Print Roundup: July 2020

Every month, we put together a roundup to showcase all the different ways our creative customers use newspapers. As lockdown eases in many parts of the world, it's exciting to see so many great newspapers flying off our presses. From a manifesto for Black creatives to a photozine of items bartered during quarantine to a study of sustainable fashion — below are 9 newspapers we love this month.

The Paw-fect Launch

Ella & Co makes nutritious and sustainable dog food from raw ingredients. As a new brand, they needed a distinctive way to celebrate their launch and introduce founder James Middleton and his (five!) dogs. They chose a traditional tabloid to get the woof, er word, out.

"A newspaper is personal and allows for a more detailed approach to your brand,” says designer Julian Victoria, who loved “collaborating with a team of dog lovers and setting eyes on the first print!”

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The Black Creatives' Manifesto

After reading Larry Neal’s 1968 essay “The Black Arts Movement”, designer Marshall L. Shorts was inspired to create The Black Creatives' Manifesto in 2017. He recently published it as a digital tabloid to distribute at Box Park in Ohio on Juneteenth.

The Black Creatives' Manifesto aims “to inspire and affirm Black Creatives and our collective contributions to the world,” Marshall explains. “In it are principles that I believe every Black Creative from the street to the academy who is creating can be inspired by.”

“When I found out about Newspaper Club I was ecstatic about the possibilities of what I can share in the medium,” says Marshall. “People love the idea of a newspaper and I've gotten tons of requests for copies after posting it on Instagram. It engages in a different way than we've got accustomed to in the age of digital.”

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Slow Journalism

Since 2017, Swiss media company LargeNetwork has published their Météore newspaper twice a year. Made in collaboration with photo agency Lundi 13, it’s a large-format photo journal based on a “slow journalism” approach.

“Our readers love Météore,” says project coordinator Yasmine Ahamed. “They subscribe to get it and want to receive every copy of the newspaper for the rest of their lives.” Yasmine adds that they love the “materiality” of the traditional broadsheet, and the excitement of flipping through each issue for the first time.

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Tangible Impact

This 2020 Impact Report for Bullhorn, a Kentucky-based design agency and certified B Corporation, reflects on the work they’ve done over the past 2 years. It’s printed as a digital mini, featuring interviews and stories from clients and the Bullhorn team. Creative director Adam Kuhn says the newspapers have been “a fantastic compliment” to the companion website Bullhorn is using to reach out to new clients.

“As an agency we rarely get to create something that everyone on the team contributes to in some way,” says Adam. “This project was a huge collaborative effort and people were excited to have something tangible.”

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Weaving Their Magic

Online magazine and concept store Semaine recently launched The Happy Shopper, a handwoven basket filled with products from the brand's Tastemakers who include chef Skye Gyngell and writer Raven Smith.

Every basket comes with a digital mini newspaper telling the story of how the basket came to life, plus illustrations of the Tastemakers and the 5 ingredients they'd fill their baskets with. “We felt a newspaper was a fun and creative way to tell the story of this special product,” says designer Michelle Lu. “Everyone has loved the whimsical and playful format.”

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Sourdough Swaps

Sourdough starter, toilet rolls and crumpet rings are just a few of the items exchanged in Barter, Baby, a remote collaboration between London-based photographer Louise Hagger and New York-based food stylist Victoria Granof. The idea was born over FaceTime, and records the early days of lockdown through a series of “bartered” items. magCulture’s Jeremy Leslie says it’s his favourite zine made during the pandemic so far.

Louise says the digital mini, which has been featured on magCulture  and Mother London, has generated interest in her and Victoria’s work. “As more art bookshops and galleries open and clients return to their offices, we will be able to promote the physical zine further by posting it out to them to share the work,” she says. Designed by Owen Evans.

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Hand-Stitched to Perfection

“I spent time slowly and thoughtfully making clothing and there is something thoughtful and tangible about a newspaper,” says Ann Finkel about the digital tabloid she printed for the capstone project of her BFA in Graphic Design.

Her project, called Slow, explores the pillars of sustainable fashion through the making of 5 garments: a jacket, a gauze top, trousers, a chore coat and a cotton top. “I had a lot of fun cutting down some of the pages and hand stitching it with fishing line,” says Ann. “10/10 would print again!”

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Cash 4 Zines

Cash App, a mobile payment service developed by Square, printed this limited-edition Fun Zine as a digital mini. It was sent as part of a gift box for customers who follow them on social media, and features puzzles, colouring pages and horoscopes (“Virgo: This month you have permission to be a cat”).

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Peaceful Print

“Picked up the Contax T2 again and remembered how therapeutic it was to shoot,” says Oakland-based artist Santana Bellas about his new photo project, The Moment of Peace. The 16-page digital tabloid is a collection of “calming and tranquil imagery” and he’ll be selling copies on his website this month.

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