Tag: custom portfolios

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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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Inkjet Printed Covers

The inkjet experiment that I blogged about back in March has proven to be quite a success.  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.  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).  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.  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.  You can always visit the custom showroom of the website to see more details on these and other custom projects.
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Favorites from 2010

Portfolio Books and Box set for Graphic Designer Eileen Hu
Invitation Binder Set for Fig. 2 Design Studio
Stab Bound Movie Script
Hidden Screw Post Portfolio with Spine Cover and Foil Stamping. Ordered in the Online Store
Half Clamshell Box with Magnetic Closure with Embossed Logo Ordered in the Online Store
Exposed Screw Post Portfolio and Half Clamshell Box with Angled Magnetic Flap Closure with Embossing and Foil Stamping 
Coffee table Style Portfolio with Foil Stamping on Cover and Spine Ordered in the Online Store
Coffee Table Style Portfolio with Foil Stamping Ordered in the Online Store
Folding Framed Image Panel for photographer Sandy Chandler
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New Portfolio Design

 
 

I am very excited to be offering a new portfolio design in the online store.  With it’s super clean solid lines, this portfolio is something you’ll be proud to show off.  I’m calling it the coffee table style book because it has the look of a hard cover art book that you could leave out on display at your home or office. When combined with foil stamping or embossing of your name or logo, this design has a strikingly professional look.  It also maintains the flexibility of the other designs.  This portfolio uses screw posts so you can easily swap pages in and out and can even replace pages with spine spacers if you decide to display fewer pages.  I recommend ordering your portfolio to fit the maximum number of pages that you would possibly include, as fixed spine books can accommodate no more than the number of pages that they are designed to hold.

You can insert your own printed pages by using the included template for hole punching or you can purchase black or white hinged pages in the online store.  These can be used for mounting photographs or other printed material.

Please visit the website for more details and to see the many size and color options available for this portfolio.

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Stunning Business Proposals

Make your next proposal stand out in the crowd. Why just submit a proposal in a standard office store folder when you can have a custom made presentation that is sure to turn heads.

The photo on the above left is a business proposal that includes two coil bound pamphlets, a cd and a memory stick. The outside is covered in a tan bookcloth and the 4 pockets are covered in a olive green bookcloth. The pockets are made with hard edges to allow the 1/4″ thick pamphlets to slide in and out comfortably. An inset was created in the cover for the company logo. The logo was printed out on high quality heavy stock paper, mounted onto a metallic gold paper and then placed in the inset for a nice clean professional look. 7 identical folders were made to send out to all parties considering the proposal.
The proposal package on the below left is a hidden screw post portfolio in landscape format. This horizontal format works best when using standard 8 1/2 x 11 pages as the pages are easier to turn. A pocket for the company’s business card was included on the inside cover. This job proposal is covered entirely in a tan bookcloth and uses only the burnt orange from the business card and cover inset to add a splash of color.
Both of these proposal folders were custom orders but we’re working on some designs to offer in the online store so stay tuned and visit the website often and follow Kristin Dunn bookbinding & design on facebook to see the latest news from the studio. Until then please call to discuss some ideas for your next business proposal.
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Large Format Print Portfolios

I just finished this exciting project with Bobby Namba of Trapeze Editions. It was an edition of large format, 18 x 14 folios to house a set of 3 prints from LA based artist David Choe. The folios were covered in a slightly metallic black bookcloth and were then beautifully screen printed in silver or gold depending. The inside left panel was covered in a heavyweight drawing paper where the artist will create an original drawing for each folio. The right inside panel is finished with a matte black bookcloth and accented with metallic corners that secure the prints.

These limited edition folios are being sold by Trapeze Editions and can be seen, along with details of the artwork, in their website store.
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New Round Portfolio Pockets

Just added to the site! A new way to express yourself through your portfolio. Now you can choose from horizontal, vertical, diagonal and round pockets. The small pockets are perfect for storing your business cards and the larger ones for unbound materials such as resumes and other leave behind literature. These pockets can be added to the inner liners of portfolios and clamshell boxes and can be covered in any of 27 color options.

Visit www.kdbooks.com to see all of the options.
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Metallic Portfolios and Boxes

These coated metallic fabrics give a stunning finish to custom portfolios and boxes and they are now available as covering choices in the online store. There are 7 colors to choose from, light gold, pearl, lava, aqua, steel, pewter and silver. Shown here is a light gold clamshell box, a pearl notched clamshell box and a lava exposed screw post portfolio. They are photographed on the aqua.

Not only is this covering material beautiful, it’s also very durable. Because it’s a coated fabric, liquid will not penetrate it as it does the linen cloth. It can be gently wiped down with a damp cloth to remove dust and it also resists scuffing. If you’re interested in seeing swatches before ordering please send an email with your address and I’ll send them your way.
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jazz up your applications in 2010



If you’re searching for jobs or applying to grad school programs and you want your application to stand out from the rest, what better way to catch their eye than presenting them with a striking personalized portfolio loaded with your credentials. When they open the package and see your name emblazoned on the cover of a professionally made portfolio they will know that you are serious and are sure to remember your name. There will be a lot of information inside the portfolio that needs to be the real star of the presentation so keeping the portfolio design clean and simple is the best choice in this case. Choose colors that say something about yourself, your work, or even the institution that you are applying to. There are 11 fonts available in a variety of sizes and styles that can be used for personalizing your portfolio. For a subtle approach, a blind emboss of your name in the bottom right corner of the cover would be a great choice. If you want to add some color and make your name stand out a bit more, then choose one of the 10 colors available and opt for a dead center or optical center placement. All of these options are available in the online store at www.kdbooks.com.