I interned with the Espresso Book Machine printing press at the Michigan State University Library, where I worked as a pre-press and printing assistant. During the course of my work, I handled everything from cover design to book layout. Initially, the Espresso Book Machine was used mainly to print dissertations and the occasional book for a professor, so public relations was limited. However, the Michigan State Library started to make a dedicated space for students and the public to craft a variety of projects. The staff implemented a “Makerspace” that would later involve 3D-printing, vinyl cutting, book printing, and more. I was tasked with helping the Espresso Book Machine move to accommodate the public’s needs, so I developed a poster explaining prices and created multiple book samples to show suggested printing sizes.
This book is one of several samples I created completely on my own. My supervisor suggested the sizes, and I chose to make several types of books to guide any clients who were unfamiliar with printing standards. For smaller sizes like six by nine inches, I made sample “novels” with fake text (using lorem ipsum). Novels usually come in standard sizes and present fewer layout difficulties, so the challenge of this project came with alternate sizes.
The Espresso Book Machine has a unique capability to print two books in one, that can be later cut in half to save money for the client. Tasked with creating a sample of such a book, I first completed an audience analysis. Such a money-saving measure would be too difficult and time consuming for a larger book run, so such a project would likely be for a smaller print run on a personal budget. Considering also that such a book size usually resulted in a wider book not typical for novels, I decided the appropriate audience would be a personal photobook, like a book of vacation photos. Creating such a book with public domain pictures presented a challenge to find enough photos that looked like they came from the same family, while creating a symmetrical double-spread with horizontal focus presented a challenge of its own. However, I enjoyed the opportunity to create a more whimsical visual design that evokes scrapbooking and a fun day at the beach.
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Kristin Phillips: Portfolio 