Sad news for last white paper mill in Oz...

This the very sad news that the last remaining manufacturer of white printing paper in Australia is ceasing production. The manufacturer Opal (part of the Nippon Paper Group) will cease production of their white  paper at the Maryvale mill in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. They manufactured over 200,000 tonnes of a white copier grade called Reflex. The plans are that they will still produce packaging grades for the time being...

You can read the full article here... https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/16/australias-white-paper-industry-is-dead-leaving-rural-communities-to-pick-through-the-pulp

https://opalanz.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 17.02.2023

Matt Russell Photographer

Matt Russell is a London-based photographer specialising in food, travel, lifestyle and portraiture. With a strong reputation for his natural style and ability to capture life, Matt has established himself internationally as a trusted, reputable photographer. He has an inherent ability to work closely with clients to achieve their vision for both editorial and advertising.
“I absolutely love my job and the places that it takes me, not to mention the amazingly talented and passionate people that I get to work with everyday. I feel incredibly privileged.”

This 40pp portfolio shows Matt's wide ranging photography skills in one superbly produced package. The size is 285x225mm (a good economical size out of a B1 sheet)

Click on images to enlarge

It has a 40pp text printed on our Omnia 120gsm. For those readers not familiar with Omnia, it is an uncoated paper with a surface treatment. What this means is that it feels like an uncoated paper but because the surface treatment minimises 'dot-gain', the print result is much more like that of a coated silk or gloss coated paper.

Centre spread...

There are so many good images here which look so good, that it's hard not to show you every spread!

The publication is printed offset litho throughout in CMYK. As you can see from images, some of the images are quite dark, but there is no loss of detail, which is what can often happen printing on a true uncoated paper. As you can see from the detail image below, the reproduction is simply stunning.

The brochure is saddle stitched and even though Omnia is a very bulky paper, even with 40pp the spine looks good and doesn't "gape" in the middle, as you can see below.

Another lovely feature is the use of copper wire stitches. Just another lovely touch which makes this publication superb

Design is by Sandra Zellmer. Printing is by Ambrose Press. Jonathan Savory handled the project. Particular care has been taken over the repro - as with all projects for photographers, there is detail in the images which can only be truly appreciated by the photographer and it is the skill of the printer to be able to listen and interpret these comments in the finished printed job. Not always easy to do but this is a beautiful piece of printed literature.

https://mattrussell.co.uk
http://www.sandraswork.com/
http://www.ambrosepress.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 09.02.2023

Jobs from the past - Number 159

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 this one is from 2016...

The Big Book Bonanza is the showcase of new books from Harper Collins and this is the bewitching invitation for the launch that was held this April at the Ham Yard Hotel.

The invitation is quite literally a gatefold! The delightfully lasercut gates are hinged over the inner invitation which is tipped onto the back panel of the main invite. 

Finished size of the invitation is 150x265mm with the inner card being 128x245mm. It is printed on Colorset Natural 350gsm (100% Recycled) throughout.

Click on images to enlarge

Below shows the corner cuts where the inner card sits, holding it in place.

Below image shows outside back cover with the corner slits.

Click on images to enlarge

The reproduction on the Colorset Natural is bright and vivid, the colours really lifting off the page.

The lasercut gates are wonderfully crisp and really set this invitation off.

Art direction and design is by London based studio, Design by St. Creative Partners are Steve Fenn and Tom Pollard. The excellent print and production is by Hampshire based Senator Press.

www.harpercollins.co.uk
https://www.designbyst.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 02.02.2023

Another paper mill goes bankrupt...

 Another sad piece of news for the paper industry...

Crown Van Gelder is a paper mill based in Velsen, Holland. They are best known for high-speed inkjet papers and recently added paper made from sugar beet fibres to its portfolio, which they came to discuss with us last year.

The independent paper mill operates runs two paper machines producing around 180,000 tonnes of paper per year and they employ over 250 people.

In line with other recent business failures, the management blames increased costs in energy and raw materials. 

I am writing about this, not to be a 'doom-monger' but just to make the readers of this blog aware of the situation in the paper and print industry, which is a global phenomenon. Last year I wrote about the paper supply crisis and about the way the energy crisis was affecting the paper market and about the sad demise of UK papermaker Arjo Wiggins in September.

