Tuesday, October 8, 2013

DIY Personalized Portfolios


Don't have time to wait for a personalized portfolio, or just have the DIY spirit? We've put together a few ideas for adding your own personal style to our ready to ship RTG and custom portfolios

Tips:

1. Use a medium you are very familiar or comfortable with.

2. Remember that the fonts and designs you choose should reflect your style or appeal to your particular clientele.

3. Always, always do a test on a scrap piece of paper and then on a sample of the material that your portfolio is covered in.  We recommend ordering a test board in the same color and fabric as your portfolio, as we do not offer refunds on altered portfolios. You can purchase test panels here, they are available in all covering materials.

4. Below are just a few ideas. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination.

-Iron on Decals: Use design software to create a logo (we used Illustrator) then create a mirror image of your design and print it out on printable iron on transfer paper. Cut out your design as close to the edges as possible and align it where you want it placed on your portfolio. Following the instructions for the transfer paper, carefully iron it onto your portfolio cover.
























-Stenciling: We spray painted through an abstract dot stencil to create a balanced asymmetrical pattern on our sample. Make sure to paint in a well-ventilated area.
























-Paper Plaque: Card Stock Printout with a Color Coordinated Mat.  This is probably the simplest option we have here.  Just print out your logo onto a nice heavy stock paper, trim evenly around it and mount it onto a complimentary color card stock and trim to make even borders.  This can then be adhered to the portfolio with glue or a double sided adhesive.
























-Canvas Patch: We used acrylic on canvas with raw edges for our patch. We created a paint splatter pattern to liven up our portfolio with a pop of color, but if you are good at rubber stamping or hand lettering, go for it! The beauty of the fabric plate is that you can customize your pattern or logo before gluing it on!
























-Wooden Letters: For our book, we masked off a section of the foredge to roll on a lime green acrylic paint stripe before gluing on the letters, to create a bright, complimentary color scheme.
























-Vinyl Lettering/Sticker Letters: Vinyl letters and sticker letters are good in a pinch, if you are wanting to personalize your RTG portfolio with your name, company name or project. The stickers and vinyl letters do tend to peel up after a bit, and while they don't offer a permanent solution, are wonderful in that they can be repositioned, and you can change it as you wish. (We still recommend testing, as different brands may use different adhesives).

























As a reminder we do not offer refunds on altered portfolios so please take extra care when personalizing your own portfolio.  

Have Fun!  and as always feel free to contact us if you have any questions

Monday, September 23, 2013

Introducing Screen Printed Covers

We are pleased to announce that we are now offering screen printed cover options for our custom boxes and books. We love screen printing for the crisp lines and the virtually limitless array of custom colors we are now able to provide. Our first few orders have just come back, and we are absolutely delighted to share the results with you.

You can find more information on the website

If you have any questions regarding the process and the possibility of adding it to your portfolio, binder or box, please send an email to kristin@kdbooks.com

Black and White Screen Printed Portfolio

Screen Printed Binder

Screen Printed Coffee Table Portfolio

Screen Printed Binder

Screen Printed Clamshell Box


Thursday, January 10, 2013

Ready to Ship Portfolios

We are excited to introduce a new line of quality portfolios that are ready to go!  No custom orders, RTG, is for those in need now.  Quick and easy, orders are shipped within 1-2 business days and are available in our most popular color combinations and sizes.  They are handmade with the same superb craftsmanship that you have come to expect from our custom portfolios and boxes.  RTG offers an convenient solution for those in a time crunch.
For more information and to see our current inventory, please visit our website