Looking Good: Best Designed Books Covers of 2012 July 3, 2013 – Posted in: book design

The folks at Design Observer have announced the winners of their annual 50 Books/50 Covers contest and as is par for the course they have chosen some amazing book and cover designs. As writers, we know just how important the graphical design of a book cover can be – it can influence buying decisions and improve response to the book. It’s always been our priority to recommend Graphic Design Companies to authors – to ensure book…

On designing books for Return of the Jedi June 24, 2013 – Posted in: book design, Uncategorized

Last month was the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, the third (and then final) chapter in the Star Wars saga. During the hoopla of its release two film-related books where published Return of the Jedi: The Illustrated Edition and the Return of the Jedi Sketchbook. Ballantine Books had the license to publish Star Wars-related books and they were published under either the Ballantine or Del Rey imprint. Alex Jay designed the books and shares his process in Under Cover: Return…

Cut This Cookbook May 29, 2013 – Posted in: book arts, book design

If you are going to learn how to cook you better know how to use a knife. So to help their students along everyone at Carulla Cooking School gets a “special introductory cookbook.” It’s called Slice a recipe. The cookbook to improve your cutting skills. and if you want to see the recipes you have to cut your way in! With each page , I mean slice, one not only improves their cutting skills but you essentially get…

Waldo Hunt and Pop-Up Books: A Brief Overview November 30, 2009 – Posted in: book arts, book design, Paper

Meggendorfer, Lothar. Travels of Little Lord Thumb and His Man Damian. London: H. Grevel, n.d. [1890s]. The pop-up or moveable book has come a long way since the groundbreaking work of Lothar Meggendorfer (1847-1925), the gifted Munich-based illustrator who brought visual sophistication, innovative paper engineering with complex mechanics, and humor to movable books. The Genius of Lothar Meggendorfer: A Movable Toy Book. New York: Random House , 1985. After Meggendorfer, the form declined amongst artists…