Kricket.

The partners were inspired by their travels across India and while they were in Mumbai they hired a couple of Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. It was this trip that inspired both the takeaway brand and their dishes with a twist.

The Namma by Kricket branding is by &Smith and they created a suite of literature including this simple A6 postcard, showing a pair of Royal Enfield Bullets...

Designer on the project is Cécile Dumetier. The project is printed by Gavin Martin Colournet and is produced on their HP Indigo press, printed on our Shiro Echo, White 300gsm, which is an off white 100% recycled board, just perfect for the look and feel of this card.

https://www.namma.co.uk/
https://kricket.co.uk/
http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 15.10.2018

The Photography Movement

The Photography Movement was launched in 2017 by best friends Scott Shillum and Steve Wallington after they had both lost close family and friends to suicide. It is a not for profit organisation, fostering a community spirit where individuals of all ages can discuss mental wellbeing through the medium of photography.

The Photography Movement in partnership with Canon, is curating a series of exhibitions at the Exposure Gallery from the 4th October - 13th December. The series will promote the benefits of using photography to support mental wellbeing, as well as raise awareness and funds for charity partners.

Yesterday evening, I was invited to the private view, which was an exhibiting the results of a series of workshops run at the London Academy of Excellence (LAE) in Tottenham.

Steve Wallington, one of the founders, pictured below...

https://www.thephotographymovement.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 11.10.2018

Warner Edwards Garden

This garden at the Chelsea Flower show is inspired by Falls Farm, Northamptonshire, where every bottle of Warner Edwards Gin is distilled. The farm is situated on the remains of medieval terraced gardens, now a beautiful stepped grass landscape, which is represented discretely in the Warner Edwards Garden’s topography. Bee-friendly plants reflect the farm’s apiary, and thyme and lemon balm, which are highly aromatic, can be used in garnishing gin and tonic.

 

This booklet explains all about the garden, the designers, the layout and the plants which are used. It is printed offset litho in CMYK throughout with hot foil blocking on the cover.

The 4pp cover is printed on Flora Tabacco 240gsm and the 12pp text is on Flora Noce 130gsm. As you can see from the image below, the Noce is a slightly lighter shade than the Tabacco used for the cover.

The size of the booklet is 148x105mm, portrait and is singer sewn with green thread.

Click on images to enlarge

Above shows the centre spread with the singer sewing in the spine and below you can see the outside spine. A superb piece of sewing...

Flora, is a part recycled text and cover paper with a deliberately recycled look and feel with specks and inclusions, so it looks deliberately flecky and specky. Flora is produced with 30% post consumer de-inked waste, together with 60% of virgin FSC pulp 10% cotton fibres, which gives the paper a wonderful tactile feel. See the image below to see the detail...

Click on images to enlarge

Design is by London based agency Hue & Cry. Designer on the project is Kate McPartland. Print is by Leycol.

https://www.warneredwards.com/
http://www.huecryagency.com/

http://www.leycol.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 08.10.2018