Scalo Files for Bankruptcy

I haven’t heard anything direct, but if true, a huge loss………

I recently sent them a book proposal!!

Yes very sad if true. Publishers of Iconic books… Telex Iran springs to mind.

this is the first I have heard of it. sad news, but really when you consider the economics of the publishing business and the limited market for photo books, you have to admit they had a good run and managed to survive for a good while.

Mark, you sent them over the edge…! ;-)

Yeah, all of Peress’s books…..End Time City too…..Their printing was always on the money too…….

Thanks Steve.

I’m sure iWitness knocked the wheels of the “Trolley” as well! :0

BTW What is your knowledge/opinions of Chinese printers. I know of one in
Shenzen but I cannot source anything so I have a look at the quality in the printing.

No, there never were any wheels….!! Hahahahaha!

China, yes, there are some, and getting better all the time, but you really have to stand on/over them……….I’ve noticed a real decrease in print quality in recent Phaidon books for instance – all funnily enough produced on the mainland….Go figure…..

If I have the control, which I normally insist on, I take the photographer to Italy………

Go figure……Whats that meant to mean. I just asked you a question
after a joke!! Chill out!

Think you misunderstand Mark! It was nothing re you, just an expression, ‘go figure’ as in, I was making the link in decrease in quality to the fact they were all printed in the same region……..

Now Italian printing that is something to behold! why is it that they do such great work? i just saw a book of photographs taken in one barrio here, and the printing was very high quality. They always seem to do so well.

Ink just seems to be in their blood….! Goes back generations……You can even see it when on press, there’s always one old guy, seen it all, done it all, just has the magic touch when you need that extra something – its normally the guy I try and befriend right at the start….!! The Swiss too……Actually, for BW, THE press was Salto in Belguim – they really pushed the limits, the spec was off the scale – they use to run 600 line screens at times, unheard of !! Not surprisingly, they went bust too (although I did hear somebody bought up the presses and the company, but I don’t know if it’s running……)

My wife and I will probably go with a Chinese/HK printer/publisher…there are some strong (getting stronger) publishers in HK….I’ll actually write up a post about this in October, by I think there is good work to be found there…i have lots of books from HK publishers, and my good friend (photographer, publisher, gallery owner) from HK (now relocated in TO) has produced amazing books…of course, not like Scalo…but, dont poo-poo it yet…more information at a later date…

cheers,
bob

I’ll ask around here in swissyland, see what’s up…

Too bad, though.

I totally agree Bob, as I said, getting better all the time….I know one VERY good press in HK, providing you really ‘instruct’ them…although the last book I seen recently produced there I didn’t think the binding was up to much – may have just been a duff sample……Have fun on press! “Ah, the smell of ink in the morning….!!”

Misunderstood! I generally take “go figure” as rude!

Italian printing…..I just had a look at the only book I own that was printed in Italy…
Salgado’s An Uncertain Grace. Beautiful duotone printing. How many publishers still use Italian printers! Yeah Bob the Chinese printers I was talking about mainly do magazine printing but are capable of doing books. I have seen the magazine quality printing & it’s actually pretty good, in fact better than some of the mags I have seen printed in the UK.
But I know books is a different concept.
Has anyone seen the book by Jonas Bendikson? The content is superb but the printing was awful! I think this book was by Aperture?

Yap buddies .
but in the end of the day we have to admitt that an era is finishing ,Scalo was a high level protagonist in nthe scene and dont see a substitute.right?

Aperture, with Mets&Schilt……Printed by Paramount in, wait for it…..HK !!!!

Didn’t intend to come across as ‘rude’ by the way Mark, it was just the way I phrased linking the two things together……I was talking about Phaidon, not you….

It’s OK I relised what you meant & then realised I put a ! after I replied with misunderstood making
it look as though I still thought it was wrong. No problem.

So it was printed in HK….bloody awful printing. I know a lot of the images were under low or
artificial light but…No colour separation, lack of contrast etc etc. Sorry Jonas!!

How many publishers using Italians…? Well, its 3.40am here, so I’ll keep this just brief and what pops in my head, but I’d start with every single De.Mo book……All the Trolley books….Dewi Lewis…about half of the Phaidon books still (and not just photography, but all art and design)…..and have a quick look at EBS’s website, perhaps one if not the best printers in Italy – client list says it all – oh, they printed Inferno as well…..

Anyway, that’s all printing…the sad thing is, a great publishing house looks like its gone under – sad reflection of the times…..

No worries mate….

I know Mark……I nearly died when I seen it………..

Actually, it wasn’t the printing I don’t think, that seemed pretty good – from my look at it I’d say it lay with the scanning, which was done in Singapore for some reason…VERY pixelated, mushy….

Dunno ?

Well that was a hard lesson learned. What a shame a 1st book ends up like that.

I went back to my book collection & was suprised to find nearly all my “Nice” books
were printed in either Italy or Switzerland. I compared 1 of these books to a more recent book
published by Phaidon, printed in HK. No contest. These books were all B/W so I am not sure about colour.

I suppose you pay peanuts you get monkeys!