You can read the full Printweek article here...

https://www.printweek.com/News/article/crown-van-gelder-declared-bankrupt

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.01.2023

NEWS UPDATE 10.02.23

CVG has been rescued! which is excellent news. Read more here...

https://www.printweek.com/news/article/crown-van-gelder-rescued-after-stunning-support

https://www.printweek.com/news/article/cvg-reveals-identity-of-buyer

Jobs from the past - Number 158

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 this one is from 2015...

This is the season's promotional literature for Wrangler’s Spring Summer 2015 collection for women. Live in Denim is Wrangler’s new collection for women which incorporates Shape Keeper jeans using Lycra® and dualFX® to create stretch denim and silk soft jeans which achieves it's delicate touch through Cotton-Tencel® denim blends.

This 10pp concertina brochure is 190x135mm, expanding to 190x675mm. It is printed in CMYK offset litho on our Omnia, White FSC 320gsm and is printed and finished beautifully.

Front cover, below:

Birds eye view...

Click on images to enlarge

Although this is a simple publication, it's often the simple jobs which don't get the attention to detail. This is well creased and folded square which is just perfect.

Omnia was chosen because it would work with the rich detail that is present in the images but that would still give a natural look and tactile feel. As you can see from images, some of the photography is quite dark, but there is no loss of detail, which is what can often happen printing on an uncoated paper - fleshtones look superb!

Art direction and design is by JJ Marshall Associates. Creative Director is Jethro Marshall and thanks to Jethro for sending file copies and a note...

Excellent print and finishing is by Principal Colour based in Paddock Wood, Kent.

https://eu.wrangler.com/uk-en/home

http://jjmarshallassociates.com/

http://www.principalcolour.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson .09.01.2023

Fenner Paper Diary 2023

If you are a user of the Fenner Paper ranges and therefore one of our wonderful customers, you may well have received one of our new 2023 diaries...

This year’s cover has been created by Matt Willey, Partner at Pentagram New York. The internal pages use Matt’s font Timmons NY (2.0) which is available through BuyFontsSaveLives.com

Buy Fonts Save Lives sells typefaces to raise money to support Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support. 100% of the proceeds go to the charities and to date, over £100,000 has been raised! We’re delighted to support and help promote the initiative with our diaries. Any purchases of the fonts help to raise vital funds that literally save lives.

The text of the diary has been designed by David Coates, independent designer and board director of ISTD.  As in previous years, the diary is 230x162mm, portrait and retains the popular 'month to view' format.

The 4pp cover is printed on our Creative Print, Diamond 270gsm. The 40pp text is very simply digitally printed in one colour, on our lovely Offenbach Bible 60gsm, which has a superb opacity and a good writing surface making this an ideal paper for a diary or notebook.

If you are one of our worthy clients (!), you should be receiving one of our diaries in the post but if you would rather have it sent to your home than the office or if you want to make sure you are in our address book, drop me an email: justin@fennerpaper.co.uk 

https://buyfontssavelives.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 20.12.2022

Zeta - the business paper range

The ZETA range of business papers has been around for decades and should need no introduction. For many years it has been the gold standard for stationery papers in Europe, with it's excellent availability in all European countries and Fenner Paper became the UK stockist in 2015. The range has now been refreshed with the addition of a new Laid finish and new shades, including Diamond White, which is now presented in a new swatch designed by Wolfgang Forsch, who has handled the re-brand.

The new swatch is DIN A4 size, portrait format and is a 6pp gatefold. The cover is printed on Zeta Linen, Brilliant 350gsm and is printed in black plus a fluorescent orange.

The swatch shows the new stock range together with all the weights, surfaces and colours...

These fine papers are manufactured at the Reflex Paper mill in the town of Düren in Germany, which was founded in 1857 and the mill also produces transparent papers, label papers and artists papers. All ZETA products are made from Chlorine Free pulp (ECF) and carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

If you would like one of the new swatches, please email me: justin@fennerpaper.co.uk

http://zetapaper.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson on 15.12.2022