Thomas Raat. An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth and More…

Book coverThomas Raat. An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth and More…
Book coverThomas Raat. An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth and More…
Book coverThomas Raat. An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth and More…
Book coverThomas Raat. An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth and More…

Voting on this book was unanimous. To start with, the black cover, with its carefully thought-out  typography – at once controlled and exciting – is both intriguing and convincing. Everything here is right: front, back and narrow spine have all been well handled.

This is continued in the interior, with typography that is good and solid without being in any way coarse, and is in harmony with the work on display. The choice of materials likewise carries conviction, with the matt character of the sturdy, just adequately flexible cover, and the vulnerable interior matter that so beautifully dovetails with it.

This book joins in with two trends that we found turning up again and again: shorter and/or narrower pages carrying a new layer of information, and pages folded in the Japanese manner that in this case appear not to require slitting open, even though there is occasionally text on the inside.

Besides, the rationale for using these two current elements is easy to see. This work by Thomas Raat builds on the mainstream-modernist book covers of half a century ago. The designer seems to have really got inside the work, and the result is a book that has been designed with love and care and is also beautifully printed and bound.

Honourable mention, Best Book Design from all over the World, Leipzig 2013

Edition: 2012
Language: English
Publisher: Onomatopee, Eindhoven
Graphic designer: Mainstudio (Edwin van Gelder)
Lithographer: Lecturis, Eindhoven
Printer: Lecturis, Eindhoven
Binder: Patist, Den Dolder
Size book block (w x h x d in mm): 200 x 300 x 8
Number of pages: 80 + 36 p.
Print run: 700
Price: € 20
ISBN: 978 90 78454 98 4
Font and foundry: Maax Medium
Binding style: unsewn soft cover with flaps, Japanese binding
Material: 80gsm Core Uncoated, 100gsm Munken Lynx Rough 1.4 (interior), 300gsm Core Uncoated (cover)