For the latest publication from boutique production house Leyton of London Books & Prints, owner, and photographer, Jake Green, chose six colours from the Keaykolour range of creative papers from Antalis, each one to form part of a series of limited edition covers.
The Bookmaker’s Studio – 5th Anniversary Edition features the work of world class illustrators and is a follow-up to a visual project into the creative processes of children’s book illustrators that Jake originally carried out in 2015. He was looking for a solid-coloured paper that would be the perfect vehicle for his typographic cover design and would also provide a contrast to the colour photography.
Jake opted for Keaykolour 300gsm after being impressed by its quality, texture and thickness as well as the wide colour choice. The fact that Keaykolour papers are made in Scotland, and the whole range is carbon offset by Antalis in partnership with the World Land Trust, was also a hugely positive component for Jake.
To help make the decision Jake received a sample of each of the 48 colours. These were tested on a vintage letterpress with a series of different inks to see which colour combinations worked best. Jake opted for Keaykolour 300gsm in Pumpkin, Indian Yellow, Caribbean Blue, Lipstick Pink, Pastel Green and Pastel Pink – each was printed with three different inks: black, blue and red to produce 18 different cover options in total, allowing customers to choose and purchase their favourite cover.
Jake commented on the finished result: “The vibrancy of the different covers was great, and I love how the impact of using a heritage process on the thick Keaykolour paper has produced an embossed effect.” He also explained that it has provided an interesting piece of market research: “The most popular colour combinations turned out to be Keaykolour Lipstick Pink and Caribbean Blue printed with red ink, so that is something I will be bearing in mind for future publications.”
The A4 format cover was hand letterpressed by Hooksmith Press using a vintage Vandercook letterpress before being creased, folded and three-hole hand sewn bound.
Keaykolour’s uncoated virgin pulp papers and high-rigidity boards offer a palette of 48 colours in nine harmonised families, to complement their refined, natural texture. Included are five 100% recycled stocks and a range of natural and geometric embossed patterns which further widen the options for premium print and packaging.
www.antalis.co.uk
