Palo Alto, California - "Every detail of Gather Journal is shown in terrific form. The combination of different kinds of artwork is really interesting, and the food photography is just fabulous," commented Kit Hinrichs, founder of Studio Hinrichs, during his review as guest judge for PaperSpecs Gallery's quarterly competition sponsored by Erickson Stock.

Gather Journal, a recently launched bi-annual publication, is a recipe-driven food magazine devoted not just to cooking and eating, but to what those acts inspire: bringing people together. It seems particularly fitting then that a notable collaboration between designer and printer was formed during the magazine's initial planning phases.

Michele Outland, the magazine's creative director, and Frits Kouwenhoven, managing partner of Hemlock Printers (Walnut Creek, California), birthed the memorable aesthetic beauty and keepsake quality that singled this submission out for the PaperSpecs Take Note Award for Quarter Four 2012.

Among the elements central to Gather Journal's beautiful design is paper selection. The Mohawk Via Linen Cover and Lynx Opaque Text (both uncoated stocks) translate the texture of the dining experience and evoke a personal journal feel to the project.

"The process of choosing the paper was such a wonderful experience. I had conversations with Frits trying to explain verbally what I was hoping, and him interpreting it and pulling sheets of paper and sending them out to me," recalls Outland.

"To put those two papers together, I don't know if, as a printer day in and day out, it would have come to me in this way. It came because of our collaboration − Michele and I − and her really pushing for excellence and feel," agrees Kouwenhoven.

To read the inside story on the inspiring partnership between Gather Journal creators and its printer, please visit http://www.paperspecs.com/25220/gallery-tna-gather-journal/

To see a video about how Kit Hinrichs chose the Take Note Award Winner for Quarter Four 2012, please visit, http://www.paperspecs.com/25193/take-note-award-gather-journal/