Hinge Strips 101

Hinge strips are the perfect tool to add flexibility to the pages of your portfolio. Photo paper and other heavier pages do not bend or turn easily and have a tendency to flip back.  These hinges are made with a very thin, flexible fabric that allows the page to turn easily and lie flat.  On the left of each hinge is a strip of 100 lb paper, which adds stability and strength to the fabric where the holes are punched.  The following photographs provide step by step assistance to show you how to apply these custom made hinge strips.  

Photo 2:  Peel the 1/4" backing paper to expose the adhesive strip.

Photo 3:  Carefully place the photograph on top of the adhesive strip and align it with the edge of the adhesive.

Photo 4:  Apply pressure along strip to ensure full contact.

Photo 5:  With cover removed, place the hinged page over the screw posts.

Photo 6:  Place the cover on top of the stack of hinged pages and reinsert the screws.

The hinge strips can be purchased at kdbooks.com.  They are sized and hole punched to fit Kristin Dunn bookbinding & design portfolios.  They will not necessarily fit any other brand of portfolio. Hinge strips are available in black and white.  You can purchase white hinge strips here at kdbooks.com and black hinge strips here.

Inkjet Printed Covers

The inkjet experiment that I blogged about back in March has proven to be quite a success.  In the past few months I've had the pleasure of working on several projects which called for the printing of large areas.

While it's been challenging getting the printer to accept the bookcloth, the actual printing has gone very smoothly and I've been very happy with the vibrancy of the colors.

It seems that, at this point, the only real limitation to the process is the size.  My printer can accept a 13" wide piece of bookcloth which limits the size of the printed cover to 12". Fortunately the length is unlimited (I think).  In most cases there are ways to work around this. For example on the blue-grey box pictured below I would normally use one large piece of cloth to wrap around the entire cover, spine and bottom, but in order to incorporate inkjet printing on a box that had a height if 13 3/4", I had to use 2 separate pieces, one for the spine and bottom and a second for the printed cover.

The lime green book pictured below has printing that wraps around the spine and onto the back of the book.  For this, since the height of the book was only 11 3/4", I was able to use a very long piece of fabric, over 35", but with proper planning and registration it worked out perfectly.   

Inkjet printing is a very cost effective way to personalize limited run projects and once I determine that pricing structure and create downloadable templates this option will be available in the online store. Until then please contact me directly if you are interested in having a custom portfolio, book or box made with printed covers.  You can always visit the custom showroom of the website to see more details on these and other custom projects.

Favorites from 2010

Portfolio Books and Box set for Graphic Designer Eileen Hu

Invitation Binder Set for Fig. 2 Design Studio

Stab Bound Movie Script

Hidden Screw Post Portfolio with Spine Cover and Foil Stamping.
Ordered in the Online Store

Half Clamshell Box with Magnetic Closure with Embossed Logo
Ordered in the Online Store

Exposed Screw Post Portfolio and Half Clamshell Box with Angled
Magnetic Flap Closure with Embossing and Foil Stamping

Coffee table Style Portfolio with Foil Stamping on Cover and Spine
Ordered in the Online Store

Coffee Table Style Portfolio with Foil Stamping
Ordered in the Online Store

Folding Framed Image Panel for photographer Sandy Chandler

New Portfolio Design

I am very excited to be offering a new portfolio design in the online store.  With it's super clean solid lines, this portfolio is something you'll be proud to show off.  I'm calling it the coffee table style book because it has the look of a hard cover art book that you could leave out on display at your home or office. When combined with foil stamping or embossing of your name or logo, this design has a strikingly professional look.  It also maintains the flexibility of the other designs.  This portfolio uses screw posts so you can easily swap pages in and out and can even replace pages with spine spacers if you decide to display fewer pages.  I recommend ordering your portfolio to fit the maximum number of pages that you would possibly include, as fixed spine books can accommodate no more than the number of pages that they are designed to hold.

You can insert your own printed pages by using the included template for hole punching or you can purchase black or white hinged pages in the online store.  These can be used for mounting photographs or other printed material.

Please visit the website for more details and to see the many size and color options available for this portfolio.

