Kon Paper Magazine

Press Kit

Unique Properties

kon Paper is a magazine for literature and culture. The design and layout explores the boundaries of different texts and text forms. In three genres – essay, feuilleton and wortkunst – the known reading environments for the texts are questioned and sometimes brought into new contexts. The submitted texts are accompanied by illustrations, for which we collaborate with changing artists. The magazine was redesigned in 2020 and in the course of this, the format was adjusted as well as paper and a solid binding.

Dimensions & Packaging

The format of the magazine is 220 x 275 mm and contains 52 pages including the cover pages. We print on Vivus recycled paper. The inner part is 90g/m2 and the cover is 250g/m2. The booklet is bound with two staples through the spine. We cooperate with a printing company that focuses on sustainability. The printing inks are also environmentally friendly.

Tags

Magazine, Mage, Zine, Editorial, Layout, Illustration, Literature, Print

Production Technology

The magazine is printed on eco friendly recycling paper (Vivus 100)
with 90 grams per square meter for the content pages and 250 grams per square meter for the cover. Using sustainable ink, the whole magazine is now much more environmentally friendly then before the relaunch.

Design Challenge

Rethinking the new format. Previously printed in the Berlin newspaper format - one page is over A3 in size. Now the magazine has 220 x 275mm. A long essay had around 20,000 characters including spaces. That means four full pages in the new layout. So in addition to the design, there was also the huge challenge to throw our learned concepts overboard and completely reorganize the editorial work.

Project Duration

The project was founded 2015 in Munich. Today the editorial team works form Munich, Berlin and Switzerland. The design work is done from Julia Hells Berlin-based studio. The project is ongoing releasing one issue per year.

Operation Flow

The first six issues of the magazine were printed on newspaper paper in the Berliner format. This made the product fragile and after reading it cover to cover it was basically destroyed. The magazine was completely revised and redesigned in 2020. In the course of this, the format was adapted as well as paper and a firm binding. The goal was to get a product that was sustainable and long lasting so that our readership would keep the magazines on their bookshelves.

Research

Bi-weekly staff meetings are used to talk about the text entries and also the design and illustration concepts for each issue. There is a lot of feedback in input from the teammates that come for a non-design perspective. That this is one of the most fruitful ways to design a good product: Talking to the recipients and people who have a different perspective of the product.

Inspiration

The magazine was founded the project together with Pia Lobodzinski in 2015. Pia and Julia graduated from high school together. A few years after graduation, they both wanted to start a project together again. Pia had just started studying literature and Julia had graduated as a graphic designer. So the foundation of a magazine was almost obvious. For the look and feel of the magazine the constantly growing and lively self-publishing scene and a variety of exciting and unseen magazines were the source of inspiration.

Colors of Kon Paper Magazine