Noted Notebooks is a project spearheaded by design agency Carter Wong, in collaboration with Boss Print and Fedrigoni. They are mainly used as marketing products. 

At an event at Fedrigoni's London offices, who supplied the paper for the notebook, entitled Heidelberg Bound, the story behind it was told by Boss Print managing director Fenton Smith, Carter Wong founder Phil Carter, and Chris Foote-Wood, author and husband of the notebook’s subject, Frances Foote-Wood.  

The event also showcased the various stages of print and production behind the notebook and a collection of works featuring Fedrigoni papers, a number of which were printed by Boss, including its Russian doll-style box sample selector launched last April.

Carter came up with the idea for the notebook when he discovered a number of ticket stubs and other ephemera at a car boot sale in Chiswick, London.

He traced the ephemera back to an address for a former teacher named Frances Foote-Wood, and discovered that she had lived in Heidelberg for a number of years in her youth, where she had trained to be a teacher.

Foote-Wood passed away in 2013 but Carter also traced her husband, the author Chris Foote-Wood, whose sister was the late comedienne Victoria Wood.

Smith said: “It’s been a pleasure working on each production. Working closely together as a team really helps to improve this little gem and combines to make a fantastic piece; we are really proud of this one.

“They are different from other notebooks in that they are themed, always with a creative element. Heidelberg Bound not only shows design and typography in a different light but also incorporates a quite fascinating story, discovered by a design detective.”

Heidelberg Bound was printed on Boss’s Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74. All paper was supplied by Fedrigoni: normal text pages are 85gsm uncoated Arcoprint Milk, embossed text pages are 170gsm Symbol Matt and the die-cut cover is 170gsm Winner Agenda.

Heidelberg Bound will mainly be used as a marketing tool but it is retailing at £18.

The first of the notebooks, which have all been printed by Boss, was entitled Found Fonts and brought together a number of 3D letterforms. The second, A Cut Above, featured a collection of Roman razor blades discovered at a flea market in 1993. 

Boss employs 13 staff in its 2,500sqm offices. Apart from the Heidelberg, it also runs an HP Indigo 5500 press and has foil-blocking and die-cutting machines.