VACATION NOTICE: The studio will be closed from Monday 11/25 to Friday 11/29. There will be no shipping or production during this time. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
VACATION NOTICE: The studio will be closed from Monday 11/25 to Friday 11/29. There will be no shipping or production during this time. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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
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 flapcoffee table style portfolio with inkjet printing and embossingexposed screw post portfolio with inkjet printed coverhidden screw post portfolio with inkjet printed covercustom box with inkjet printed flapexposed screw post portfolio with inkjet printed coverÂ
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
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.
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
I am very excited to be adding this new portfolio design to my website. Many artists and designers are finding that printed portfolios are no longer suitable for presenting their work. Thankfully new technology and streamline tablet designs have now made it possible to present this same work conveniently and efficiently in a digital format.
This drop spine flip top presentation box has a magnetic flap closure and can be custom made in one or two of the 37 colors available. As with all boxes and portfolios in the online store, the Portfolio for iPad can be personalized in a number of ways. Foil stamping and embossing of a name or logo are 2 of those options.
There are also many style and sizes of pockets that can be added to the inside lid liner. The Portfolio for iPad can viewed flat on a table or the cover can be inverted to create an easel. For more information please contact kristin@kdbooks.com
I just wanted to share some photos of portfolios that I’ve made recently that use inlays to add compositional interest and a little splash of color to book covers. Using the inlay as a background for foil stamping is particularly effective but in the case of the Sila Portfolio and the Dionne Portfolio the inlays speak for themselves as simple colorful shapes. Inlays can be made in all geometric shapes and sizes and can be placed anywhere on the book’s front or back cover. They can now be added to custom built portfolios in the online store. When ordering online I recommend sending a pdf for accurate size and placement of your inlay.
The inkjet experiment that I blogged about back in March has proven to be quite a success. Â In the past few months I’ve had the pleasure of working on several projects which called for the printing of large areas.
 While it’s been challenging getting the printer to accept the bookcloth, the actual printing has gone very smoothly and I’ve been very happy with the vibrancy of the colors.
It seems that, at this point, the only real limitation to the process is the size. Â My printer can accept a 13″ wide piece of bookcloth which limits the size of the printed cover to 12″. Fortunately the length is unlimited (I think). Â In most cases there are ways to work around this. For example on the blue-grey box pictured below I would normally use one large piece of cloth to wrap around the entire cover, spine and bottom, but in order to incorporate inkjet printing on a box that had a height if 13 3/4″, I had to use 2 separate pieces, one for the spine and bottom and a second for the printed cover.
The lime green book pictured below has printing that wraps around the spine and onto the back of the book. Â For this, since the height of the book was only 11 3/4″, I was able to use a very long piece of fabric, over 35″, but with proper planning and registration it worked out perfectly.
Inkjet printing is a very cost effective way to personalize limited run projects and once I determine that pricing structure and create downloadable templates this option will be available in the online store. Until then please contact me directly if you are interested in having a custom portfolio, book or box made with printed covers. Â You can always visit the custom showroom of the website to see more details on these and other custom projects.
Large format portfolios are now available online. There are 3 new standard sizes;
13 x 19 landscape
19 x 13 portrait
20 x 15 portrait
Each style of portfolio; hidden screw post, exposed screw post and coffee table, can be ordered in these larger sizes and all are customizable with one or two of the 37 colors of bookcloth.
Hinged pages and hinge strips are also available for each of these sizes.
If you need a size that is not offered on the website please call or email to discuss placing an order for a custom sized portfolio.
You’ve spent countless hours and a nice chunk of change putting together the perfect portfolio presentation and now it’s time to show the world what you have to offer. Â At this point the last thing you want is to have your portfolio mishandled and damaged in it’s travels.
Fortunately this has only happened to one of my clients (that I know of) but it was devastating enough that I felt it was important to share some tips to ensure the safe delivery and return of your portfolio. Â While this post focuses on the shipping of portfolios, it also applies to transporting your portfolio to face to face meetings. Â Accidents happen and while you probably feel confident hand carrying your portfolio to visit potential clients, you can’t always prevent unexpected events. It could be bumped around in the car on the way to the meeting or someone could brush your arm the wrong way and cause you to drop it. Â For this reason it’s always best to overprotect your portfolio.
damaged box
Treat your portfolio as you would the art that it holds. Â Our portfolios are extremely sturdy and well built but they are presentation pieces that need to be protected. Â For this reason I recommend that your portfolio is packed with extra care and more padding than you think it needs. Â UPS and FEDEX do a great job but they don’t know or care what’s inside the boxes they are delivering and Handle with Care tags do little to change the way that packages are treated.
perforated foam
One of the simplest and least costly ways to create an appropriate shipping container is to start with a basic cardboard box that is at least 4″ larger than your portfolio in all directions.  Since you are trying to make a good first impression be sure to use a clean, new, unmarked box.  Purchase some heavy duty foam from a shipping supply company or a foam company.  The Foam Factory sells perforated foam sheets, called Pick and Pluck.  The perforation allows you to create any sized cutout in the foam. Use this in combination with solid foam pieces to create a form fitting nest  around your portfolio.  Choosing foam over paper or bubblewrap is preferable for a few reasons; it makes it easier for your potential client to re-pack the box for return shipping, it looks much cleaner than bunched up pieces of paper and it prevents the portfolio from shifting during shipping.
If you have a bit more to invest, there are many companies that offer standard and custom made hard shipping cases.  Many of these are marketed as computer or instrument cases but can be used for just about anything.  Take a look at Janal Cases, Quick Cases and Pelican Cases for some possibilities.  Many of these are crush and waterproof and come with a lifetime guarantee.  You’ve invested a lot in creating your portfolio so it’s a good idea to invest just a little more to protect it.  If you have any questions or would like further recommendations please don’t hesitate to call.
