We typeset text-heavy novels to complex 1000+ page academic textbooks, formatting text and content ensuring it is accurate and consistent, using software from Adobe, Quark and Office. We learn quickly about how a design or document is put together, our expert typographic knowledge, understanding of editorial style and eye for detail, is also a natural benefit. Good typesetting enriches your content, communication, and product’s value. If there are any unresolved issues, we make a list, then send them to you. Our turnaround times are prompt or they are set by you, and we regularly typeset books, journals and publications for major book publishers and organisations.
Information standards, quality, and consistency
We do
- Mathematical, chemical and scientific equations and formulas.
- Well named and clearly setup stylesheets.
- Conversion/reformat/repurpose of old QuarkXPress files into Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word documents.
- Expert typographic and typeface selection advice.
- Footnotes, endnotes, quotations.
- Format to composition or template specification.
- Micro-typography issues (justification, kerning, leading, tracking, hyphenation, superscript/subscript setting).
- Fix of widow/orphan words and lines, and cleaning text rags.
- Prepress preflight (remove unused spaces, fonts and swatches).
- Setup to printer’s specification (bleed and crop marks, PDF preparation, colour management and colour profiles).
- Tables (including decimal point alignment in numerical data).
- XML (Extensible Markup Language) tagging and export.
Below is a selection of projects to give you an idea of just some of the projects we have worked on.
Client
Intellect Books.
Project title
Directory of world cinema: Turkey.
Book type
Film directory, reference.
Services
TypesettingCorrectionsTypographic design.
About the client
Independent academic publisher for teachers and researchers in the arts, media and creative industries. They publish over 100 journals and around 100 books each year.
Client’s needs
The client needed this world cinema directory, in a variating 3 column layout, typesetting exactly the same as the rest in the series. The directory featured different types of information, like text, photographs and foreign text extracts.
Outline of what we did
We typeset this 215-page directory and turned around a 1st proof within 1 week. We amended a large amount of corrections from the editors. The text also included many Turkish specific diacritic marks, and some were not available in the typeface specified and had to be put in manually, using the standalone diacritic marks and kerning.
3 main improvements for them
- Typeset and amended editorial corrections from staff and authors.
- Increased product quality by using best practice expert knowledge and technical experience.
- Setup for high-resolution CMYK printing on uncoated paper, using the colour profile.
Details
Pages: 215Page size: width 170mm × height 240mmInside paper: Explorer Offset, 90g/m².
Enabled sequential success
Client
Oxford University Press.
Project title
Incredible English, teacher’s book 2, 2nd edition.
Book type
English language teaching (ELT).
Services
TypesettingCorrections.
About the client
The largest university press in the world, with more than 6000 staff, and a presence in 52 countries.
Client’s needs
This worldwide academic publisher needed a diverse range of content handling and typesetting, ranging from icons, images, tables, dingbats, to many heading levels.
Outline of what we did
We typeset this book exactly as specified in their detailed and extensive brief and handover notes. We avoided widow/orphan lines at the top and bottom of columns. There was a large amount of paragraph and character stylesheets, along with nested styles, and various symbol and dingbat typefaces. We were also instructed to use the publisher’s custom Adobe InDesign scripts, to reduce typesetting time. The manuscript from the editors also had various coding tags, that when imported in, were changed to their corresponding Adobe InDesign paragraph and character style. The editors for this title used Adobe InCopy, and any overflown text was linked into a text frame on the pasteboard, so the editors could still get access to the text. We produced a final proof for this book with a minimum amount of fuss.
3 main improvements for them
- Accurately formatted content to the client’s specification.
- Decreased staff time needed in the office to produce the book.
- Managed the typesetting, amended editorial corrections from staff and authors, setup the final book PDF to the printer’s specification.
Details
Pages: 176Page size: A4: width 210mm × height 297mmInside paper: unknown, 80g/m².
Turned around simple complexity
Client
BioMed.
Project title
Medical imaging, 5.
Book type
Medical, scientific.
Services
Journal cover designJournal designTypographic designTypesettingPaper research and sourcing.
About the client
Scientific open access publisher that has an evolving portfolio of some 300 peer-reviewed journals.
