FNC-59 Foiled Again

EN GARDE!

Field Notes’ 59th Quarterly Edition, “Foiled Again,” revisits one of our favorite printing processes. Many past Field Notes editions have featured hot-foil stamping, in which metallic or pigmented foils are applied to paper with heat and pressure. The process was originally patented in 1892 by Ernst Oeser of Germany, replacing the manual application of gold leaf in the book industry. By the 1950s, plastics improved the foils and provided new surfaces, resulting in many new applications across printing, packaging, and other industries.

CRAFTSMANSHIP TO THE HILT

What sets “Foiled Again” apart from earlier Field Notes is our foil-stamping partner: Studio on Fire of St. Paul, Minn. They’re famous for foil-stamping and die-cutting with a level of detail and accuracy that other printers consider impossible. They’ve won numerous awards for cannabis, alcohol, and playing card packaging featuring multiple foils, inks, embossing, and die-cuts all in perfect alignment. We visited Studio on Fire to film the process and marveled at their fusion of old and new technologies, and the skilled and enthusiastic people who run the shop.

SPECIFICATIONS:

01. Proudly foil-stamped by the good people of Studio on Fire, St. Paul, Minn., and printed by the good people of Active Graphics, Inc., Oak Brook, Ill.
02. Cover: Neenah Pearl 105#C “Indigo” (Subscriber edition: “Poppy”) foil stamped on a Saroglia FUB Die Cutter Foil Stamper.
03. Innards: Finch Paper Opaque Smooth 60#T “Bright White,” with a fine, 1-color application of metallic soy-based Toyo ink.
04. Inside covers/innards printed on a Mitsubishi Diamond Series 40″ 6-color press.
05. Bound by a Heidelberg ST350 Stitchmaster 8-pocket saddle stitcher, with appreciation to Samuel Slocum, George W. McGill, and William J. Brown, the “Founding Fathers of the Staple.”
06. Corners precisely rounded to 3/8″ (9.5mm) by a CRC round-corner machine.
07. Ruled lines: 1/4″ (6.4mm).
08. Memo book dimensions are 3-1/2″ × 5-1/2″ (89mm × 140mm).
09. FIELD NOTES uses only the Futura typeface family (Paul Renner, 1927) in its materials.
10. All FIELD NOTES memo books are printed and manufactured in the U.S.A.
11. Limited edition of 26,000 3-packs
12. UPC: 850032279246