Behind The Scenes: The Making of Trouvé Part 1
By Amanda Marko, Designer & Publisher of Trouvé Magazine
A behind the scenes look at what goes into the planning, production, and printing of Trouvé. Featuring a tour and video on press with our print partner, Progress Print Plus in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Print is not dead.
If the last few years has shown us anything about magazines and publishing, it is that not only are new publications on the rise, but that the quality, thought, and execution of printed material is rising right alongside with them. We all know that feeling of curling up with a good read; that tactile experience of the smoothness and weight of an uncoated page being turned. In contrast to an impersonal download window and glowing words on a screen, print draws us in, it connects with us; print is making content feel richer, deeper—and once again, permanent.
As both the designer and independent publisher of Trouvé, I wanted to share a peek of the process that so many people email me about weekly: just what goes into creating a magazine from start to finish?
“Print is making content feel richer, deeper—and once again, permanent.”
Passion, Projections, & Printers
As any creative endeavor should begin, the idea for Trouvé started with a passion—my personal love for good design, meaningful and relatable content, and...catch this one, the process itself of creating editorial. When you are two months down the road with your savings invested and getting a little over 3 hours of sleep a night, you need to make sure you love what you're doing. You cannot just be passionate about the end result, but also the process and learning required in getting there.
The first step towards bringing a print publication to life was to nail down some basic, but important specs, like the page count and the dimensions of the publication. This step goes hand in hand with content organization and theme planning. What will be the focus of the magazine brand itself and how will that translate overall into individual issues?
In addition to the content "skeleton", the need for a solid projection skeleton is imperative. What are your costs? How often can you afford and physically handle publishing the magazine? This is where your print partner steps in to help you nail down the costs and timeline; giving advice on paper, finishes, and distribution. Trouvé is proud to have printed all three of our volumes with Progress Print Plus, located in Lynchburg, VA. With exceptional quality and a friendly staff, they helped make an independent magazine immediately jump in the leagues with established periodicals. Contact them here for more information and quotes on specific projects.