Client’s needs
This journal required demanding, complex and accurate typesetting. The content needed support for Greek characters, superscripts and subscripts, different numerical alignment styles, equations, mathematical and scientific symbols.
Outline of what we did
We chose and recommended 2 typeface families that would get the job done. The book featured many tables, that we setup an appealing table style for, really enhancing them into an enjoyable feature of the journal, rather than typically under‑designed, dull and boring. We decided to use no hyphenation on the ranged left text setting, to avoid splitting and hyphenating complex long medical words and terminology, that could lead to further confusion. We also made the x-height of the 2 different typefaces match within the stylesheets, for a consistent typeface weight appearance. The content also featured complex typography that included: superscripts and subscripts, Greek characters, mathematical symbols, and complex equations.
3 main improvements for them
- Improved layout readability through precisely structured horizontal and vertical typographic alignment.
- Chose typographically equipped academic typefaces that support Unicode, Greek characters, scientific symbols and mathematical equations.
- Well designed, setup, clearly named, and easy-to-reuse Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator templates.
Details
Pages: 184Page size: A4: width 210mm × height 297mmInside paper: Croxley Heritage Wove, ivory, 120g/m², 75% recycled. Cover paper: metallic (brand unknown).
Provided a painless remedy
Client
Boydell & Brewer.
Project title
The civil wars after 1660: Public remembering in late Stuart England.
Book type
History.
Services
TypesettingTypographic designCorrections.
About the client
Publishes history books and critical works based in England.
Client’s needs
The publisher provided the information in Word documents and we were required to typeset this tricky book.
Outline of what we did
The book needed accurate typesetting with 100s of footnotes. We were careful to double‑check all footnotes, to make sure they were on the same page as the footnote reference in the main body text. A number of template improvements were also made, such as a slight increase in the amount of leading (making it easier-to-read), and better vertical spacing of the text. The main body text typeface the publisher instructed us to use, did not have properly drawn superscript characters. Thankfully, there was a semi-bold weight of the typeface available, that we used just for superscripts, so they render at the same weight as the main body text and do not print too light, that is better for readers with less than ideal eyesight. We expertly typeset this tricky and text‑dense book, giving readers a better chance of an effortless reading experience.
3 main improvements for them
- Accurate and precise typesetting with an error check stage.
- Made the text easier-to-read for people with ageing or less than ideal eyesight, improving the reading experience.
- Used consistent and precise vertical alignment for the different parts of the book and main chapter headings.
Details
Pages: 300Page size: Royal: width 156mm × height 234mmInside paper: unknown, 80g/m².
Gave their users an easier environment to think in
Client
Project Gutenberg.
Project title
Political and literary essays 1908–1913 by the Earl of Cromer.
Book type
Political, autobiographical.
Services
Book cover designBook designTypesettingTypographic designPaper research and sourcing.
About the client
They have a library of over 60,000 free online books, based in Salt Lake City, America.
Client’s needs
The content was supplied as default Word documents and featured: main chapter headings, 2 levels of subheadings, quoted extracts, and Greek passages of text.
Outline of what we did
We enforced consistent alignment, spacing and proportions throughout, and a British designed typeface, sympathetic to the author and content of the book. Half a leading line space was used inbetween paragraphs, as a full leading line space would produce too much white space. The text featured many superscripts, that were checked to make sure they were not too close to the text on the left. We used a Unicode typeface for the Greek passages of text, that also matched the weight of the main body text.
3 main improvements for them
- Researched and used typefaces that can handle the symbols and languages used in the book, and could also be used as web fonts in HTML webpages.
- Improved alignment and structuring of different information parts and typography.
- Increased the book’s quality and value, by using best practice expert knowledge and technical experience.
Details
Pages: 216Page size: width 160mm × height 225mmInside paper: Think Warm, 100g/m², 50% recycled.
Modern alpha refined respect
3 results of typesetting by us
1 Expert typography and layout that results in more consistent, professional and rewarding reading experiences.
2 Increased confidence and security because you know who is handling and doing your job (we do not outsource).
3 Less project input time needed from you or your organisation, that helps you focus on the other important project aspects.
HUP 2, 3, 4! Stand to attention! Get your content inline NOW!
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