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Bookbinding and the Unexpected Everyday Object

Custom bookbinding is an old tradition and pretty niche
industry. Whether a binder makes handsewn embossed leather tomes or sleek modern structures like our screwpost portfolios, albums and portfolio boxes, most of us in this industry got into our profession, at least in part, because of our love of books: their form, their varied structures and their roles in our everyday lives: as beautiful and protective capsules for important text, images and information. But every so often a job calls for us to reframe our roles as bookmakers to create something a little more unorthodox.
We enjoyed our recent collaboration with Garnica Interiors to create these beautiful and hardy boxes as a smart clutter
solution for a client’s laundry room. The larger of the boxes features a
magnetic front for easy access as it will sit high on a shelf, and the custom
turquoise color ordered specifically for these boxes matches the tile in the
room. We hope for photos and can’t wait to see how they are incorporated in the
space.

 

 

This recent job also brings to mind the deceptively simple
flax linen storage boxes we made for another of Garnica’s clients a while back, among other home furnishing orders. These sleek, utilitarian containers are all function without sacrificing form, with the quiet power to transform a domestic or working space into a more serene, productive space.
Days like these have us thinking it might be time to really
step up our own laundry room game! Why not update the old Ikea Kallas with something a little more chic and coordinated to the room’s color scheme? Why suffer flimsy corrugated file boxes or that weird junk shelf under the entryway table when you have hearty bookboard and a variety of bookcloth colors to choose from?
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Swatch Books and All New 10% Student Discount Available

As former art students ourselves, we’re no strangers to how expensive art school can be. In addition to the standard tuition, books, housing and other fees all students pay, we also have the additional cost of those expensive art materials!

All that being said, you don’t want to skimp on an eye-catching portfolio, when you’ve already made an investment in your arts education. We want to help you create a beautiful and memorable portfolio  that will stand out in a sea of portfolios and economy presentation books without cutting into your ramen and Red Bull budget. (Yeah, we remember that part too.)
Because we know every little bit helps, we are now offering a 10% Student Discount.  This offer is good on all portfolio styles on our website, or custom made portfolios by contacting kristin@kdbooks.com directly.
To get the discount please ask your professor to send a list of student names to kristin@kdbooks.com and we will send a special coupon code for your class to use. Additionally, we will send a 4 x 4 inch swatch book for the class to share. It will be easier and faster for your students than waiting to receive individual swatches!
This offer is perfect for students of Photography, Illustration, Graphic Design, Architecture, Fashion Design, Interior Design and so much more.

 

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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.

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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

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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

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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 hinge strips here on the website.
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Fabric Covered Invitation Folders and Panels

 

invitation panels with mounted invites

Mounting your printed invites to a fabric covered panel or folder can add texture, dimension and elegance to any invitation.
Recipients are sure to take your invite seriously when they find it in their mailbox. They’ll feel as if they’ve received a special package rather than just another piece of mail.

Prices vary based on size and quantity.  For more information please visit the invitation section of the website.

A9 fabric covered pocket folder with mounted invite and rsvp set

Panels and folders are available in 4 sizes that fit comfortably into A7, A9, #10 and square format 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ envelopes.  Printed pieces can be easily mounted to panels and folders by using double sided tape, glue sticks, spray adhesive or adhesive rolls like GUDY.

Grape panel with mounted invite designed by PeachMailbox

All invitation presentation structures can be covered in one of the 37 fabric colors available.  In addition, pocket folders are available and can be covered in a combination of up to 3 colors, one for the folder itself, one for the liner (back of the pocket) and one for the pocket.

Fabric swatches are encouraged and are available upon request. You can see the 37 colors here.

As with everything at kdbooks.com, folders and panels are all handmade in California and constructed with the highest attention to detail.

Custom sizes and colors are also available.  To discuss a custom project or to get answers to any of your questions please contact the studio

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3 New Colors

While I was disappointed to have to remove Metallic Aqua from the color chart a few months ago, I am very excited to be adding 3 new colors to the covering options for custom portfolios and boxes.

There are now 37 colors to choose from so everyone is sure to find a color combination that is suitable for their project.

The new colors are Avocado, Orange and Metallic Midnight.  If you’d like to see swatches of these or any of the other colors please call or email with your request and they will be sent out the next business day.

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Refreshing Colors

Today I did some foil stamping trials for a new project I’m working on with an invitation designer in Bethesda Maryland. Claudia Smith of Fig. 2 Design made my day when she chose  Lime, Bright Yellow and Pool to cover her invitation binders.

This afternoon I was thrilled when I saw the white foil popping off of these brightly colored fabrics.  The foil stamping will be combined with some letterpress printed insets to title the spines and covers of the trio of binders.

These are sure to grab the attention of the brides and grooms browsing through the field of possibilities at their local invitation boutique.

Look for pictures of the finished binders on the blog as soon as they are complete.

To learn more about Fig. 2 Design please visit the beautifully designed website

And to see other invitation binders and presentation pieces that have been made here at the studio visit the gallery of past projects at kdbooks.com.

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8 New Colors

There are 8 exciting new covering materials available for your portfolios and boxes; Grey Brown, Ivory, Saddle, Rust, Bright Pink, Dark Green, Bright Green and Grape.

Start building your portfolio today in the online store.