Comments on: Do digital books need covers? http://ryantrauman.com/blog/2009/04/12/do-digital-books-need-covers/ Trauman's Blog: Writing. Reading. Technology. Book History. Book Future. Digital Scholarship. Blogging. Teaching. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:14:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Trauman http://ryantrauman.com/blog/2009/04/12/do-digital-books-need-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-4142 Trauman Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:00:39 +0000 http://ryantrauman.com/blog/?p=376#comment-4142 That's awesome. I once hand-bound a book in graduate school with Heavy wire mesh. It was incredibly sharp and dangerous to open and read. I thought the same thing about the content. Of course, in hindsight, the content was pretty standard fare for a 24 year old. I'm cool with that. I think now, if I were to bind a book, I'd like to use a matching pair of laptop screens. See you soon. t That’s awesome. I once hand-bound a book in graduate school with Heavy wire mesh. It was incredibly sharp and dangerous to open and read. I thought the same thing about the content. Of course, in hindsight, the content was pretty standard fare for a 24 year old. I’m cool with that. I think now, if I were to bind a book, I’d like to use a matching pair of laptop screens. See you soon.
t

]]> By: cheryl http://ryantrauman.com/blog/2009/04/12/do-digital-books-need-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-4117 cheryl Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:48:50 +0000 http://ryantrauman.com/blog/?p=376#comment-4117 heya T, just getting around to RSSing your site. Did you know that sometimes covers were made from non-printing-related materials, jsut for the sake of protection? A friend/teacher/colleague of mine told me recently that a researcher convinced some rare mss library in Boston to let him cut open the cover because he thought that it contained another important, lost manuscript. Turns out -- after they actually let him destroy the thing by cutting it open -- that the author had made the cover out of one of his wife's old corsets!@!@ heya T, just getting around to RSSing your site. Did you know that sometimes covers were made from non-printing-related materials, jsut for the sake of protection? A friend/teacher/colleague of mine told me recently that a researcher convinced some rare mss library in Boston to let him cut open the cover because he thought that it contained another important, lost manuscript. Turns out — after they actually let him destroy the thing by cutting it open — that the author had made the cover out of one of his wife’s old corsets!@!@

]]> By: Trauman http://ryantrauman.com/blog/2009/04/12/do-digital-books-need-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-2327 Trauman Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:23:48 +0000 http://ryantrauman.com/blog/?p=376#comment-2327 What a great reply, Miti (and I'm gonna email you off-post, to do some catching up!) Thanks so much for taking the time. I think you're right on with some of your comments. I agree that the handwriting dominates the other two types. For some reason, the line-weight is much heavier with that section of the text, and it ends up being much more prominent. I'm definitely look into adjusting that element. And the part about altering the orientation of the text is a good idea. I'll mess with that a bit more, too. The trouble, though, is that there will be text (the book title) over this image, and I'm not sure if diagonal text will compete with that title, or if the horizontal text (as-is) is already too competitive with it. And about those Bauhaus manifesto covers. Can you recommend anywhere that I might get access to them? Can you post the name of a book or two? Maybe a site? I'm really interested in their designs. (I've loved Gropius since I was an architecture major in college back at NDSU.) Again, thanks for the generous comment. Look for a personal message from me soon. I just found your site. Can't wait to look around. Best, Trauman What a great reply, Miti (and I’m gonna email you off-post, to do some catching up!) Thanks so much for taking the time.

I think you’re right on with some of your comments. I agree that the handwriting dominates the other two types. For some reason, the line-weight is much heavier with that section of the text, and it ends up being much more prominent. I’m definitely look into adjusting that element.

And the part about altering the orientation of the text is a good idea. I’ll mess with that a bit more, too. The trouble, though, is that there will be text (the book title) over this image, and I’m not sure if diagonal text will compete with that title, or if the horizontal text (as-is) is already too competitive with it.

And about those Bauhaus manifesto covers. Can you recommend anywhere that I might get access to them? Can you post the name of a book or two? Maybe a site? I’m really interested in their designs. (I’ve loved Gropius since I was an architecture major in college back at NDSU.)

Again, thanks for the generous comment. Look for a personal message from me soon. I just found your site. Can’t wait to look around. Best,

Trauman

]]> By: miti http://ryantrauman.com/blog/2009/04/12/do-digital-books-need-covers/comment-page-1/#comment-2304 miti Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:15:27 +0000 http://ryantrauman.com/blog/?p=376#comment-2304 dear troll man, as someone with a background in design and art, i feel somewhat qualified to give feedback on your cover design. first of all know that, as a book lover and as a lover of the written word i find the concept for your book fascinating. i think that the idea behind your cover design- the evolution of information display if you wish- is brilliant. in your first draft of the design for the cover, the image is dominated by the handwriting: perhaps the typewritten text and binary code should have more prominence. this could be done by extending the 'real estate' or areas covered by the two, or by increasing the contrast of the images containing the type written text and binary code. another idea: why not express the shift or transition diagonally? i.e turning the layout of your image 30 degrees clockwise. diagonal layouts for book/ manifesto covers were done by the bauhaus designers ( also present in russian deconstructionist publications). the bauhaus contribut ed to the development of the printed media- and graphic design- as provocation and a means of visual seduction. a diagonal layout would mimic the act of reading or writing, imply movement and perhaps attract the eye more. thank you for bringing up the very important question of digital covers in a digital book age. dear troll man, as someone with a background in design and art, i feel somewhat qualified to give feedback on your cover design. first of all know that, as a book lover and as a lover of the written word i find the concept for your book fascinating. i think that the idea behind your cover design- the evolution of information display if you wish- is brilliant. in your first draft of the design for the cover, the image is dominated by the handwriting: perhaps the typewritten text and binary code should have more prominence. this could be done by extending the ‘real estate’ or areas covered by the two, or by increasing the contrast of the images containing the type written text and binary code. another idea: why not express the shift or transition diagonally? i.e turning the layout of your image 30 degrees clockwise. diagonal layouts for book/ manifesto covers were done by the bauhaus designers ( also present in russian deconstructionist publications). the bauhaus contribut ed to the development of the printed media- and graphic design- as provocation and a means of visual seduction. a diagonal layout would mimic the act of reading or writing, imply movement and perhaps attract the eye more. thank you for bringing up the very important question of digital covers in a digital book age.

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