Closed book as family heirloom is repaired

The scrapbook is an heirloom of a Christchurch family in New Zealand and was deemed beyond repair by a bookbinder, who recommended that the family consult with Christchurch-based digital printer, Verve.

Verve's Lindsay Roswell recalls how the scrapbook was falling apart as soon as the packaging was removed. "The paper ... was brittle and did not handle well," he said. "At that point we recommended that contact be made with the art gallery and archives in Wellington with a view to preserve the original, and the advice was to reproduce ASAP."

In order to reproduce a copy of the book for all eight family members, the Verve team decided to flat-bed scan the entire book. "We individually scanned each page, very carefully, including the heavy cover. The cover had been bound with a very heavy fabric on the spine which was difficult to reproduce," said Roswell. "The cover was printed as five elements, which were individually matt-laminated, assembled to a one-piece unit and then glued onto a heavy board."



Spending considerable time using the Indigo press to modify the print colour and intensity of the book, Roswell and his team felt proud of the finished product, and so too did the family the book belongs to. "The client was delighted with the result," Roswell said.

Verve will learn if the digitally-replicated family scrapbook has won a Pride in Print award when this year's winners are announced at the Christchurch Convention Centre on June 15.

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