Make Book: G.F Smith’s new bespoke book-printing service

A prototype Make Book
A prototype Make Book - embossed with our online editor's name - from paper supplier G.F Smith, produced as part of its new bespoke service that improves on the vogue for tailor-made creative printing
(Image credit: press)

We did a collective double take when a beautifully bound hardcover book landed on the Wallpaper.com desk bearing our online editor's name in white embossed lettering. No, she hadn't written that tell-all memoir after all. The volume was a prototype Make Book with a custom cover, care of the pioneering paper supplier G.F Smith.

Smith - which was recently rebranded by Made Thought to reflect nearly 130 years of selling paper - launched the Make Book service to improve on the current vogue for tailor-made creative printing. The operation distinguishes itself with access to premium bindings and paper stock the other ventures simply don't have. It follows a photographic printing process and silver halide technology, using professional Fuji papers. And the binding is done entirely by hand - each book works its way through a chain of seven employees, according to a making-of video set at the G.F Smith headquarters in Hull, UK.

Wallpaper's version has a two-tone, quarter-bound cover with embossed print in two colours. It opens perfectly flat, so you can design a panorama to run across the spine without losing anything at the fold - and it holds itself open on a desired page.

For this level of handcraft you will pay; the base price for a 20-page A4 book is £100. But it'll turn that memoir into a work of art for your shelves.

hardcover book with premium bindings and paper stock

The company distinguishes itself with access to premium bindings and paper stock other ventures simply don't have

(Image credit: press)

hand-crafted book

The books are hand-crafted by a team of skilled binders in Hull and use the finest materials combined with the latest technology to create the bespoke items

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books involves a photographic printing process and silver halide technology, using professional Fuji papers with a choice of matt or gloss finish

The making of the books involves a photographic printing process and silver halide technology, using professional Fuji papers with a choice of matt or gloss finish

(Image credit: press)

assembling book

Binding is done entirely by hand - each book works its way through a chain of seven employees at the company's Hull headquarters

(Image credit: press)

two-tone, quarter-bound cover

The top example shows a two-tone, quarter-bound cover, similar to the version Wallpaper* received

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G.F Smith colour wall, displaying the full range and variety of the papers available to choose from

The G.F Smith colour wall, displaying the full range and variety of the papers available to choose from

(Image credit: press)

flat open book

The books open perfectly flat, so you can design a panorama to run across the spine without losing anything at the fold – and they will hold themselves open on a desired page

(Image credit: press)

weighty metal stamp

Our book came complete with this weighty metal stamp, used to emboss our online editor's name on the front cover

(Image credit: press)

books on display

(Image credit: press)