Glossary
We pride ourselves on the time and effort we put into each of our books to ensure they are a timeless source of pleasure and learning. Here are a few insights that we hope shed light on our design and production process. Is there anything else you would like to find out about our books? Just drop us a line at contact@taschen.com.
SUMO
The mighty giants of our program tower at 50 to 70 cm (19.7 to 27.6 in.).
BABY SUMO
Only a little more diminutive, the Baby Sumo’s are between 47 and 50 cm (18.5 to 19.7 in.) tall.
XXL
Not far behind their SUMO cousins, XXL books are a minimum of 39 cm (15.4 in.).
XL
XL books are at least 34 cm (13.4 in.) high, with the exception of landscape-format titles.
SOLD OUT
It is what it is; however, on rare occasions, copies in mint condition are returned, so please check with your nearest TASCHEN Store just in case.
FEW LEFT
Be quick! This title is still available, but is most likely no longer in stock at every TASCHEN store. We expect the title to be sold out in the near future.
Prices
All prices on our website are up-to-date. Collector’s Edition prices are subject to change without prior notice to reflect current market value.
Series
The 40th Edition
Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. In 2020, we celebrated 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40th Edition presents new editions of some of the stars of our program—now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.
Basic Art Series
Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art Series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance, a concise biography, and approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions.
Bibliotheca Universalis
Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!
Limited Editions
Storage and care
Please treat your book kindly. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight and humidity and do not display open books for an extended period of time. For the most precious editions, use our gloves to avoid stains and fingerprints. The condition of a book is integral to its value and prices for mint copies can far exceed those for copies in good or fair condition. Books with vintage TASCHEN casing may achieve a significantly higher sum at resale, so do keep the original presentation box. Storing large books flat is recommended since it will give the binding a break from the weight of the book block.
Collector’s Editions
Collector’s Editions are signed by the artist or author—or estate authenticated—and offer unrivaled access to his or her oeuvre and archive. With strictly limited print runs, these luxurious books are instant collectibles. They can also be high-performing investment pieces, known to have their value tripled, quadrupled, even quintupled or more within a short time.
Art Editions
With an even more limited print run than the Collector’s Editions, Art Editions are the crème de la crème of our program, each coming with an exclusive companion artwork, signed by the artist.
AP’s
Artist’s Proof copies are made for artists, friends, contributors, and internal TASCHEN use. They are generally not for sale, but exceptions may be made.
Production Features
Art Edition Prints
TASCHEN’s prints are produced to gallery standards on archival-quality paper with utmost care, under the direct supervision of the artists and with the printing technology of their choice.
Gelatin Silver Print
This classic printing process for black-and-white images is based on the light sensitivity of silver halides. A brief exposure to a negative produces a latent image, which is then made visible by a developing agent. The image is made permanent by treatment in a photographic fixer, which removes the remaining light sensitive silver halides. A water bath clears the fixer from the print. The final image consists of small particles of silver, bound in a layer of gelatin. This gelatin image layer is only one of the four layers found in a typical gelatin silver print, which generally include the overcoat, image layer, baryta, and paper support.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Papier
A cotton paper with a fine, smooth surface and feel of Photo Rag® make this paper ideal for printing black-and-white and color photographs and art reproductions with impressive pictorial depth.
Binding
Durability and ease of opening are the two most important aspects in high-quality bookbinding, even more so for our heavy SUMO and other oversized publications. The spines of TASCHEN books are often rounded, which, in combination with the proper choice of glues and binding techniques, typically allows them to open more fully flat without damaging the spine.
Swiss Binding
The page block is perfect bound and attached to the inside back cover, leaving the spine and cover free to open flat.
Japanese Binding
Japanese bookmakers have traditionally used a great variety of bookbinding methods. Our technique uses quarter signature sheets which remain uncut in the front and are sewn together in the back and stab bound.
Blind Embossing/Debossing
Both blind embossing and blind debossing can produce beautiful, textured finishes on a book cover. Blind embossing is when the image is raised up out of the paper. Blind debossing is when the image is pushed down, below the surface of the paper.
Duoton
Duotone printed books offer premium multitone printing. It involves a complex and precise adjustment of black-and-white images, allowing the printer to optimize ink densities and achieve richer results without sacrificing detail or image quality.
Tip-Ins
Tipped-in pages are printed separately from the main book and glued into the final publication by hand, sometimes on a different paper stock. Tip-ins are often used in our books for presentation of archival materials and always used to bind in artists’ signing pages.
Foil Blocking
Through a combination of heat and pressure, a metal block or “die” transfers a desired text or artwork onto the paper or cloth surface with a metallic or colored finish.
Edge Gilding
Gilding the edges of a book is usually achieved at a bindery by applying a metallic foil with heat or by dispersing ink onto the edge of the book block.
Letterpress
Letterpress was a standard form of printing from Gutenberg through to the mid-20th century. It employs relief plates and movable type which are inked and impressed directly against the surface of the paper. Now a vintage technique, it is cherished for its tactile qualities and superb printing of texts and illustrations.
Paper
TASCHEN books are printed on archival-quality paper, chosen for the durability of the material as well as its color fidelity. Particularly for XL and Collector’s Edition titles, special papers are selected to enhance specific design approaches. For example, the essay sections of a photo book may reside on a different paper stock, since the photographs are often printed on coated paper for utmost brilliance, and the text may feel more bookish on an uncoated or structured paper.
Acquerello Paper
A high-quality ivory-colored paper with a linear felt mark on both sides.
Clamshell Box
Custom-fit to each book, our clamshells open laterally and are the perfect way to protect and display your TASCHEN books.
Skia
This top-notch photographic printing technology allows, for the first time, all visible elements captured by the camera to transfer to print by means of the photographic negative. Using special gamma characteristics and inks to achieve a visible range close to the very limits of what the human eye can perceive it brings a new level of three-dimensionality to the page.
Spot UV Varnish
This printing technique utilizes ultraviolet light to “cure” a varnish that is applied to the paper, sealing in the color and protecting the printed surface from moisture and other types of damage.