Brussels sketchbook

The sketchbook from Brussels-based print shop Le Typographe is a book in the truest sense of the word. Its covers are a full three millimeters thick - which is unusual even for sketchbooks, which are supposed to be quite sturdy for drawing on the go anyway. The book covers - where the printer's craft and the typographer's handwriting are evident - are printed with a Heidelberg platen using the letterpress method. The book block consists of three thread-stitched individual booklets bound together with linen spines. The delicate white uncoated paper (170 gsm) is equally suitable for sketching with pencils and colored pencils, chalks and watercolors, and the pages can be removed individually thanks to the fine perforation.

The typographer (Ips typographus) - "le typographe" in French - is a small beetle that lives under the bark of spruce trees and creates a labyrinth of winding passages. They are reminiscent of Arabic script lines - predestined as an emblem for the printing workshop that typographer Cédric Chauvelot founded in Belgium in 2007. He uses an old letterpress to print his first works, which are characterized by typographic purism and high quality, using traditional lead and wood type. With a stationery collection, he was able to inspire international experts, the company grew and he moved into larger premises in the Châtelain district of Brussels. This allowed him to purchase 800 movable lead type and six Heidelberg presses as well as to set up a workshop for finishing, packaging, storage and offices. All designs are still created in the Brussels studio, where a team of now eight employees work to the highest standards of craftsmanship.