Magazine of the week: Print Isn’t Dead
I’ve taken to describing what we do here at magCulture – on the blog/writing side of things – as propaganda. It’s partly tongue-in-cheek, yet it’s true that so much is written elsewhere about failure in magazine publishing that the good news (that people still make beautiful, striking and innovative publications) can easily be drowned out. For us here at magCulture good news arrives every day, the postman dropping several new magazines worth investigation. One such title is the dramatically named Print Isn’t Dead.
Produced by the People of Print team in London, Print Isn’t Dead lives up to expectations in terms of its format and physical qualities. Funded by Kickstarter, the project exceeded its target and spent the additional income on some well-advised flourescent ink.
The result is a sensual cacophony of colour and smell. This magazine packs some chemical punch!
The default state is an almost geekish delight in printing equipment. The pages are littered with risographs and letterpress equipment.
The magazine also acts as a kind of directory of creative people and studios selected for their use of print. These range from the small to the internationally recognised – Build and Sagmeister & Walsh both figure – in a slightly haphazard manner.
In the end it’s that mix that makes this new magazine work. It’s rare and refreshing to see print design and print production linked on the page in such a matter-of-fact way, while the design and production values applied throughout back up the message.
I was a bit sniffy about the name Print Isn’t Dead when the publishers launched their Kickstarter. I realise now it’s the perfect title.
Grab a copy now.