ESV Study Bible -- Details Released
Major update today at the ESV Study Bible site, including specifics on the October 15, 2008 release date, the various editions that will be available, and sample page spreads. From what I can see, it looks beautiful. The design specs are impressive -- and they apply to all editions, from the bottom to the top of the spectrum:Printing and Binding Specs—All Editions
Pages and size—Pages: 2,752; trim size: 6 ½ × 9 ¼ inches. Paper—Printed on high-opacity, high-quality French Bible paper from Papeteries Du Luman (PDL); this is widely considered the finest paper in the world and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), having been made from forests that are managed to preserve and sustain forestlands. Typesetting—Set in highly readable, 9-point, single-column type for the Bible text, and 7.25-point, double-column type for the notes. Printing—Full-color throughout, printed on high-speed web presses created especially for the high-quality demands of Bible printing. Binding—All editions are Smyth sewn, which is considered the finest Bible binding method and is designed to last a lifetime.
From the get-go, the ESV Study Bible will be available in eight editions -- a hardback, two TruTones (black and brown), two bonded leathers (black and burgundy), a genuine leather (black) and a premium calfskin (black). Someone asked me recently why the ESV Study Bible has been so long in coming, and based on the details released now, I'd say the explanation is, they were determined to do it right. I'm looking forward to the release. I should also add that I'm impressed by the level of disclosure Crossway has provided. It's often difficult to get specifics about a Bible, particularly the unglamorous details of design and binding. Knowing in advance about font size, layout, paper quality and binding is a real pleasure.
J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.
Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.
Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.