Design / Canal Club notebook

Small print, big personality.

What independent printed matter can teach a very online city.

Paper asks for attention

A small publication has a beginning, a middle and an end. It does not refresh while you read it. That simple limitation gives an editor room to arrange a sequence and a reader room to stay with an idea.

The imperfect part is the good part

An uneven ink layer or a folded corner can make an object feel personal. Print does not need to imitate a screen. Its texture, scale and weight are part of the story.

Make a tiny edition

Choose one subject, eight pages and a single afternoon. Photograph a street, interview a friend or collect drawings from a walk. A small edition is a good way to discover what you actually want to say.