Stunning Business Proposals

Make your next proposal stand out in the crowd. Why just submit a proposal in a standard office store folder when you can have a custom made presentation that is sure to turn heads.

The photo on the above left is a business proposal that includes two coil bound pamphlets, a cd and a memory stick. The outside is covered in a tan bookcloth and the 4 pockets are covered in a olive green bookcloth. The pockets are made with hard edges to allow the 1/4" thick pamphlets to slide in and out comfortably. An inset was created in the cover for the company logo. The logo was printed out on high quality heavy stock paper, mounted onto a metallic gold paper and then placed in the inset for a nice clean professional look. 7 identical folders were made to send out to all parties considering the proposal.

The proposal package on the below left is a hidden screw post portfolio in landscape format. This horizontal format works best when using standard 8 1/2 x 11 pages as the pages are easier to turn. A pocket for the company's business card was included on the inside cover. This job proposal is covered entirely in a tan bookcloth and uses only the burnt orange from the business card and cover inset to add a splash of color.

Both of these proposal folders were custom orders but we're working on some designs to offer in the online store so stay tuned and visit the website often and follow Kristin Dunn bookbinding & design on facebook to see the latest news from the studio. Until then please call to discuss some ideas for your next business proposal.

Large Format Print Portfolios

I just finished this exciting project with Bobby Namba of Trapeze Editions. It was an edition of large format, 18 x 14 folios to house a set of 3 prints from LA based artist David Choe. The folios were covered in a slightly metallic black bookcloth and were then beautifully screen printed in silver or gold depending. The inside left panel was covered in a heavyweight drawing paper where the artist will create an original drawing for each folio. The right inside panel is finished with a matte black bookcloth and accented with metallic corners that secure the prints.

These limited edition folios are being sold by Trapeze Editions and can be seen, along with details of the artwork, in their website store.

New Round Portfolio Pockets

Just added to the site! A new way to express yourself through your portfolio. Now you can choose from horizontal, vertical, diagonal and round pockets. The small pockets are perfect for storing your business cards and the larger ones for unbound materials such as resumes and other leave behind literature. These pockets can be added to the inner liners of portfolios and clamshell boxes and can be covered in any of 27 color options.

Visit www.kdbooks.com to see all of the options.

Metallic Portfolios and Boxes

These coated metallic fabrics give a stunning finish to custom portfolios and boxes and they are now available as covering choices in the online store. There are 7 colors to choose from, light gold, pearl, lava, aqua, steel, pewter and silver. Shown here is a light gold clamshell box, a pearl notched clamshell box and a lava exposed screw post portfolio. They are photographed on the aqua.

Not only is this covering material beautiful, it's also very durable. Because it's a coated fabric, liquid will not penetrate it as it does the linen cloth. It can be gently wiped down with a damp cloth to remove dust and it also resists scuffing. If you're interested in seeing swatches before ordering please send an email with your address and I'll send them your way.

A new way to personalize your portfolio

Now you can order your portfolio with a custom sized inset to mount photos, printed logos, title cards and other printed pieces on the cover.

This a terrific, affordable and virtually limitless way to personalize your portfolio. Foils stamping and embossing are beautiful and very professional looking but the costs can add up and the process limits the color that can be used. With insets you can print out your logo or design in full color on the paper of your choice and simply mount it into the clean edged inset.

You may also mail your piece to the studio and it will be adhered to the portfolio of box at no extra charge. Visit the online store to get started http://kdbooks.com/store/

jazz up your applications in 2010

If you're searching for jobs or applying to grad school programs and you want your application to stand out from the rest, what better way to catch their eye than presenting them with a striking personalized portfolio loaded with your credentials. When they open the package and see your name emblazoned on the cover of a professionally made portfolio they will know that you are serious and are sure to remember your name. There will be a lot of information inside the portfolio that needs to be the real star of the presentation so keeping the portfolio design clean and simple is the best choice in this case. Choose colors that say something about yourself, your work, or even the institution that you are applying to. There are 11 fonts available in a variety of sizes and styles that can be used for personalizing your portfolio. For a subtle approach, a blind emboss of your name in the bottom right corner of the cover would be a great choice. If you want to add some color and make your name stand out a bit more, then choose one of the 10 colors available and opt for a dead center or optical center placement. All of these options are available in the online store at www.kdbooks.com.

