The Leuven Botanical Garden is a place where history, science, plants, art and culture come together. For the people of Leuven, “den Botaniek” is a place of tranquillity and encounter, but that was not always the case. More than 200 years ago, the garden was laid out by the university as a scientific research garden. Since then, the Botanical Garden has evolved over the years: from a strictly scientific plant garden to a nursery for flowers to beautify the city, and finally to the botanical garden we know today, with a rich plant collection and a unique historical heritage.
In honour of the Botanical Garden’s 200th anniversary, Daneel Bogaerts created this book on behalf of the City of Leuven. The book aims to share the special stories about the garden’s unique plant collection and heritage, both within and beyond the city limits. It reveals what often remains hidden, such as the source material from the City Archives, the international exchange of seeds and the innovative, sustainable solutions applied in the garden. This book reveals for the first time all facets of the Leuven Botanical Garden, from past to present.
De rug van een boek is meestal netjes weggewerkt achter een kaft. Maar als het wat meer mag zijn, krijgt de rug ook een rol. Zoals in dit boekproject voor de Leuvense kruidtuin.
The spine of a book is usually neatly concealed behind a cover. But if you want something a little more striking, the spine can also play a role. As in this book project for the Leuven Botanical Garden.
With open spine binding, the sections remain visible. This allows the book to open easily and ensures that continuous images are hardly lost in the fold. It is a popular technique among designers who want to give the content plenty of space and love a traditional look.
Designer Daneel Bogaerts seized the opportunity to reinforce the story in the spine of the book.
The inside pages were printed on two different colours of paper. This means that you also notice this colour difference in the spine. On top of that, you can also choose to print the sections in the spine, creating even more dynamism. And to finish it off, the sections were sewn together with green thread.
All these details together give the book a distinct identity. And the spine is just one of the many places where you can make a book project unique. This open spine binding is a good example of this, but there are many other techniques, each with their own effect and appearance.
Are you looking for inspiration for a binding method for your project? Take a look at our overview page with all binding methods.
Would you like to calculate the spine thickness of your book? We have a handy calculator for that.
Object
Anniversary book
Printing technique
Offset
Letterpress printing
Finishing
Foil printing
Paper
Cover: Muskat Brown 140 g/m²
Inner pages: Freelife Vellum Ivory 120 g/m²
1 section: Rainbow Light Green 120 g/m²
Binding method
Open spine
The paper on the cover, Muskat Brown, was printed with bright green foil, and the interior plays with “ballpoint blue” and green, printed on Freelife Vellum Ivory (ivory-coloured paper). The book also contains a section in Rainbow Light Green. These three colours (ivory, ballpoint blue and green) are the guiding thread throughout the book and create a beautiful cohesion.
The design, created by Daneel Bogaerts, is varied and meticulously tailored to the illustrations that enrich the book. Each page invites you to turn to the next.
Muskat Brown is a popular paper used in creative and high-quality printing projects. The paper has a naturally uncoated finish and a warm brown colour reminiscent of kraft paper. The paper responds well to various printing techniques such as foil printing and embossing, which can add extra tactility to a design.
The paper is ideal for luxury packaging, brochures and special editions of books, among other things, due to its unique look and feel.
Freelife Vellum Ivory is an uncoated paper known for its soft, natural texture and warm ivory colour. The paper is made with a significant amount of recycled fibres and other environmentally friendly materials, making it a sustainable choice. The paper offers a good balance between strength and flexibility, making it suitable for both text and images.
Freelife Vellum Ivory is a popular choice for books, brochures, invitations and other creative projects with a premium look and feel.
Inside the brochure, the storyline continues on Munken Pure Rough. This paper invites you to feel and hold it, bringing the weighty story of the project even closer.
