I enjoy absorbing content on my iPad and read digital versions of some of my favorite magazines. But I love paper too. Always will. That hold-your-breath anticipation of opening a beautifully printed perfect-bound publication for the very first time…that inky goodness that wafts from the spine…the way heavy, velvety-smooth paper murmurs confidently as you turn the page. Those qualities will never cease to beckon.
I fell in love with Uppercase magazine two years ago, promptly subscribed, and then purchased as many back issues as possible. Publisher, editor, and designer Janine Vangool creates printed quarterly issues dedicated to the beautiful, the quirky, and the fascinating.
She calls it “a magazine for the creative and curious.” Article topics range from vintage haberdashery to gig posters, to baseball, sign-making, fabric design, and creative workspaces. Vintage printed materials are showcased, as are stories about crafting alphabets from every material imaginable. She has a thing for typewriters. Of course.
Every page is lovingly assembled with elegant letterforms and beautiful images and is printed on high-quality matte stock.
But a magazine that celebrates its paper manifestation can still thrive in the digital world. Janine maintains active accounts on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr. Search for “Uppercase Magazine” on Vimeo.com, and you’ll a find collection of videos showing upcoming issues being designed, printed, and bound, as well as interviews with artists and inspirational visual manifestos. And take advantage of a free, web-based issue on stationery.
Flow is another beautiful magazine for paper-lovers. And if you’re interested in the persistence of printed magazines, I recommend an article that originally appeared in the newspaper The Observer that also includes an image gallery that features 10 beautiful new print magazines from around the world.
There’s lots of creative inspiration for all of us out there, whether you love to read, love to see, love to touch, or just love to inhale.
Posted by: Mary Lester
