“There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place — and the universe opens itself up for a few seconds to show you what’s possible.” – Terrance Mann
Several years ago, I wrote a review of the NLT Slimline Reference Bible and I recommended that Tyndale House Publishers release a more premium edition, one with better binding and paper. To my surprise, not long after, Tyndale released an edition called the Tyndale Select which was a very nice single-column reference edition. The Select edition is now out of print and Tyndale has yet to release a premium edition since that time, which brings us to the new Schuyler NLT Quentel.
The NLT Quentel Reference is published by Schuyler Bibles, which is an independent publisher located in the USA. The NLT Quentel is really a spinoff of the Regular size Quentel, the NLT is a thinner edition, and besides an 11-pt. font for the print, the NLT uses a smaller 10-pt. font. This is basically a whole new layout, a different edition than the regular Quentel layout, the only thing recognizable is the name, although it’s still a two-column paragraph layout with the references set at the bottom of the page.
Layout: is set in a two-column Paragraph format. The Prose sections are set up in Paragraph format and the Poetry sections are in Verse by Verse. Each column is 2 ½” wide. The page size is approximately 9” x 6”. The chapter numbers are printed in dark brick red above the text, with the drop caps (first letter at the start of each paragraph in a large capital letter) also printed in dark brick red print. The paragraphs are designated by Subject Headings that are printed in a dark bold font in large capital letters. The verse numbers are small and unobtrusive, as well as the superscript letters that signify the cross-references. The cross-references are located at the bottom of the page, delineated under a red borderline, and between that borderline and the text you’ll find the textual notes.
The font is listed as a 10-pt. Milo, however, with my ruler it measures a tad smaller and more in the 9-pt. range, for comparison it measures a little smaller than the font in the KJV Topaz, which is also listed as a 10-pt. font. This edition is black letter only, which means the words of Christ are not printed in red. The size of the notes and references measures between 6/7-pt.
The New Living Translation is the second translation utilized in this new series of Quentel, the first release was launched last year, and the translation of choice was the older Revised Standard Version, yes, the one from the 1950s. The most distinct difference between the design of the RSV Q and the NLT Q are the drop caps, the drop caps in the RSV are more decorative, while the drop caps in the NLT are more subtle, basically a larger letter, and more art-deco in style.
The paper in the NLT is 28gsm Indopaque paper which is only available through Royal Jongbloed in the UK. The paper is silky smooth, and the paper although thin has an opacity rating of 85%. A representative of Schuyler had mentioned recently, “the paper has a special coating that will wear off with use allowing the paper to be less slippery”. The Indopaque paper is a very attractive paper, it has a bright creamy white appearance and is some of the nicest looking paper that I’ve seen. Some of this may be attributed to the printing which I think is just the right shade of black, it’s not too dark, but also not too light. As I stated earlier, the font is listed as a 10pt Milo, but what I think makes the print really pop is the leading, (the spacing between the baselines of text) that measures around 11-12-pt, which gives the text more breathing room creating more white space overall.
The edition being reviewed is the Marbled Merlot Calfskin Full Yapp edition. The outer measurements are 10-1/2” x 7” x 1-7/16”. This text-block is basically the same size as the Regular size Quentel but it’s thinner and overall it’s very close in size to the Cambridge Topaz.
The binding is calfskin and is of a medium thickness, it’s very flexible for calfskin, not at all stiff, and the calfskin has a light grain and is smooth in texture and feel. This is the Full Yapp edition and it’s a true full yapp, in other words, all sides of the leather will touch completely enclosing the text block.
The Marbled Merlot is a dark reddish brown or dark brown with a burgundy tint. The marbling is not that pronounced and is a little more noticeable in brighter light. The binding is perimeter stitched and the stitching is well done, running my hands around the binding I could only feel one rough protruding stitch. The liner is calfskin leather and applied around the inside cover is a single gold foil line. The corner work is well done, the folds are not perfectly symmetrical, but close enough.
There are six raised and tooled spine hubs, and this calfskin leather seems to imprint better than goatskin. On the spine is stamped Holy Bible and beneath is stamped New Living Translation, with the Schuyler logo stamped near the bottom. A Jerusalem cross is blank-stamped on the front cover.
The red under gold art gilt is applied evenly on the page edges and it has a nice reddish-orange tint. It has three dark burgundy ribbons made by Beresford’s in the UK, they are double-sided satin and 10mm in width. And, as you can see, when opened this edition lies nice and flat from the front to the back.
At the front of the Bible printed on heavier card stock is a decorative Presentation page, which also includes pages for Marriages, Births, and Deaths. Next, printed on Bible paper you have the following pages: Alphabetical listing of Bible Books, A Note to the Readers, the Intro to the NLT, and the list of the Bible Translation team.
At the back of the Bible this edition has a concordance that is set up in three columns, the subject words are printed in a dark bold font with the references printed in red and the verse portions are printed in black.
There’s a full set of colored Bible maps along with a Map Index printed on a heavier matte finished paper. Between the Concordance and the Maps are about 10 sheets of lined notepaper. *In my opinion, Schuyler produces the nicest looking full colored Bible maps.
The only downsides I see are, the ribbons are a tad too short, and the outer margins could stand to be a little wider.
Conclusion: What sets the Bible apart is not only the layout but the execution of the layout, the typeface, the spacing, the print, and the paper. These things can be thrown together, but if one of these is poorly done, then it diminishes the overall beauty of the book. This is one of the nicest, premium or otherwise, NLT editions currently on the market, one that will be hard to improve upon.
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