Consumables

The Hobbit – a timeless classic, captured for generations on Arctic Silk

Friday 14. December 2012 - The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey is one of 2012's long-awaited cinema productions. In preparation for this latest film HarperCollins has been busy printing books that will be cherished and loved for many years by every generation of the family.

With four different versions of t’he Hobbit ranging from children’s to adult fiction, production has certainly been frantic and therefore only the best, most reliable paper was selected in order to capture the prestige of this household name.
Arctic Silk, manufactured by Arctic Paper gave the books the class and appeal needed whilst providing production peace of mind explained Adrian Sutcliffe, Group Production and Purchasing Manager of HarperCollins. “The books had to be produced on a silk coated with FSC accreditation, and they had to give excellent quality of print. At HarperCollins we particularly look for smoothness on both sides and excellent bulk to make our books really stand out and look like prestigious. Arctic Silk is our standard silk coated grade used by HarperCollins across Europe. It gives bulk and thickness to the pages without compromising on smoothness which some coated sheets lack. This gives us a superb printing surface every time and automatically gave the Hobbit books the high end appeal we are looking for as a publisher.
740,000 books have been printed so far onto 404 tonnes of Arctic Silk 130 gsm with reprints already in the pipeline. Adult Titles included the ‘Visual Companion’ and ‘Official Movie Guide’ with children’s editions of ‘The Movie Story Book’ and ‘The World of Hobbits’. The printings included UK editions with editions for Italy, France, Holland, Germany, Norway, Spain, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Brazil.
Each title was printed four-color on a KBA Rapida with both text and images throughout.
Garry Colyer, Managing Director for Arctic Paper UK said “Arctic Paper has seen a real increase in demand and growth for quality grades such as Arctic Silk in the publishing sector throughout 2012. Publishers and clients are looking to add value and distinction to their printed work as they recognise the many benefits premium products can provide such as superior feel, quality and bulk which all help publisher to achieve a higher end retail price.”