Independents Day: TJ International Book Printers
Book printers and binders TJ International reflect on 40 years in the industry.
Saying that books are in our blood wouldn't be an understatement. 2013 marks 40 years that we've been living and breathing books and it makes us feel good. The world around us seems to be hailing the death of print and the book in its physical form, but it’s not the first time we’ve heard of it.
In fact, if you had a chance to read Kirsten Reach’s feature on MobyLives ('The Death of Print Has Been Greatly Exaggerated'), various media have been predicting the death of print since as far back as 1894. To be honest, it’s getting a bit tiresome…
The last four decades have taught us a lot. The more recent shift on the publishing landscape has proven that you cannot sit on your laurels; you always have to strive for more. We’re living in a reality where digital technology is part of everyday life. Soon, if not the case already, we’ll have generations of digital natives to whom the ever persisting question “‘e’ or ‘p’?” will be irrelevant. From this perspective, it’s encouraging that initiatives like Independents Day take place and get together people that believe in books and their future.
As book printers (and binders) we are not always perceived as fully fledged members of the publishing world. Publishers sometimes forget that we’re on the same side of the barricade and we are keen to change that perception. We’re very excited to be working with Independent Alliance publishers such as Granta, Faber, Atlantic, Profile and the wonderful smaller independents doing great things such as Pushkin Press, And Other Stories, Salt Publishing, who share our passion for producing beautiful books; people to whom the way a book looks, feels, even weighs in your hands does matter. We, like the independents, believe in the power of books; books often represent great emotional journeys, and deserve to be presented in such a way as to be a proud reflection of that. We are always keen to share our expertise and skill with anyone who wishes to produce a book and be a part of that journey.
And as long as we can work with people who share our enthusiasm, we’ll always strive to do more. So here’s to another 40 years of making beautiful books on the Cornish coast!
TJ International Book Printers
An independent market leading book printer and book binder based in Padstow, Cornwall.
Independents Day takes over the ICA on Thursday 6 June from 2pm.
