Publishing my first graphic novel - need info about Working Designs packaging

[TempestOne]

Thanks for the kind words and tips! The characters' hair, particularly the rainbow colored style, takes such a long time to draw.

Totally agree about Lunar. As Victor said recently in the Summon Night thread about wanting to remind people what a collector's edition can be, those editions really felt special. I think if you put a lot of effort into the work inside, the exterior package should match. Show people that it's not some quick cash grab and that you appreciate them. I want to do that for these books. It drives me nuts seeing these "premium" hardcovers all over the place that are nothing more than cheap glued bindings that won't open flat and crack in a couple years time.

I can only imagine as it takes at least seven colors to make a rainbow-colored haired-character. For reals, I feel you on the exterior should match the insides, for real for sure. I definitely replay all my rpg's over again..... lifes. Yeah, I still like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Instruction Manuals.

[xelement5x]

You want your books to be smyth sewn with headbands, then. That way it will open flat and not crack into pieces over time. Learned that the hard way on the perfectbound LUNAR1 and Alundra strategy guides that ended up anything but perfect.

I always wondered about that. My original Lunar 1 guide from back in the day cracked apart as I would read through it regularly, I always just figured it was because it was a softcover instead of hardbound like the manual and other guides. My Eternal Blue guide still looks great, wish I had sent in for the poster on that one though, I just didn't have the heart to cut up a page for the coupon.

[storino03]

I still have Arc the Lad Collection and Vanguard Bandits guides sealed. They were cheap and I think still are cheap for new copies!

[D.M. Cumbo]

You want your books to be smyth sewn with headbands, then. That way it will open flat and not crack into pieces over time. Learned that the hard way on the perfectbound LUNAR1 and Alundra strategy guides that ended up anything but perfect.

Yes, that's what the printer I spoke with (Transcontinental in Montreal) said to get. He didn't mention the headbands and there was a discussion over the rounded spin versus flat spine, which I didn't know would make a difference (guess rounded is more pricey?).

The cost that really drove up the quote was gilded edges, which it looks like you have on the Summon Night artbook! Not sure how you're making that work price-wise... What I really wanted to do was have a spectrum colored gilded edge that runs in a gradient around the book - like in my first sample render: ds_book_render_3.jpg

[banditwolf]

Looks neat.

[D.M. Cumbo]

I can only imagine as it takes at least seven colors to make a rainbow-colored haired-character. For reals, I feel you on the exterior should match the insides, for real for sure. I definitely replay all my rpg's over again..... lifes. Yeah, I still like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Instruction Manuals.

Right on. Quality through and through - nobody beat WD at this.

Looks neat.

Thanks!

[vicireland]

Yes, that's what the printer I spoke with (Transcontinental in Montreal) said to get. He didn't mention the headbands and there was a discussion over the rounded spin versus flat spine, which I didn't know would make a difference (guess rounded is more pricey?).

The cost that really drove up the quote was gilded edges, which it looks like you have on the Summon Night artbook! Not sure how you're making that work price-wise... What I really wanted to do was have a spectrum colored gilded edge that runs in a gradient around the book - like in my first sample render: ds_book_render_3.jpg

Originally I was going to have the SN6 one all done here for simplicity's sake, but if you can believe it, doing multiple colored bookmark ribbons with specific colored headbands unexpectedly goosed the price a LOT, so I went back to the printers in China I'd used in the WD days. We saved enough in the process to be able to do the gilded pages and foil stamp the logos on the hardcover, too.

So you're not doing a full-color cover? Just a black cover (faux-leather?) with the logo? If so, I'd try holographic foil with a 4 color overprint for the bottom colored part, then de-emboss only the colored part, so you get the top part of the logo that's holographic and flat, and the mirror image that's de-embossed into the cover and rainbow colored and holographic reflective. You can get a one-off real-life sample with blank interior pages for a few hundred bucks each that will let you experiment with approaches.

[D.M. Cumbo]

Originally I was going to have the SN6 one all done here for simplicity's sake, but if you can believe it, doing multiple colored bookmark ribbons with specific colored headbands unexpectedly goosed the price a LOT, so I went back to the printers in China I'd used in the WD days. We saved enough in the process to be able to do the gilded pages and foil stamp the logos on the hardcover, too.

So you're not doing a full-color cover? Just a black cover (faux-leather?) with the logo? If so, I'd try holographic foil with a 4 color overprint for the bottom colored part, then de-emboss only the colored part, so you get the top part of the logo that's holographic and flat, and the mirror image that's de-embossed into the cover and rainbow colored and holographic reflective. You can get a one-off real-life sample with blank interior pages for a few hundred bucks each that will let you experiment with approaches.

Ah, I should have clarified. That binding concept was early and was prior to the current cover design, which is full-color. I just posted that to show you the color page edges. Here's the current cover design: ds_book1_cover.jpgds_book1_cover_breakdown.jpg

The first image is the WIP cover art with logo. The second image shows the area that would be 4-color plus holo foil (light blue) and the area that would be 4-color + holo foil + relief embossing (dark blue). Not sure what the term is for relief embossing like you did on the Alundra manual ex: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J8f9CFfvzo...0/HPIM4522.JPG

Am I nuts? Is this even possible on a hardcover?

[vicireland]

Ah, I should have clarified. That binding concept was early and was prior to the current cover design, which is full-color. I just posted that to show you the color page edges. Here's the current cover design: ds_book1_cover.jpgds_book1_cover_breakdown.jpg

The first image is the WIP cover art with logo. The second image shows the area that would be 4-color plus holo foil (light blue) and the area that would be 4-color + holo foil + relief embossing (dark blue). Not sure what the term is for relief embossing like you did on the Alundra manual ex: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J8f9CFfvzo...0/HPIM4522.JPG

Am I nuts? Is this even possible on a hardcover?

You are nuts, but it is possible. Essentially you make a reverse die and "de-emboss" the whole cover of the book except the parts you want to be raised, which makes the relief parts "pop out". So you'd need to start with a softer board stock, and the giant de-emboss would compress it.

[D.M. Cumbo]

You are nuts, but it is possible. Essentially you make a reverse die and "de-emboss" the whole cover of the book except the parts you want to be raised, which makes the relief parts "pop out". So you'd need to start with a softer board stock, and the giant de-emboss would compress it.

Wow... that is super useful. Vic, thanks so much for all this info -- your time and knowledge is really appreciated. If you wouldn't mind, it would be awesome to share the progress as the book is made. Meanwhile, finally placed my slacker order for the Wonderful Edition. Here's to premium quality presentation!