FONTS & COLORS

Take a look at these new fonts & colors available for personalizing your custom portfolios and boxes. There will be more embossing and foil stamping options added throughout the year so check back often.

Big Box

This is the largest box I've made to date and I'm really excited about the possibilities it has opened up. I had always seen the 38" x 26" dimensions of the bookboard as the limit. After watching a home improvement show about how laminated plywood beams are made I decided that more than likely those limits didn't exist. For each of the 11 pieces that make up the structure of the box, I cut 4 strips of .059 bookboard and laminated them, overlapping the seams of each. The box measure 42" long, so I used one piece of 38" and one piece of 4 1/2" and reversed the placement on each layer. After the glue had dried I trimmed the ends down to the proper length. This produced a super strong and stable piece of bookboard that I knew could support the weight of the finished box. Since the box is so large it was important to build it with 1/4" walls, standard 1/8" walls would have made for a very flimsy and unwieldy structure. Trimming the pieces was a bit tricky. As with the pieces of any box it is so important that they are cut at perfect 90 degree angles through their width. 1/4" thick pieces do not fit into the board cutter so they are all hand cut. It takes a real steady hand and perfect attention to keep the blade straight when cutting through that thickness. Once all the pieces were finally trimmed and glued, I covered the box in a lime green linen cloth and lined the trays with a deep wine colored Dupioni silk. I really like this color combination and am very happy with the finished product. I'm looking forward to applying this new technique to the creation of some unique and impressive custom portfolio and presentation pieces.

NEW STUDIO

I am very excited about my recent move to a much larger studio. It feels good to spread out and have more space around my equipment. I'm still trying to get everything in order and figure out the best way to use the space. More than likely I'll move things around before I'm satisfied but here are some photos as things are for the moment. I'm looking forward to taking on some new, exciting and larger projects as the year winds down.

Photographer's Portfolio

Long Beach photographer Wes Kroninger found me through this blog and was surprised to find that I was only 1 mile from his office. After a few visits to my studio and some time living with fabric swatches and foil stamping samples, Wes decided to go with a black hidden screw post portfolio and slipcase set with a subtle foil stamped logo in the bottom right corner. The foil stamping turned out great. Since the letters in his logo had plenty of space between them, I was able to use 2 different colors with just one die. The grey inner liner behind the pocket matched well with the logo and connected the outside and inside of the presentation together. I really like the the matte black "WK" that Wes chose to put on the portfolio's spine. It's these very small details that often make all the difference.

You can visit Wes Kroninger's website here and his blog here.

Unrequited

This was a fun project but I have to say I was a bit hesitant when my client said that he wanted his book printed on parchment. The thought of cutting, folding and stitching animal skin made my pescatarian stomach a bit uneasy, but I decided I was up for the challenge.

After the book layout was complete, the paper was purchased from Pergamena in New York, sent out to a printing company that specializes in printing on parchment and then shipped to me in Long Beach. When it arrived at the studio, I cautiously opened the package and was surprisingly delighted at what I saw. Each page was unique and beautiful with varying textures and colors, no two were alike.

Of course working with parchment is nothing like working with paper so it was a learning process, fortunately a smooth one. Each sheet had to be trimmed carefully as the printing was not consistently in the same place on each sheet. Then each sheet was scored, folded and pressed overnight. Next the signatures were collated, station holes punched and finally the book block was stitched, glued up, pressed again and then into the guillotine for a final trimming. The client wanted suede endsheets with a decorative border stitching. He also wanted the endsheets to be one continuous piece so I cut the suede to fit the bookblock, ran it through the sewing machine for the decorative stitching and then stitched the suede wrap to the bookblock.

The raised ligature on the front cover was hand cut and then carefully covered in a dark brown leather. The book's title, "Unrequited" was foil stamped on the spine in 22K gold on the Kwikprint and finally the bookblock was cased in, pressed for a few days and turned over to a very happy client who then passed the gift on to it's intended recipient.

