Eva Antonel
Pick up a book. Any book. For the
purposes of this column, make sure it's
fiction. If you've already read it or are in the
process of reading it, what made you pick this
particular one? If it was one that someone
recommended, you're off the hook.
This may be a question that you have
never considered. We do so many things
unconsciously, and choosing our next read is
probably one. But what you see as you turn
the bound papers before you, has taken
countless hours of creative thought, several
collaborative meetings and many alternate
versions before it landed in your hands.
The art of book design is an invisible one
and not often discussed outside of industry
circles. Everything from the image, the
colours used, the font style and size, the
quality and thickness of the paper stock and
how the edges of the pages were trimmed had
taken much thought before the decision was
made to use them. Countless hours have been
spent by generations of book designers,
scribes and illuminators to give the written
word the importance it carries.
There are hundreds of fonts in existence
but the one used in the book you're holding
was chosen by someone whose job it is to
make your reading experience the best it can
be. The ease of reading a particular font is just
one consideration. Many are chosen for their
aesthetic value and contribute subtly to the
theme or feeling of the story being told. Not
all, but some books list the font name, its
creator and its history at the back of the book.
Look for it. You may just fall in love with the
world of fonts and how each one has the
power to convey a feeling and not just be a
vehicle for conveying a message.
Check out
FlavorWire’s Best
Book Covers of
2013 - click here!
Celebrate books this fall
at Bookfest Windsor
2014 - October 24 to
October 26. Click here
for more info!
Chances are, something about the cover
of the book you're holding drew you to it
when it was filed among the myriad available
in the average book store. Yes, the title played
a large part but that's only part of the puzzle.
Often times, the title sounds intriguing but
we can't seem to get past the cover. It conveys
a feeling totally at odds with what we were
expecting. Imagine the cover of the book To
Kill a Mockingbird with a picture of a
shadowed figure lurking in a darkened alley
with the muzzle of a pistol pointed toward a
nearby tree. Or, the cover of Outlander with a
scene of the planet earth slowly spinning in
orbit.
The package works best when all the
elements work together to set the tone for the
story waiting for us inside. It has been said
that a book designer is an interpreter and a
translator. He sees his or her job as creating
form to content. And when that job is done
well, it often translates to better reader
satisfaction and better sales.
Now that summer is officially here, and
your to-read list has grown longer than your
arm, make sure you take the time to take a
longer look at your next read. Feel the cover,
notice the artwork and pay attention to the
type face used in your particular choice.
You're looking at a work of art before you even
dive into the story. And if you really want to
round out the experience, stick your face in
the centre of the opened book and breathe.
Got a favourite book cover? Tell us what it is on Facebook,
or tweet us @thehubWE #artmatters
July 2014 - The HUB 9