THIS IS A PREVIEW LISTING
This book will be available to purchase on Sunday, November 1  at:
UK 8pm, Berlin 9pm, LA 12pm (midday), NY 3pm.

PUBLISHER'S SEMI BINDING

One of a series of 37 bindings for drawing & writing.

ABOUT THIS SERIES OF BOOKS: Based on books published in Russia between 1900 and 1917, these half-leather bindings are contemporary Properly Made versions of something which was cheaply mass produced up until the revolution.

"Publisher's semi-binding" became a highly specific, standardised fixture of late Imperial Russian mass-market printing. Before the turn of the century, most cheap Russian books were sold as fragile softcovers, leaving it to the buyer to pay a workshop for a custom hardback casing. However, to meet the soaring demand for literacy in the early 1900s, iconic mega-publishers like Ivan Sytin and Adolf Marx revolutionized the market by offering pre-bound, cheap hardcovers.

PROPERLY MADE PUBLISHER'S SEMI BINDINGS

Our versions salute the aesthetic of the original books whilst replacing the cheap materials and machine-made construction with the best quality materials and high-end handmade techniques. In other words, we offer something that looks like the original item but made to the very highest standard.

LEATHER SPINES with simple blind tooled patterns.

HAND PRINTED PAPER COVER This book cover features a beautiful hand-coloured linocut design crafted on printer's waste.
Here is a simple look at how this process works:
• The Linocut Base: A single-color outline pattern is carved into a linoleum block, inked up, and stamped down onto the paper to form the crisp borders of the artwork.
• Hand-Coloured Detail: Rather than using a machine or multiple block stamps, the vibrant accent colors are painstakingly applied by hand, one colour at a time, often using a set of stencils.

WHERE DOES MODERN PRINTER'S WASTE COME FROM? Our printer's waste is the by-product of the modern antiquarian print trade - old books bought at auction by print dealers are taken apart to harvest the prints, illustrations and maps etc. We get the unwanted waste and use it to print on. 

Other than the pleasing aesthetic (see the unique, ghosted remnants of the original typography peeking through from underneath) one achieves from using printer's waste, there's also the question of paper quality. Until about 1850, all old paper was made by hand from pure linen rag. This type of paper is far superior to almost anything being produced today, giving excellent results in both print and marbling. 

INSIDE Filled with blank, natural white coloured, British-made, acid-free cartridge paper, these bindings naturally lend themselves to drawing and writing.

This paper is perfect for use with dry media (pencils, pastels etc) and drawing and writing inks.

LAYFLAT: All Properly Made Books are made to open completely flat and beyond, opening a full 360 degrees, cover to cover, without causing any damage to the spine and giving complete access to the papery real estate. 

SIZE: SIZE 2: 9 x 6½ inches, 231 x 166 mm with 140 pages of lighter weight paper. 

IN THE HAND:

The VPCo PSB is the perfect size for use in the studio or on the go. Easy to carry in a bag or keep on a desk. 

ABOUT PROPERLY MADE BOOKS.

Properly Made Books are made over a period of weeks and months.

Imagine how a book was made in the 18th century - this is precisely how our books are crafted. They are bound entirely by hand in Scotland to the absolute highest standard using traditional techniques and only the finest quality materials

All Properly Made Books are LayFlat allowing them to open fully without causing any structual damage and making them completely usable in the field or studio.

Properly Made Books can be found in countless collections around the world including the Met Library in New York City, Harvard and Yale Special Collections, Miami U and many more.

Every Properly Made Book is unique - VPCo never makes the same book twice

MADE ENTIRELY BY HAND IN SCOTLAND

We ship to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

UK £8 (tracked and signed for), USA £28 (tracked and tariff paid), Canada, Australia, NZ £22 (tracked)