Materials of a book, or any material in
general have a significant impact on experience for users (in my opinion). I
think it is definitely a key ingredient in the storytelling element of the book
cover itself, and the many reasons you may move to purchase and cozy-up with a
book. Much like we have discussed that
the art should hint at the story of the book, but not give it away – I think
the sensory experience of touch plays just important of a role. The texture can
hint at a mood – much like a finely woven Egyptian cotton bed sheet (vs the sale item at Walmart) can make
you feel pampered.
An example I came across, when reading this article titled, Cover Stories, interviewed Coralie
Bickford-Smith (there she is again!) about her cover design for the novel “Robinson
Crusoe.” (I just have the PDF - wouldn't let me attach it here). She settled on a moon design, but pay attention to the tactile
qualities:
She was tracking illustration
styles and printing methods, but she also remembers seeing the same imagery
over and over: Footprints in the sand or a guy with no shoes on a deserted
island. "This visual language has become a shorthand for 'Robinson
Crusoe,'" says the senior book cover designer for Penguin U.K. "I
tried to do something totally different."
The clothbound series
always features one illustrated object on a grid, and Bickford-Smith decided on
the moon. It communicates the solitude of looking up at the night sky, and the
moon's phases mark the passage of time. Her
woodcut style illustrations are embossed in white matte foil on dark blue
cloth.
The white matte foil, and the cut and grooves of the lines
on a soft, deep blue cloth cover definitely communicate something to be
uncovered, the journey the character is about to take. The thought of the
materials coincides with the actual graphic design. Something shining on a
deep, rich background, much like the night sky. I can imagine this is lovely to the touch. Think how differently this
would look and feel on a cheap or glossy cover? How different it would look? What
would that communicate?
Andrew, I agree with you in your love for letterpress and
think it gives such a richer experience. I personally letterpressed our wedding
invitations and took great care in picking paper – it was soft and warm, but
rich with texture (I went with lettra 300gsm…swoon)– it was important to me to
provide this sensation of an outdoor wedding near the beach, which was not
stuffy-formal but also not a “show up in your shorts and flip flops” type beach
wedding. Here, my paper and printing style helped to set the tone of our
wedding, much like the paper/printing choices set the tone for the book you are
about to experience.
Of course the inside pages would seem to be just as important for experience as the cover. As far as the edges of paper go, clean or deckled – I
hadn’t even thought about this. I actually think deckled edges would work
really well for my final design for my novel if I could execute it. I
found an interesting article on the deckle edge history/choice in the printing world
here - and the debate whether users
think it is a mistake, a defect or a fabulous artistic quality added to the
book.
An excerpt:
An
artifact of bygone days, the "deckle edge" is part of the modern
fetishisation of the past, much as Instagram glorifies the 1970s snapshot
camera. An artefact that might have annoyed the makers of the day turns into a
trait intended to evoke the whole experience and emotion associated with the
original, but without any of the baggage.
Great, timely topic discussion - I'm still considering choices for my final design!
