HarperCollins has published the Visual Companion and Official Movie Guide for The Hobbit, as well as children's books The Movie Story Book and The World of Hobbits to coincide with the cinema release of the first of three films based on the prequel to JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Arctic Paper delivered 404 tonnes of Arctic Silk 130gsm to Italian book printer Rotolito Lombarda Spa for the 740,000 books that made up the initial print runs of the four titles, reprints of which are already in the pipeline.

Adrian Sutcliffe, group production and purchasing manager of HarperCollins, said: "The books had to be produced on a silk coated with FSC accreditation, and they had to give excellent quality of print.

"At HarperCollins we particularly look for smoothness on both sides and excellent bulk to make our books really stand out and look like prestigious. Arctic Silk is our standard silk coated grade used by HarperCollins across Europe.

"It gives bulk and thickness to the pages without compromising on smoothness which some coated sheets lack. This gives us a superb printing surface every time and automatically gave The Hobbit books the high-end appeal we are looking for as a publisher."

The 740,000 copies printed so far include all UK editions as well as editions for Italy, France, Holland, Germany, Norway, Spain, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Brazil. Each title was printed four-color on a KBA Rapida with both text and images throughout.

Garry Colyer, managing director for Arctic Paper UK, said: "Arctic Paper has seen a real increase in demand and growth for quality grades such as Arctic Silk in the publishing sector throughout 2012.  Publishers and clients are looking to add value and distinction to their printed work as they recognise the many benefits premium products can provide such as superior feel, quality and bulk which all help publisher to achieve a higher end retail price."