Penguin Random House New Zealand
Award for Best Illustrated Book 2026

Finalist

Designers: Alan Deare and Dave McDonald, Area Design

Title: New Zealand Photography Collected: 175 Years of Photography in Aotearoa

Publisher: Te Papa Press

Format: 305 x 250 mm, 392pp, hardback with spot-varnishing plates for the nearly-500 unique images throughout to bring extra detail to life and mirror a traditional photographic finish. A blind deboss and spot UV treatment for the title, with a ¾ wibalin back cover bring some texture and gloss to the case, with a material reference to Kodak yellow which pops off the sepia image.

Typography: Body Type: Söhne, 9.8pt/11.8pt leading
Captions: Söhne, 7.4pt/8.85pt leading
Introductory paragraphs: Tiempos Text, 18.6pt/21.24pt leading
Chapter titles: Söhne Schmal, 236.8pt/200.8pt leading

Typography was kept simple as it’s very much the supporting act here.

Publisher’s Brief
“We asked for a refresh of the design (from the 2015 edition) and to soften it a bit. The grid from the first edition worked well and had stood the test of time, but readers needed to know they were looking at a new book. We asked for updated type to help with this.”