Creating small book is not a rocket science. To do it properly makes job a bit more difficult. But if we add properly large size, exceeding B2 size – then it’s getting really exciting.
First issues to be solved are substrates and print quality. Depending from character of our work we might want to create double sided printing with book / album effect or singe sided with higher – exhibition – quality prints. Combining both is complicated since high-end portfolio should be done using thick cotton or bamboo papers if not baryta. Those are singe side coated, so duplex printing is out of a question, not to mention hand sewing.
My first challenge in this design was: look & feel of photo album with significant size in one and only copy. Well… and content itself was a bit demanding. After all these are year books of GAGA Models calendar and they were always tricky to print – exactly how I love it!
Spread size is 100×70 cm which translates into one meter and properly large coffee tables, but on the other hand a lot of pictures were in exact scale or even larger. In order to make durable cover I choose dibond as base material (two sheets of aluminium with foamed PCV in between). Printing was done on HP Indigo 10000 (drop 6) using Mohawk Superfine Eggshell 148 gsm of course with dedicated ICC profiles and full calibration with my tweaks. Not so small tuning was required since every page contained B&W photos from low up to high hey.