210x260mm Landscape Books
4pp Cover onto 300gsm Silk
Matt Lamination to outer
68pp Text onto 130gsm Silk
Four colour print throughout
Perfect bound
Boiling Wells Lane is a rare thing: a country lane tucked into Bristol’s inner city, hidden away in a secret valley. Carrie Hitchcock’s book documents that quiet contradiction over a decade, mixing photography, artwork and narrative to build a record of the people and the place — and the way it’s changing.
It’s also a proper community object. It reads like a neighbourhood newsletter in book form, but with the pacing and care of a documentary photobook — clear stories, readable typography, and photographs that get room to breathe.
Boiling Wells Lane follows an “inner-city country lane” that shouldn’t really exist — yet does. Over the years it’s become home to smallholdings, self-built houses, a community city farm and a mix of characters who give the lane its shape and spirit.
Carrie began documenting the lane in 2013 to find the stories behind the people who lived and worked there. By the time the project concluded in 2024, some residents had passed away and the lane’s character was shifting. This book works as a testament: a record of a unique environment and the community that created it.
If you’re planning something similar, our photobook printing service is built for projects that need both strong image reproduction and calm, readable pages.
This was printed as a custom-size landscape perfect bound book (210x260mm). That wider format suits the “walk-through” feeling of the project — the lane unfolds as you turn the pages, with space for both photographs and narrative to sit comfortably together.
The cover was printed on 300gsm silk and finished with matt lamination on the outside. You get a smooth, protective feel that stands up to handling — ideal for a book that will be passed around neighbours, shared at local events, and kept as a reference.
Inside, we used 130gsm silk for all 68 pages, in full colour throughout. Silk is a solid choice for documentary photography: detail stays crisp, blacks hold well, and you don’t get glare fighting the images.
Need help planning your own spec? Our instant quote calculator is a fast way to sanity-check formats and budgets before you commit.
The book’s strength is the mix: photography, art and narrative working together to guide the reader. It doesn’t lean on images alone — the writing gives context, names, and texture, while the page design keeps the whole thing easy to follow.
We also liked the pacing. There’s a steady rhythm of text and images interspersed, so it never feels like a wall of information. That matters in local-interest books: you want readers to dip in, recognise places, then keep turning.
On the photo side, the layouts switch between grids and full-bleed spreads — a simple way to control tempo. Grids build a sense of place and detail; full-bleed moments land with more emotional weight.
Like a lot of first-time (or first-in-a-while) self-publishers, Carrie had practical questions: colour profiles, transparency warnings in PDF export, page numbering quirks, and whether RGB images would cause problems. We kept it simple: export as PDF/X-1a where possible, convert colour to destination CMYK, and check the file on a computer before approving.
Paper choice was another key moment. Carrie initially asked about 115gsm for the inside pages, but for an image-led book that can feel thin. We recommended 130gsm silk instead, so the pages feel more substantial and the photographs sit with a bit more authority.
She also asked for a physical proof copy to check how the images felt on paper — especially dullness and brightness. A proof is a smart move for documentary photography, because it helps you decide if any images need a gentle lift before the full run.
If you’re at the same stage, our Print Journey lays out what happens when you’re ready, and our guides on perfect binding set-up and setting 3mm bleed remove most of the common snags.
This project is a good example of what “account-managed printing” looks like in real life. We handled the technical questions early (PDF settings, CMYK conversion, and what to ignore in on-screen proofs), checked the file basics (bleed and image resolution), and kept the production steps clear: proof, approve, then print.
We also helped the spec evolve without drama — adjusting page count, steering the inside stock to 130gsm silk, and supporting the move from proof copies to the final run. The result is a clean, bookshop-ready paperback that still feels rooted in its community.
Want to build your own community book or documentary photobook? Start with our photobook printing page, then follow the Print Journey when you’re ready to go from PDF to finished books.
