Now is the right time for Beijing Xinhua Printing to transform and develop
At the turn of the year, as everything is renewed, "Printing Manager" is specially launching the annual review feature report "2025, Printing Industry, Please Respond." Previously, we reviewed the "Annual Keywords" (click here: What are the 2025 Printing Industry Annual Keywords? Resilient Development, Anti-'Involution', Emotional Consumption…). Next, we will focus on the printing companies' annual "Breakthrough Actions," reporting on a series of outstanding companies' moves and layouts for 2025, as well as their plans and visions for 2026. Capturing the highlights of enterprises and exploring industry development trends.
Innovation is the driving force of development and also the arena for the printing industry in the new era to serve the spiritual and cultural life of the people. Beijing Xinhua Printing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Beijing Xinhua Printing) upholds the historical mission of documenting the nation's print heritage, serving national standards, shaping the spirit of the era, and passing down culture. It bravely acts as a practitioner, pioneer, and dream builder in promoting the high-quality development of the printing industry guided by Xi Jinping's cultural thought.
In 2025, Beijing Xinhua Printing insists on the integrity and sharpness of a principled and innovative approach, deeply integrating excellent traditional Chinese culture with creative printing culture, closely combining traditional printing skills and new printing technologies with cultural and creative products, and adhering to a path of cultural innovation development where culture is embedded in creativity and craftsmanship creates high-quality products.
Exterior view of Beijing Xinhua Printing Factory
Traditional Craft Revitalized with a New Flair
Paper molds were an important preparation process and medium in the era of lead printing, and the craft of paper molds vividly reflects the inheritance and development of the lead type casting process. In the new era, Beijing Xinhua Printing has adhered to creative transformation and innovative development, combining traditional paper mold techniques with woodblock watermarking, integrating finely engraved copper plates, the characteristics of Xuan paper, and traditional mounting processes, thereby maintaining tradition while introducing innovation. This approach has enabled cultural and creative products that carry forward the traditional paper mold craft to come to fruition. For example, 'Carefully Doing a Good Job in Publishing' not only preserves the essence of Chairman Mao's calligraphy skills but also showcases the embossed and three-dimensional printing features of paper mold craftsmanship. The 'Xinhua Printing' annual ring paper mold notebook, with a leather cover made by imitating paper mold techniques, has a uniquely distinctive texture and industry-identifying quality, giving it a pronounced sense of craftsmanship and recognizability.
"Conscientiously Carry Out Publishing Work" Paper Form
"'Xinhua Printing' Year-Ring Style Notebook
The classic thread-bound 'Large Character Book' was a signature product of Beijing Xinhua Printing in the 1960s and 1970s, playing an important role in serving the needs of the Party and the country.
In the second half of 2024, Beijing Xinhua Printing launched a project to reproduce the classic thread-bound 'Large Character Book' in its original form. After more than a year of effort, by 2025, all production processes had been completed, including prepress replica plate making, offset printing on Xuan paper, and the full traditional thread-binding process. The freshly produced "Three Hundred Tang Poems" (Annotated Edition) (one case, eight volumes) achieved results comparable to the original books. While preserving the excellent quality of the original editions, it also introduced new techniques and styles that align with the needs of the new era and contemporary culture.
"Large-character Edition" Thread-bound Book (Replicated Version)
Traditional Calligraphy and Painting Integrated into New Applications
The two notebooks, "Lanting Elegance" and "Red Cliff Moonlight," are star products developed around the theme of the "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion"-known as the world's foremost running script-and Su Dongpo's "Ode to the Red Cliff" as well as Jin Dynasty painter Wu Yuanzhi's "Red Cliff Scroll." They are also representative works in the 2025 cultural and creative printing category, combining craftsmanship integration with cultural expression. Both products feature cloth-covered hardcover bindings, ensuring structural stability and durability during use. Their covers incorporate gold stamping and debossing techniques, creating a textured three-dimensional feel and layered gloss on the elegant light gray base. The accompanying sprinkled-gold sulfur paper endpapers further enhance the craftsmanship detail in the bookbinding process.
The "Lanting Elegance" notebook integrates three types of inner pages-narrative, reflective, and casual-which echo the essence of literati gatherings. It also comes with a theme pull-out page printed on Xuan paper featuring the "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion," visualizing the spirit of the brushwork of the world's foremost running script and the broad-minded state of mind of Wei-Jin scholars, allowing users to naturally connect with a millennia-old literary heritage while writing.
