The limited edition, hand-bound volume contains reproductions of 119 paintings by the artist, in a definitive collection of his lifetime’s work. The book will be accompanied by an exclusive limited edition print and a DVD about David Shepherd’s life and the production of the book, including footage filmed at Westerham.

How was it produced? The book was produced on an eight-unit Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102. It was machine folded and hand sewn and bound, and printed on Italian paper manufacturer Fedrigoni Papers’ Brampton Stucco grade. A thousand copies of the book will be produced and it retails at £2,500.

What challenges were overcome? A 220gsm paper had to be made to order in short grain so that the grain direction was correct for binding. Ian Paull, client service and business development manager, said: "We also had to run numerous trials to establish the correct light-fast ink set and sealer combination that would dry well on the sheet to allow the handling and binding process to proceed." Due to the size of the book, folding was the only post-press procedure that could be carried out mechanically. The job was trimmed to 63 4pp sections and from then on the gathering, collation, sewing, lining, end papering and case work were produced by hand.

What was the feedback? Publisher Chris Andrews at Gateway Publishing said: "The dedication shown by the Westerham team has been extraordinary and I have been bowled over by their approach. They grasped straight away there could be no compromise on quality and have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure that the book itself is a work of art."