Covid-19 pandemic has been printed on a selection of papers from Antalis.
Jonny Banger, designer and owner of subversive fashion label Sports Banger, invited young people under the age of 16 to express their feelings about the pandemic by designing a poster using the letter sent by Boris Johnson to the nation’s homes in March 2020, advising households to ‘stay at home’, as the medium. The overwhelming response received has led to an exhibition and production of a 352-page book; The Covid Letters – A Vital Update is a unique printed book documenting the artwork and sharing the remarkable insight into how children feel about this extraordinary moment in time.
Originally, the book was to be printed in Eastern Europe, but Jonny Banger looked to source a reliable printer closer to home. A recommendation brought Banger to London-based Gavin Martin Colournet. On receiving the brief, Gary Bird, Managing Director of Gavin Martin, consulted Antalis to source papers that were comparable to those originally specified, as he was confident their extensive range would include ideally suited products.
For the book’s cover, Gary recommended Keaykolour Deep Black in 300gsm, a rich black with recycled content and carbon balanced by Antalis UK. This product offered the look and feel Jonny Banger was hoping for whilst also meeting environmental requirements.
The inside pages were printed on Claro Bulk 130gsm. Gary commented on his selection, “Most of the children’s submissions were artwork with lots of colour and so it was important that we were able to reproduce these as faithfully as possible. We wanted a coated paper with a true matt texture and Claro Bulk fulfilled these criteria perfectly”.
Alongside the artwork are index-cut pages which feature some of the letters from parents that accompanied the entries. Printed on a lightweight pale pink paper, the look and format of these pages were designed to change the pace of the book. For this, Gary chose Image Coloraction in Tropic Pale Pink, an uncoated multifunctional paper.
Produced in a limited run of 800 copies, The Covid Letters sold out quickly. Both Gary Bird and Jonny Banger were delighted with the result.