Water journal: born from the love of print

This article is based on the interview conducted by the STACK magazines’ founder Steve Watson on his podcast.  You can find and listen to it here.

Water journal is a bi-annual publication curated and designed by a young Lithuanian print & digital designer Edvinas Bružas currently residing in the United Kingdom. The journal is described as “a quiet exploration of all things water, celebrating its undeniable beauty and complexity”. It is a niche magazine about all things related to water but the editor does not interpret the theme so literally. The goal for future issues is to expand and grow in a more conceptual direction, to explore different areas not related to the theme of water so literally.

Edvinas jokes that while making Water journal he did something everyone in the magazine industry advice against: he both curated and designed it. He is the editor and the art director. He also likes to take the alternative route when it comes to typical magazine structure. For example, as of now the Water journal is advertising-free. It also does not have an editor's letter.

Partly this is because for Edvinas this was never a commercial venture. It started as a need to join the conversation, to be part of the magazine publishing community.
According to Edvinas, Water journal is strongly driven by its visuals. The images are stripped back to allow the viewer to lose themselves in these.

Water journal is based on user submissions. With each issue the community is expanding and new contributors submit their photography & texts to become a part of the Water journal. The response was positive from the very beginning as authors with the same aesthetic and values began showing interest in the possibility to be featured in the Water journal. Now they are almost a family, a community that grows with each issue of the magazine.

Obviously it was easier for Edvinas to trust a printing house from his own country. Despite this, he also had to overcome some issues as he was already used to dealing with printing houses in London. At first it seemed convenient to have everything so close, however after a so called “print disaster” when the publication his partner ordered was three months late, Edvinas decided to take a step back and find a trustworthy printing house back in his home country. And that is where we come in.

We have the necessary experience to advise each and every one of our clients about the best printing, binding and finishing options. Some clients, like Edvinas, already know a lot about the industry and editorial design, however it is always a good idea to find a printer that understands your needs and cares about your project.

”Water” journal is a beautiful publication that showcases art work and texts that are well worth reading. Such high quality content requires to me printed with the utmost care.