In 1476, William Caxton installed the first printing press in his London shop. Five hundred years later, and just two miles away, Folio continues to publish beautiful books, mixing old skills with new.

Great literature deserves love, care, expertise and beauty: that was the philosophy with which Charles Ede founded The Folio Society in 1947, and it remains Folio’s guiding principle today. But in the 21st century, the art of making beautiful, thoughtful books is being revolutionised. And Folio is leading the way.

Every element of a Folio book – typography, illustration, paper, printing, binding, slipcase and choice of materials – unites as ‘one aesthetic and harmonious whole’ whose purpose is ‘to surprise and delight our readers time and again’, says Kate Grimwade, Production Director. To achieve this, Folio collaborates with talented artists and artisans who continue to work using traditional methods, as well as selecting printers and binders who work at the cutting-edge of innovation. However, alongside the opportunities offered by emerging technologies come fresh challenges to be solved in the process of producing beautiful books.

The one-off nature of each page produced by Abel’s press also holds true for the gorgeous endpapers hand-made by Jemma Lewis, who runs a marbling studio with her husband, and whose work regularly graces Folio Limited Editions. Each sheet is individual yet adheres to a look painstakingly developed for the title in question.

Nonetheless, both Lewis and Abel, practitioners of techniques half a millennium old, find themselves facing very modern-day challenges – and opportunities. ‘The major technological change in recent years has been the use of computer-controlled cutting devices to create wood type and other printing surfaces,’ says Abel. ‘There is also experimentation in using the same technologies to make new matrices from which metal type can be cast, and there are successful devices that control Monotype typesetting machines from a computer.’

Abel is clear that these computer-aided advances don’t diminish the mastery of a printer. ‘There is a great deal of skill and experience required to print well, no matter how good the machine, and this is as true of modern computerised litho presses as it is of purely mechanical letterpress machines. Every time I print I am making something – and that is creative.’

With artistry flourishing, Folio’s Kate Grimwade is delighted that these kinds of innovations enable Folio to ‘print letterpress more frequently. Printing [Anne Carson's] If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho letterpress, for example, would not have been feasible without the development of photopolymer plates,’ she says.

For Grimwade, commissioning new books is a process of continuous dialogue with suppliers about what can be achieved. ‘We work closely with our printers and binders to find the best way to realise a design, often using new methods. Some of our binders are truly innovative and give us inspiration and new ideas. At the same time, we are constantly trying to solve the challenges that exist in modern day bookmaking, including conversations around sustainability – particularly around the ethics of using leather and ensuring that not only our paper suppliers but also our printers and binders are FSC certified.

‘Many of our bindings are foil blocked on cloth or paper, but environmental requirements have led to a change in the ingredients in foils. It means that a previously trusted foil may need to be abandoned because it no longer adheres to material sufficiently, which leads to lengthier project development times. At the same time, things have become easier in reprographics. Scanners and photoshop techniques have become so sophisticated and we can achieve better results than we could in years past.’

However, the modern bookmaking business must vigilantly safeguard its ability to access supplies, including that most basic component of all: paper. ‘As anyone working in print knows, both the supply and rising cost of paper is an ongoing challenge,’ Grimwade explains. ‘Pulp shortages worldwide impact both paper and cloth availability. However, our trusted suppliers work closely with us to ensure we can source what we need.’

For the specialised art of marbling, if a material disappears from the supply chain it may be irreplaceable. ‘There are so many elements in marbling, and so many things that can go wrong, that it’s very difficult for us when we cannot get hold of the materials we know work well,’ explains Lewis. ‘Paints have come and gone, and this is always challenging as half the battle is getting all the elements to work together.’

Nonetheless, the trend has been toward greater availability of the rarefied ingredients used in marbling. Take carrageen moss, an Irish seaweed, which, when mixed with water, forms the solution (known as the ‘size’) on which the marbling colours float. It’s essential for creating the finest and most detailed designs.

This yoking of innovation and heritage to the service of artistry is core to the creation of each Folio book. Indeed, it is the imprint’s hallmark – fittingly, for a company based in the bustling heart of modern London, yet just a short walk from where William Caxton installed the first printing press in 1476.

‘Advances in technology have definitely opened up greater possibilities for us, and we work with a range of experts in reprographics, printing and binding,’ says Grimwade. ‘But this goes hand-in-hand with our support for the craft elements of book production: letterpress printers, hand-marblers, printmakers and wood engravers.

‘I believe this synergy of old and new is the reason our books are consistently award-winning – and are cherished by each new generation.’

Words | Lucy Jolin
Photography | © Orlando Gili