Fedrigoni 365: Anticipated calendar project doubles as an educational toolkit for new designers

The wondrous technicalities of printing are an art form in themselves. But in an increasingly digitised and screen-based world, it can be difficult for new designers to know where to start with print. Enter Fedrigoni 365. Based on the theme of collaboration and inclusion, this calendar project brings together creatives and printers to celebrate the eco-system of print in its entirety.

To do this, Fedrigoni 365 has enlisted the talents of artists from different disciplines and prestigious creating-printing partners. The result is a unique, multi-faceted partnership that has created a calendar bursting with inspiration for new designers.

Acting as a showcase of the endless possibilities of finishing and bookbinding, any designer who marks off each day with this calendar will emerge from 2022 with a greater appreciation for the nuances of print.

Danny McNeil, Creative Director and Founder at TM, said: "In a world where we have found ourselves working from home and communicating through digital devices, Fedrigoni 365 2022 serves as a timely reminder of the tangible, the power of the printed page and the value of collaboration."

Meanwhile, David Bennett, Creative Director, OPX and Visuelle, added: "We enjoy the Fedrigoni 365 project as it's a great way for the design team to experiment and create work that they may not have the chance to with a typical brief. We open it out to the studio, and then we review as a collective to see which design feels different and unexpected."

To make the most of this unique opportunity and format, Fedrigoni 365 is not presented as a single-bound book. Instead, this year's calendar is a collection of four quarterly volumes. Each one is produced using various hues of Fedrigoni's Materica paper, a range of finishing techniques, and is printed by four leading printers.

Creatives familiar with Fedrigoni's calendars will know that hundreds of designers, illustrators and photographers help produce them, and the 2022 release is no exception. Each date in the calendar required its own artistic input, themed around a numeric design. Volume 4 - printed by Screaming Colour with HP Indigo technology - produced three alternate editions of the final volume, allowing for a total of almost 550 creatives to get involved in this year's calendar. Print partners of this year's edition include Hampton Printing, Team Impression, Kingsbury Press, Screaming Colour / HP and Diamond Print Services.

Ambra Fridegotto, Marketing Executive and Social Media Manager, Fedrigoni UK, said: "Last year's Fedrigoni 365 effort was a true and inclusive celebration of creative minds coming together to artistically interpret positivity and resilience in the face of current challenges presented by the pandemic. This year, we wanted to facilitate the collaboration between print businesses for the good of the industry, which, over the past two years, has been impacted by Covid-19.

"We also wanted to use the Fedrigoni 365 project to shine a light on the finishing techniques, as showcased by our partner Diamond, and the different binding techniques that contribute to the overall creative effect. It is these small but significant differences that make this year's Fedrigoni 365 project a true celebration of the creative eco-system in its entirety."

As well as being a technical and educational delight, Fedrigoni 365 2022 also has green credentials. Printed entirely on sustainable, FSC certified paper from the Materica range, the calendar has a bulky, tactile feel because it contains 25% recycled content and 10% cotton.

Previous editions of the publication have highlighted select stocks from Fedrigoni's vast range of papers, from an entirely black book in 2018 to an edition made of ten white papers in 2019, followed by a recycled rainbow of colours in 2020.

All profits from previous editions have been donated to charity, raising over £20,000. A limited number of editions of Fedrigoni 365 2022 can be purchased from Counter Print. Profits from sales this year will be donated to the charity, Mind.