There's a quiet confidence to Cool Adventures. This is a travel publication that knows exactly who it's for — the mindful traveller who wants to read slowly, not skim — and every print decision backs that up. The recycled, off-white surface of the Cyclus Offset paper isn't incidental; it's a design feature, lending the spreads a warmth and grain that a bright white coated stock could never achieve.
The custom 255×200mm format sits wider than A5 and shorter than A4, giving the layout a distinctive landscape feel that sets it apart from standard magazine proportions. It's a format chosen with intent: generously sized for photography, compact enough to hold comfortably, and different enough to be memorable. If you're planning your own travel magazine or editorial booklet, our magazine printing service and guide to choosing the right paper are a great place to start.
Cool Adventures is produced by Dock Street Creative Productions for Enki Magazine — an independent travel title built around the idea of slow, considered exploration. This particular issue, subtitled "Utterly Beautiful Escapes for Slow Travel", features destinations from Menorca's Son Blanc farmhouse to the barefoot luxury of Cap Karoso in Sumba, Indonesia, alongside a green travel Q&A and editorial features on sustainable journeys.
Charlotte Coward-Williams, Managing Director at Dock Street Creative, manages print production for both Enki's own issues and titles produced for clients. With a print run of 2,000 copies split between a Birmingham distribution bureau and a Suffolk address, the job needed a tight turnaround, precise delivery coordination, and a paper that could handle full-colour photography while still reading as warmly organic in hand.
The paper choice here does a great deal of work. Cyclus Offset is a quality recycled uncoated stock with a slightly creamy, textured surface — exactly what Charlotte had spotted in one of our sample packs and asked to track down by name. We sourced it specially for this job, and it was worth the extra step.
At 115gsm, the pages feel substantial for a self-cover publication. There's no separate heavier cover stock; the same sheet runs from front to back, which keeps production costs efficient and gives the whole booklet a unified feel in hand. Because both cover and text pages share the same stock, the piece reads less like a promotional insert and more like a considered editorial object.
Uncoated paper handles colour differently to silk or gloss: images reproduce with a little more depth and warmth, shadows gain texture, and bright whites shift slightly towards cream. On full-bleed resort photography — the infinity pools of Son Blanc, the aerial view of Cap Karoso — this translates into images that feel painterly rather than clinical. It suits the content beautifully.
What stands out immediately on the cover is its restraint. A single traveller, small in a vast canyon landscape, anchors the composition. The enki wordmark sits cleanly in the top left, and the issue title — cool adventures — floats in a lightweight, modern lowercase typeface against the mid-tones of the landscape. There's no clutter, no price tag competing for attention, no excessive cover lines. The "for the mindful traveller" roundel in olive-gold adds a single warm accent without shouting.
That sense of calm editorial control continues inside. Graphic devices — section labels, location tags, circular image callouts — guide the reader's eye across spreads without overpowering the photography. The type hierarchy is fine and considered: display headlines in a bold upright face, body copy in a complementary light weight, with olive-gold used sparingly as an accent colour throughout.
Charlotte initially reached out having already spotted the potential in recycled uncoated paper for editorial work — she knew she wanted matt stock and was keen to see recycled samples. We sent a full paper sample pack the same afternoon. The pivotal moment came when she asked about the paper used in a 2014 architecture sample from one of our packs. We identified it as Cyclus Offset, sourced it specially, and the decision was made.
Use paper as a design tool. Uncoated and recycled stocks do more than just save on cost — they contribute tone, warmth and tactility that coated alternatives can't replicate. If your editorial identity is rooted in authenticity or sustainability, the paper choice should reflect that.
Consider a custom size. Standard A4 and A5 formats are practical, but a custom 255×200mm footprint immediately signals that this is not a generic publication. The slight horizontal proportion suits panoramic photography and gives spreads more room to breathe.
Self cover can work beautifully. Running the same stock throughout — rather than a heavier separate cover — isn't always a compromise. On a heavyweight uncoated sheet, it creates a unified, confident feel that suits independent editorial work.
Plan your postal weight early. For distributed publications, knowing your booklet's likely weight in advance avoids surprises at the mailing house. A rough weight estimate is something we can always provide.
Explore our zine printing case studies for more inspiration, or use our instant quote calculator to get a price for your own travel booklet or magazine project.
