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Following the concept and playing with bookmaking

A Goal of Consolidating the Distinctly Different Traits of the Band Members in a Single Package

We haven’t been in touch with graphic designer Ms. Shortreed Jessica since exchanging business cards a few years ago. She suddenly reached out to us one day with the request to create a booklet intended for fan club members of the band, Nature Danger Gang.

This was our first time seeing her again in some time. We got right into discussing arrangements, and it seemed as though it would be a smooth job when considering that a number of things like the exact number of copies needed was already set, but Ms. Jessica’s strong desire to try and express each of the band members’ distinctly unique personalities through the booklet appeared at the time like it would prove to be a difficult task.

A Book That’s Original in an Unexpected Way

Ms. Jessica’s image was of a cross-folding book with multiple, but distinctly different manufacturing styles consolidated in a single book. After hearing this, we started thinking about how we could express such a flamboyant kind of craziness, and as we took into account the fact that we would be working with a limited number of prints (200 copies) and a set budget, we began to formulate a plan for a manufacturing process that would involve doing some of the manufacturing by hand.

At this point, we were feeling creatively inspired as a manufacturer to explore how we could produce an exciting and eclectic product, and came up with a proposal of as diverse an assortment of styles that was within our means.

In addition to Ms. Jessica’s request to use different paper and prints for each member of the band, we also proposed using different sizes for the main text, different stitch colors, and different binding points. Wouldn’t it be a moving gesture for die-hard fans if every book were the only one of its kind? This was our train of thought while working with the members of the staff to put this book together, and by taking Ms. Jessica’s concept into account, we decided to deliberately produce a nonuniform, staggered feel for the main text.

The Way A Book is Printed Offers an Invaluable Way to Present its Contents

We used both handmade and machine methods in this job, and since it was both a first-time challenge and required an intensive manufacturing method, it did end up taking more time than usual to fulfill the order. At the same time, we felt the finished product was effective in conveying a concept that could leave a lasting impression. We feel as though in the case of many books, the graphic design featured inside becomes the focus, and the book ends up being printed solely on the basis of whether something can or can’t be done in terms of a books final design, resulting in a mismatch between the contents of the book and the presentation of the book itself as a package. Both the responsibility and the joy of being a printing company is in finding a way to express a designer’s concept within a limited set of conditions. In the case of this project, we enjoyed playing with various kinds of printing technologies through Ms. Jessica’s concept.