Alive and kicking
It has long been forecast that the inexorable rise of digital would herald the demise of print design and craft. In fact, if entries at Cresta are anything to go by, it seems to have spurred something of a renaissance in the art.
German design agency Zinnobergruen, for example, has been creating the Best Architects annual publication for more than 15 years, but its 2020 edition demonstrated a new level of innovation, craftsmanship and sophistication. And won its creators a Print Design trophy at Cresta 2020.
In a clear homage to the craft of the architectural design process, the publication plays with materiality, opposites and depth as it takes us through 81 winning projects over 416 pages.
The embossed title and the luminous orange screen print contrast with the stripped-away spine which makes the raw craft of book art become an integral part of the book's appearance.
A particular novelty is the book cover which forms part of the body of the book so that it opens completely flat and discloses its contents without endpaper. This is where the play with depth begins. Semi-transparent paper, printed on both sides, offers a glimpse of several subsequent pages into the depths of the book. This produces exciting overlays and stimuli throughout the sequence of pages.
The combination of techniques, materials and extraordinary craftsmanship create a physicality and tactile experience that digital could never hope to compete with.
Perhaps the secret to the continuing success of print is not to compete with the newer online world, but to live and innovate in its own unique space.
