The Book Block Project is a way to design and print your own notebooks in full color 2400×2400 dpi, with your choice of paper, ribbon and elastic. Ordinarily, to have your own design manufactured and produced in this high a quality, you’d have to order something like a minimum of 500 – until now.
Stefan Johnson is the creative director of Mustard, a London based design agency providing strategy, design and development to Social Enterprises and Start Ups. He works with Monsieur Notebook who manufacturers of real leather notebooks and a few other items. A devoted notebook user himself, Stefan, together with the team at Mustard Design, developed a way of binding and printing books, allowing them to produce custom notebooks one at a time.
The perfect product for fashion illustrators, architects, graphic designers and artists of all types, Book Block is looking for funding via Kickstarter for the next 45 days.
The text and images below are from their pitch:
Notebooks are a unique item that we all treasure with our thoughts and ideas, whether we know it or not. But just how personal is that notebook, when everyone around you has the same one?
Book Block is a project that allows you to create a fully custom printed and bound notebook with your own cover artwork.
As each notebook will be totally unique, they’re going to build a gallery, showcase your designs online and manufacture your beautiful custom notebooks, just for you.
above: a few examples of notebooks created by various bloggers with Book Block
Everyone involved in this project has a passion within the creative industries, whether a graphic designer, web designer, photographer, maker or illustrator. All have been involved with brands and start-ups, and have all been through the entrepreneurial process directly, or indirectly.
We’re also devoted users of notebooks, the notebook being the first port of call on the creative journey. The team at Mustard Design Agency worked with the guys behind Monsieur Notebook to create the brand they are today. In the course of our work, we were looking for a way of showcasing Mustard’s talents, whilst also offering a worthy gift, and thought it would be great if we could give out some notebooks with Mustard’s designs.
And then we got stuck. Unless we manufactured and printed 500+ of one design with the right finish, it wouldn’t be viable. This got us thinking… wouldn’t it be great if designers, artists and illustrators like us could produce awesome books in smaller numbers.
Together we started to develop our own way of binding and printing books, allowing us to produce custom notebooks one-by-one. Thus creating Book Block.
The Book Block Notebook Details
Cover Materials
You will be able to print in full 4-colours any design you like, to create the notebook of your choice. Most ‘printed’ notebooks are printed on glossy paper. We searched high and low for a better quality material with a luxury feel. We eventually found a covering material from a traditional binding company based in Holland, which has a smooth finish and a soft touch. This allows us to print our notebooks in 2400 x 2400 dpi with beautiful photographic qualities.
Size
We’re going with the European A5 size, or 21x15cm/8.25”x6”. This provides a slightly larger cover canvass compared to some other notebooks.
Custom Ribbons
We’ve chosen the best double-satin ribbons for you to choose from in a large range of colours. You can choose the ribbon the best suits your design.
Custom Elastics
Not only can you choose your own ribbon, but you can also match the elastic to your design from our comprehensive palette.
Paper
Having teamed up with Monsieur Notebooks, who manufacture here in the UK, we will be using their paper stocks to complete the interiors of our custom covers.
A choice of:
• Ivory Ruled – 90gsm
• Ivory Plain – 90gsm
• Ivory Dot Grid – 90gsm
• Cartridge Sketch – 140gsm
• Fountain White – 100gsm
How are the books made?
What you need to do:
• Download the notebook cover template
• Fill it with your design, remembering to include your name and registration number in the bottom at the back
• Upload it to their website
What they’ll do:
• Print your covers in 2400×2400 dpi
• Punch out your covers
• Glue backboard into your covers
• Apply elastic and ribbon
• Attach your covers to the interiors
• Form the books in a press
• Showcase your books in our gallery
• Get your books in the mail!
Go check them out on Kickstarter here and support this cool project
