Beautiful Books, but ...
Ok, graphic design aside, let’s talk about book design (as in construction). Two examples I’d like to discuss are: Chip Kidd: Book One and Cream.
I finally got around to buying my copy of Chip Kidd: Book One the other day. It’s a wonderful book, beautiful design, but I have one issue with it. The cover construction is clever, but doesn’t hold up very well. Unless done carefully, the external flap edges are prone to bend and crease when shelving the book. There were 2 copies where I bought mine, both of them were pretty beat up (does anyone know if this book was originally shrink-wrapped?).
As for the other book, Cream, designed by Phaidon’s Julia Hasting, that pushed the boundaries too. Once again, stunning graphic design, but … it’s a landscape perfect-bound volume that was just too damn long and thick (464 pages) to hold up. My copy has fallen apart, the text-block having detached from the cover. For this book, in-store shelf wear was circumvented by enclosing the book in a thick, sealed plastic bag (the next edition, Fresh Cream came encased in a plastic pillow, very clever. I believe this book’s orientation was portrait, which would solve the problem the first book had).
Anyone else have similar examples of great books that were too cool for their own good? What have you seen on the shelves that is a little worse-for-wear (due to book construction)?
I’m all for pushing the boundaries, but find that shelf-wear issues get in the way all too often.
Comments:
The jacket of the hardcover ‘Epileptic’ hardback graphic novel (comprising 2 volumes) has a die-cut that reveals the illustration underneath. Unfortunately the cut is very delicate; the copy I bought was the last on the shelf in King’s English (Salt Lake City) and the jacket was torn. (Excellent novel though.)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375423184/qid=1135982682/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-5508801-4255047?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Hello there,
As the designer of the Kidd book, I felt compelled to comment . . . First, yes, your book should have come shrink-wrapped. In fact, it should have been shrink-wrapped with unusually stiff ascetate, and a sheet of corrugated cardboard should have been underneath as backing. If it wasn’t, then I assume the book store ordered only a few copies, and you may have gotten a display copy, or what inadvertently became a display copy.
Also, did you get the paperback? Honestly, I never wanted to even have a paperback; the cover design was created solely with the hardcover in mind. But, Chip knew students would probably balk at paying close to $70, so wanted a simultaneous HC / PB release. I would contend students can get the HC on Amazon for $40, but what’s done is done.
Shelf-wear was certainly a main concern of mine, as I tend to be overly precious with my own books. However, Chip believes, and I would have to concur, that the ultimate goal was to design “an object”, and that if a reader is forced to contend with the book in a different way (i.e., use more care than normal) that’s not altogether bad. It redefines the whole experience.
Anyway, sorry to hear you were disappointed; I’ll certainly pass your concerns along.
Best regards,
-MM
Hey Mark,
Thanks for the reply. For the record, I wasn’t really disappointed. I love the book. I had wondered why I kept seeing the book listed as hardcover when what I was seeing on the shelves wasn’t, mystery solved. I’ll have to keep an eye out for the hardcover version.
As a fellow book designer, I started this dialogue because this issue plagues me constantly. Shrinkwrap is sometimes and option, but then it usually gets shot down by sales (who wants to buy a book they can’t look at first?) or removed upon arrival at the book store. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one dealing with such issues.
Todd
PB vs HC
I knew it was in both formats. But, could not find anywhere in NYC as a HC. Eventually did find one. But, it was the display copy. Had to order it.
However, I did see stacks and stacks of the PB version.
They were all shrink wrapped in cellofane.
Mark, thanks so much for taking the time to explain. You stated the case perfectly.
I am sorry to all who can’t find a hardcover or find the book at all. The first printing shipped in its entirety a week before publication last November, which is frankly a bad thing masked as a good thing. I am told the second printing is in the warehouse.
CK
Wow, I did not know there was such a place as this.
I have a book coming out within the next month or so: it will be my third book and I am struggling with the cover. I am not sure what the publisher has in mind, but she is open to ideas.
Where do I start?
All I could find was the paperback version, but I bought the book to thumb through, not to display. I actually like most of my books a bit battered (except for my slipcased readers copy of “All The Pretty Horses” mentioned in Chip’s tome - working at a bookstore DID have its perks!).
Congrats to both Chip and Mark - you did a great job. I’ve been doing work for John, Megan and Carol for a while now - maybe I can meet the two of you as well on one my infrequent sojourns to NYC!
I’ve designed large-format hardcover books of photography and have had a couple of dissapointments when the bindings (particularly those printed in Italy) fell apart after a year of coffee-table life. I typically have little control over printer or bindery selection - I am at the mercy of the publisher - but I would love to know if there are any suggestions I could make to improve the life-span of the bindings.
Thanks
AMC
Hi Jonathan,
Just in case you know anyone else who is looking for the HC of Bk1 in the NYC area: I was at the Strand downtown and they had plenty of HC copies earlier this week (2nd fl art section). Their price is probably equal to that of Amazon’s (with shipping, &c) too, at about $48. Just under $10/lb of book. Shrinkwrapped, natch.
Content aside (splendiferous), every time I open up the HC I‘m impressed by the quality of the printing (the colors!) and how much the thoughtful layout adds to the reading. For me it was worth it to save up (and I was able to)—and worth going out on a limb for, production-wise. For all its design deviations, it’s delightful to find out how much they add to the age-old tradition of physically reading, and how little they impede. Of course, I won’t be able to think about shelving it for a while, as it will soon begin it’s migration around my coworkers (starting with the boss). Books can be hard to make, but harder to let go.