Monocle Alpino, Anti-iPad Device | Type Desk

Monocle Alpino, Anti-iPad Device

Monocle’s Alpino newspaper may be called an experiment, but it’s a successful extension to the Monocle brand—a great variation on a theme. Monocle Alpino is the second run—the first was Monocle Mediterraneo—in a series of region specific newspapers from the publishers of Monocle Magazine. Monocle’s editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé calls their newspaper an “anti-iPad device.” Jokes of screen glare aside, it’s hard to ignore the superiority of reading print. Here are some highlights of Monocle’s bi-yearly newspaper.

It’s substantial. The format is 460 × 590 millimeters (18 × 23 inches) for the spread (Golden Rectangle-ish for the page), printed on thick newsprint, and saddle stitched.

The print is very crisp. It’s printed with a high line screen, which is very “anti-iPad.”

Great type. Like their magazine, the text is set in Plantin—one of the most elegant typefaces to use for newsprint. Numbers in some of the titles use Hoefler & Frere-Jones’ Strasse.

Every ad gets its own space—a page or an entire spread—which is nice compared with the typically newspaper format of scattering small ads about the spread.

The best photography and illustration around. Richard Spencer Powell knows how to pick them.

And of course, the content is good too. Always inspiring.

Monocle Alpino and Mediterraneo are available through the Monocle website for £8.00 an issue.


 
Posted by Theo Rosendorf on January 6, 2011
Filed Under Graphic Design, Illustration, Print Media, Typography | 14 Comments
 

Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/morgansmail Morgan Smail

    Monocle’s newspaper is definitely the most beautiful paper I’ve ever seen. Solid layout.

  • http://www.facebook.com/james.reyman James Reyman

    The entire concept here is wonderful and it looks like a beautiful piece. I’ll have to try and pick one up. I like Monocle magazine a lot.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/theorosendorf Theo Rosendorf

    It’s funny. Whenever I post about anything from Monocle, the younger crowd doesn’t respond to it at all. Zip, zero, nothing.

    I feel so… targeted.

  • http://www.facebook.com/morgansmail Morgan Smail

    Monocle is definitely targeted more toward grown folks cause it’s content-driven. Wallpaper* is the type of publication people of all ages are attracted to because there’s a lot more eye-candy.

  • http://www.facebook.com/theorosendorf Theo Rosendorf

    I seem to remember Wallpaper being more content driven back in the late 90s. I could be biased tho.

  • http://www.facebook.com/morgansmail Morgan Smail

    That’s probably because that’s when Tyler Brulé still owned it.

  • http://www.bignothingcorp.com Fred Stevens-Smith

    Theo, I disagree about the age thing — I’m 23, and I and a lot of my friends read Monocle religiously.

    You don’t have to be old to appreciate artistry in production :)

  • http://typedesk.com/ Theo Rosendorf

    Hey Fred, good to hear it.

    Nice work on your site by the way.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/DanielGenser Daniel Genser

    Funny you mention Monocle being content-heavy. I don’t find it content-heavy at all – it does draw from an incredibly diverse and interesting range of subjects, but the content feels shallow. It’s opinionated editorially, which I like, but it doesn’t go very deep. Most of the pieces are a paragraph or three in length, at best.

  • Anonymous

    Content heavy/driven… I’d say they have a good focus on content. I’m not sure more words constitute quality, but it [Monocle] seems to be a good length with both stories and the overall issue length.
    Shallow? Maybe sometimes, but it is after all a lifestyle magazine. They try hard to please. They care. The writing is good, for the most part.
    Theo

  • http://www.facebook.com/DanielGenser Daniel Genser

    That’s a good way to put it, Theo. I think since Monocle’s design is so good and their perspective is so interesting, it’s more that I want them to go more long form sometimes to explain and expand on some of the bold statements they sometimes make.

  • http://twitter.com/Baronmag Baron Magazine

    Great ALPINO issue

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    Type Desk is a curated journal of graphic communication featuring observations on design, typography, and the modern office. Type Desk is produced by Matador, the office of design consultant Theo Rosendorf.
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