Architectural Photographer's Portfolio

This was the second run of Los Angeles based photographer Lawrence Anderson's portfolio so I decided to record a little of the action this time.

The development of this portfolio was quite involved and required the coordination of many designers and craftspeople. Every

aspect of the presentation, from the printing and paper choice to the durability and appropriateness of the shipping containers was considered. It was a fun process which resulted in an extraordinary presentation of Lawrence's work that has seen nothing but rave reviews from it's recipients.

At the core of this piece are two hefty and beautifully printed stacks of 13 x 13 images. Each stack slides into a diagonal hard edged pocket that has a birch veneer backing. The pocket is secured inside of a folder that is covered in a rich dark blue textured Japanese bookcloth. Each folder has the Anderson logo embossed on its cover.

The two folders then fit into the notched tray of a drop spine box. The notch in the tray is angled to match the inner pockets and allows for the folders to be lifted out. At the bottom of this tray is a repeat of the veneer liner that is the pocket back. The box is covered in the same dark blue fabric as the folders and has a smooth linen cornflower accent color on the flap and around the tray. The box stays securely closed with magnets that are hidden in the bright blue flap that is angled at the same degree as the notch in the tray and the pockets in the folders. A smaller version of the Anderson logo is embossed on the box cover along the edge of the angled flap.

The top left photo shows the box tray and cover as separate unlined pieces before they are glued together. The top right image is the embossing of the logo. The bottom left is gluing the veneer liner into the bottom of the box tray and finally gluing the angled liner onto the inside of the magnetic flap. Once all of the pieces are glued together, they are pressed under a lot of weight for 2 days and are then ready to send off.

You can find out more about Lawrence Anderson and see his amazing work at www.lawrenceanderson.net

Walnut Plywood Portfolio

Woodworking in the studio:

This wooden portfolio was built last week for a Los Angeles graphic designer, Tracie Fong. She chose to go with a sturdy walnut plywood cover and wanted a dark brown stain to contrast the aluminum screw posts and matte silver foil stamp of her name. This portfolio is simple for her to assemble as she can change out the interior pages with a quick twist of 3 screws. She wanted to include a CD with her presentation so I created a pocket that is centered on the inside front cover that perfectly and securely houses the disc. The entire inside of the portfolio is finished in a chocolate brown linen bookcloth.

Since Tracie plans to fill her portfolio with her own printed pages, I included a template for her to use a guide for printing, trimming and hole punching to ensure perfect alignment with the covers.

Tracie's work can be seen at www.tfdesigns.com

Meet Some of My Tools

My first day on the blog:

With this blog I plan to create a place where my clients, potential clients, bookbinding enthusiasts, artist, designers and all other interested folks, can follow the daily goings on at my studio. I will document some of the most interesting custom boxmaking, bookbinding and presentation projects that come before me. Before I get into the details of these projects, I thought it necessary to introduce a few of my tools.....I could make almost nothing without them.

At the top left is a WireMac 31 which is a wire binding machine. I barely use this but it's great to have around for a quick bind. Next is a Ridgid table saw that I use for cutting plywood for custom wooden portfolios. At the top right is a Kwikprint 55. I use this daily for embossing and foil stamping, a great way to further customize portfolios and presentation pieces. Another work horse of the shop is the Kutrimmer 1071 at the bottom left. This cuts my bookboard and after many solid years of use, it is still making straight sharp cuts. At the bottom center are the tools that no bookbinder can do without and the ones that I am most attached to. Not shown in this "basics" group, (because it shouldn't be in pictures) is my glue brush which is a 75 cent ace hardware brush that I have used daily for 5 years. I dread the day when I have to retire this brush. The dried glue on the handle is formed perfectly to my hand. Finally at the bottom right is the Dahle Guillotine cutter, a necessity for for creating flush edged journals, albums an sketchbooks in a pinch.

More photos of the studio will come but for now the projects will take center stage.

Welcome to my blog....I hope you'll check back regularly to see what's new at Kristin Dunn bookbinding and design. I hope you will also visit my website at www.kdbooks.com