Lanting Elegance & Red Cliffs Moonlight Notebooks
The "Red Cliffs Moonlight" notebook features three types of inner pages: "Gentle Breeze and Bright Moon," "A Grain in the Sea," and "Endless Treasures," all inspired by the classic lines from Su Shi's "Ode to the Red Cliffs." Accompanied by high-quality printed fold-out pages on Xuan paper themed with the Red Cliffs painting, the notebook transforms the moonlit river scenes and the magnificent views of the Red Cliffs depicted in the "Ode to the Red Cliffs" into a tactile visual experience. This allows the spirit of traditional literature to blend seamlessly into everyday writing. The two products, through precise control of craftsmanship details and deep cultural integration, not only demonstrate the company's ability to integrate techniques in cultural and creative printing but also elevate the products beyond practical use, carrying the dual value of conveying traditional aesthetics and cultural spirit. They achieve a harmonious balance of quality, experience, and cultural connotation.
Chibi Moonlight Notebook Xuan Paper Flip Display
New Technology Empowers 'Small and Beautiful'
I love the 'BRICS' series sticky note notebooks, which are representative works among Beijing Xinhua Printing's 2025 cultural and creative products, combining craftsmanship precision with market recognition. The edge-spraying technique at the fore edge of the notebook presents delicate patterns, extending the detail dimension of craftsmanship beyond conventional binding forms, and directly demonstrating the careful control of printing techniques on delicate areas. The nine differentiated themed patterns launched simultaneously, including 'She Smiles Among the Bushes,' 'Meeting the Mountains and Rivers,' and 'Immediate Success,' offer diverse expressions, enriching the visual layers of the product while also catering to different user preferences.
I love the 'BRICS' series of notebooks.
The stamp collecting albums are a popular tool among teenagers for collecting stamps. In terms of craft and product presentation, they use fine and even edge-spraying techniques, giving the sides a more refined look when the product is closed. The covers are made of white card with a matte lamination, combined with a cloth-wrapped spine and gold stamping, ensuring both a high-quality feel and everyday durability. The inner pages are made of pure paper, which clearly reproduces the color and details of various stamps. A total of seven different patterned styles have been launched, including 'The Palace Museum,' 'My Stamp World,' and 'Wishes Come True,' covering aesthetics such as traditional Chinese style, simplicity, and cuteness to cater to different consumer preferences.
Stamp Collection Book Series
Craftsmanship Preserves Cultural Heritage
The 'Craftsmanship Preserves' set and the 'Endless Treasure' set are important achievements in our collection of cultural and creative products. They embody the refinement of traditional stationery while meeting diverse usage needs. The 'Craftsmanship Preserves' set includes items such as the 'Lanting Elegance' and 'Red Cliff Moonlight' notebooks, the 'She Smiles Among the Flowers' and 'Meeting the Rivers and Mountains' I Love 'Gold Brick' sticky notes, the exclusive 'Endless Treasure' fountain pen, 50 compatible ink cartridges, 21 bookmarks, and a rice paper hanging scroll, all housed in an exquisite gift box with a paper bag.
'Craftsmanship Forever' Set
The 'Endless Treasure' exclusive fountain pen set includes a customized fountain pen, 50 compatible ink cartridges, and a matching notepad. The pen body is made of rosewood, offering a smooth and warm grip. In terms of craftsmanship details and practical usage, it not only reflects its quality positioning but also meets the current consumer demand for both 'texture and practicality.'
The 'Endless Treasure' Collection
The year 2025 marks a year for Beijing Xinhua Printing Cultural and Creative Development to boldly break boundaries, empower with technology, and expand its channels. A total of four major series and more than 40 cultural and creative products were developed. As newcomers, there was both apprehension and delight, resistance and confidence.
In the new year, Beijing Xinhua Printing will continue to expand boldly, unafraid of mistakes, and will continue to base itself on craftsmanship, imbue its work with culture, and innovate with wings to create more cultural and creative products that combine quality with profound meaning. While promoting its own high-quality development, it will also contribute to the transformation, upgrading, and innovative development of the printing industry.