Christmas Books
Last summer, I decided to (foolishly?) embark on a homemade Christmas gift challenge and designed five books that were personalized for family and friends. It took many, many more hours than I intended but was such a rewarding gift. I selected a book in the public domain that had personal significance for each person, designed the covers and interiors, and had them printed through Blurb.
Full confession: I actually enjoy designing the interiors of books more than the covers. I know you judge a book by its cover, but there is something so satisfying about well-set block of text. I set all five books in Sabon and had fun experimenting with OpenType features and new InDesign techniques.
For the covers, I designed five separate patterns. I took inspiration from the different decades the books were written in and revived some antique patterns I found in an old book of patterns and ornaments. I also made an icon for each story that was repeated on the cover as well as the chapter pages to tie everything together.
