Services & Process
Our process often involves the following steps. However, each project is unique! If you have a book in mind that you'd like to create, please contact our studio and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help you. For more on Maria Mayer Feng's process, watch this video.
Digitizing your material
If your material is not already in a digital format, we'll digitize it for you. We can scan photos, photograph objects, transcribe handwritten text, import video from film/VHS, and more. We can scan a single image that is sent to our studio, or come to your house and digitize/organize your entire estate as part of the book design process. Our scans and photographs are expertly done and are of the highest quality.
EDITING YOUR MATERIAL
Sometimes clients have a project that's already in perfect order for the concept of the book. More often than not, that's not the case, so we'll assist the client with editing. That might mean editing down a large pool of things to the essential, or simply putting the material into an order that makes sense. Editing is important. Too many similar photos can 'water down' the message and crowd the really important ones. Editing is also a bit of an art. We are happy to work with material that has been edited, but if you'd like our input and expertise, then leave it to us! We'll incorporate your feedback and notes. We love doing it, and know from experience that it's extremely hard to edit one's own material — we've been there.
designing book pages & covers
When the material is digitized and the sequence is clear, we're ready to design your book. We thoughtfully and carefully lay out the material, taking into account the book's concept and your preferences. We consider what visual elements might be added to truly make your book shine. In addition to laying out the book's interior, we'll create design options for the cover and binding. We then proof the book with you and make adjustments until you're pleased.
EXPERT retouching
All material that has been scanned and photographed needs retouching. There is no way around it. We sometimes even touch up digital images to make everything and everybody look their best. Our retouching wiz, Monica, is ready to take on the usual 'clean up' of dust or scratches of scans, but she can also perform true magic... what I like to call 'photoshop-surgery'. Does an item in the photo distract from the message? Need a person to come out of an image, or be added to a group shot? We've done it before and will do it again!
OVERSEEING PRODUCTION
Finally, we make the book design a reality, in collaboration with one of the handful of binding companies that we know and trust. They help us make our books truly custom by utilizing special binding styles, sizes and materials. The resulting books are expertly finished, combining the highest standards of traditional bookbinding with the latest technology of contemporary printing. Stop by our studio if you can — we'll be happy to show you some books so you can see and feel the difference.
DIGITIZING VIDEO OF ALL KIND
Because it often comes up when going through old memories, we also offer to digitize video and film tapes and cassettes of all kind, no matter how old. We can turn your content into a nicely designed DVD library, make a 'best of' DVD, and/or supply the raw material on a hard drive.
Wondering if our studio is right for your project? Get in touch!