Think about the elements of a book's design. For our example, we choose a work of hardbound fiction or nonfiction. Typically, in the production of such a book, two designers are involved: the principal book designer and the designer of the book's jacket. These decisions are based on budgetary considerations and are made in consultation with the publisher, the book's editor, and the production department.
The Role of the Book Designer
Here are the assignments of the principal designer:
- the selection of the paper stock for the dust jacket (book jacket), the cover book cloth, the endpapers, and the text
- the choice of typeface and spacing for text and headlines
- the design of the title page
- the selection of the display initial and chapter number that begins each chapter
- the style and design of the cover and spine stamping, if any
- the staining of the book pages for decorative effect, if any
- the commissioning of the author's photograph for the back of the dust jacket.
There are many options for the design team. Should a photo or illustration be used, or will an all-type approach be more effective? Has the author's previous book or books established him or her to a wide audience, so that the name on the cover is as important as the title? Will embossing on the cover enhance the book's image? By past experience, what colors work best? And, finally, what typeface will best convey the image and subject matter of the book? These and other questions challenge the designer.
Consider the field of children's book illustration. The well-executed children's book provides a magical world of fantasy for its young readers. The designer works with the editor in pairing an accomplished team of author and illustrator. Seldom do authors of children's books illustrate them. Since children's book illustration is such a competitive field, the design/editor team has a vast choice of diverse talents from which to make their decision.
For children's book illustration assignments the artist's portfolio must show a consistent vision so that an editor can follow the direction the artist has taken and match him or her with the right author.
Design and illustration are integral to the production of textbooks, many of which are elaborately designed. Most medical books use a profusion of color photographs and illustrations. For a medical illustrator, training may include years of observation in surgical and clinical procedures at hospitals and medical schools.
In the field of mass-market paperbacks, the designer has fewer options. Within the front and back covers of this 574-by-8-inch product, the designer must sell the image of the book in a front-cover illustration or type, and use the back cover for a synopsis, blurbs, and the author's background.
To perform these significant tasks, publishers often use freelance designers for the overall book design, and call upon other freelance specialists to handle the book jacket.
Artists and Illustrators
A commercial artist may be a magazine illustrator, the production designer and art director of a film, the visual artist for a TV production, or a book designer and illustrator. All are basically artists, whose talents give aesthetic character to their media.
Illustration plays a major role in textbooks. A friend of mine is a well-known medical illustrator. Her detailed, graphically incisive color illustrations are used in many medical journals and textbooks. Integral to her work is a profound understanding of the human body and its functions.
Most books are not illustrated; therefore, the artist's role may be that of illustrating only the dust jacket or cover. This is nonetheless an important assignment, as the appeal of a jacket on the bookshelf increases the book's sale. (Some books merely have black-and-white line illustrations inside, but they, too, can play a vital role in a book's presentation.)
In addition, an artist can be a book designer. A designer may select the typeface for the body text and headings, design the jacket, and/or assign the illustrations for the jacket and the inside of the book. The book designer may also be involved in the selection of paper to be used as well as the fabric for the cover.
The reader interested in commercial art is urged to read the Society of Illustrators' wonderful annual awards book. In it, there are awards given for excellence in magazines, advertising, institutional publications, and books. The works of the winners in the book category truly exemplify the significance of art in books. If you can't find this volume locally, write the Society of Illustrators at 128 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10021.
