Dan Van Sistine, director of sales and distribution at Word on Fire, shared how the ministry’s design, publishing, and material sourcing teams, along with experts in paper, leather, and bookbinding from around the world, helped bridge the gap between the concept and the creation of this new edition.

“Every detail was chosen for prayer. Everything we did sought to improve this book for prayer and to be worthy of the prayers it contained,” said Van Sistine.

One of the biggest changes Word on Fire made was improving how the text is presented on the page. In an effort to keep readers from losing their place in a busy layout, the new edition was designed to make the prayer experience more seamless.

“The headings and scriptural citations have been pulled out into the margin as a sort of ‘live table of contents,’” Van Sistine said. “It increases readability and helps the reader stay focused on the prayers.”

Van Sistine noted that the Word on Fire design and publishing teams tried several different formatting options to optimize layout and page count. Since the Psalms are written in narrow poetic stanzas and comprise a large percentage of the total book, the text and margins had to be rearranged to reduce the number of pages.

With wider margins, a more readable font, and chant notation added to the hymns, the designers managed the book’s overall thickness carefully.

Additionally, to prevent wear and tear, extra reinforcement was added to critical stress points. The first and last pages were chosen after testing multiple thicker paper options. Those selected reinforce the binding at its weakest point and improve the book’s durability.

It was important, Van Sistine explained, that these volumes be durable while still allowing for “a one-handed prayer experience.”

The other key component in creating a long-lasting, lay-flat book, he continued, is the binding.

“It’s a Smyth-sewn book with reinforced paste-down endsheets. This gives us the best balance of durability, beauty, ethical production, and accessibility.”

Similarly, Word on Fire put careful thought into the protective case, treating it as an extension of the books themselves.

“We didn’t want to use the best leather on the book and then wrap it in a case of lesser quality,” said Van Sistine. “The leather for the case is the same as the book and its interior is a microsuede that is made in Italy. The zipper and gold snap are both manufactured in Italy. The cases are assembled and sewn in Italy.”

A common issue with the current Liturgy of the Hours cases is that standard zippers interfere with the ribbon markers. Word on Fire created a custom case to address this concern.

“We spent a lot of time with L.E.G.O., the printer, going over prototypes and design options to make sure we addressed the number one issue with cases: the zipper hitting the ribbons,” said Van Sistine.

He added, “We have the slot for the ribbons so they don’t get caught up in the zipper. The snap allows the zipper to continue past and go around the top of the case. If there were no snap and the zipper stopped at the top of the case, the book would not comfortably lie flat in the hand.”

​With The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition, Word on Fire aims to spark a renewal of the Church’s daily prayer, restoring the Divine Office to the heart of Catholic life.

For more information or to preorder Word on Fire’s Liturgy of the Hours, visit liturgyofthehours.com.​