Wedding Albums

If you're like me, chances are you've been married for years but you still haven't found a wedding album or printed the photos to preserve that special day.  I'm a bookbinder and it took me 4 years to finally tackle this project that everyone assumed I'd be so on top of, but alas, here it is.


Not surprisingly I chose to make my own book. The Coffee Table Style Portfolio makes a perfect wedding album.  From the outside it looks, as it's name suggests, like a hardcover book that you'd have set out on your coffee table at home.  The book can be made to fit any number of pages. When used with the Hinged White Pages, as you can see in the photos, the pages lie completely flat.  This 110lb cover weight paper is sturdy enough for mounting photographs without leaving the book feeling cumbersome.  Photos can me mounted on one or both sides of the pages but you may want to ask your printer if it's safe for the photos to be touching since when the book is closed they will be.  Also if you do decide to mount photos on both sides you will want to order spine spacers along with the pages.  These will help keep an even thickness to your book.

While we don't mount photos here at the studio you can certainly do this yourself. The easiest method would be to apply double sided tape around the perimeter of each photo, however I recommend using an adhesive roll such as Gudy 870.  With this material you can cover the entire back side of the photo which will ensure that it has full contact with the page and won't pop off

Here are the specs of my book in case you're looking to order something similar.  It is an 11 x 14 Landscape Format Coffee Table Style Portfolio that is covered in "Flax Linen" and lined in "Tan".  These are both standard stock colors so this book can be ordered online directly through the website.  I placed an inset on the cover into which I adhered a printed label with our names on it.  The book holds 20 Hinged White Pages and the photos are mounted onto the pages with the Goudy 870 which we do not sell but can be purchased at other online retailers.

As always swatches are free so if you'd like to start the process of creating your own wedding album please feel free to contact us and request some samples of the covering materials, just send an email  with the list of colors and your mailing address and we'll send them right out.

Gold and White: A popular and stylish palette

Gold foil stamping on our white fabrics is very popular this season. Whether it's the fresh and eye-catching shine of gold on bright white linen, the glammed-up natural look of gold on the neutral coated ecru or the luxurious shimmer of gold on shimmery metallic pearl, gold foil stamping on white makes a chic and sophisticated statement.  If you'd like to see fabric swatches of these or any other colors please send an email with a list along with your mailing address and we'll send them right out to you.

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

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

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

More from the Inkjet

I'm continuing to be pleased with the results of the inkjet printing process and wanted to share some photos of recent portfolios that I've made using this wonderful technique.
Inkjet printing is a versatile and cost effective way to personalize your portfolio.  You can find some more information on the website www.kdbooks.com.  If you have any questions regarding the process and the possibility of adding it your portfolio please email me at: kristin@kdbooks.com

coffee table style portfolio with inkjet printed flap

coffee table style portfolio with inkjet printing and embossing

exposed screw post portfolio with inkjet printed cover

hidden screw post portfolio with inkjet printed cover

custom box with inkjet printed flap

exposed screw post portfolio with inkjet printed cover

6 New Colors

6 new coated fabrics have just been added to the covering options for portfolios, presentation boxes and invitation folders.

There are now 43 options available in 3 types of covering materials; linen, metallic and coated.

These new coated fabrics are very easy to maintain as they can be gently wiped down with a lightly dampened cloth.  They are impregnated with a sizing that prevents the moisture from penetrating the material and reaching the core of the structure. The metallics also have this property which make them, along with the coated materials, ideal for portfolios that will see a lot of use or that are left out to be handled on a daily basis.  You can request swatches of these or any of the 43 fabrics by sending an email to kristin@kdbooks.com. The full color chart can been seen here at kdbooks.com