What does a revolution look like? If you’re Google, it means hosting a year-round Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program called “Rare” for underrepresented people, which has, through its branding, the high-energy, take-no-prisoners look of punk. And the bible of that revolution? Well it looks like this!
Printed by our good friends at DataGraphic [projects / website] and designed by MAUD – in association with Semi Permanent (which manages the program for Google) – this 120-page book looks like a joyful roar of excitement in paper form. It’s what a zine would look like if its publishers had access to a healthy budget, super-creative designers, and great binding and printing knowhow.
Let’s start with the removable dust jacket because, quite honestly, it is a showstopper all on its own. It consists of a 5 pt. Clear PET sheet, with all the illustrations, handwriting and scribbles you see Screen Printed front and back in White ink!
Not only does this make for an attention-grabbing look that makes this volume stand out equally well on a bookshelf or desktop, but the transparent nature of the dust jacket also gives us an unobstructed view of that gorgeous, gorgeous, exposed spine. So how did they do that? I’m so glad you asked!
The interior pages were digitally printed CMYK on 100 lb. Mohawk Superfine White Eggshell Text, placed between Offset-printed 130 lb. Colorplan Lockwood Green Cover sheets. The individual signatures were sewn together at the spine; and those signatures were then sewn together with thread for extra durability. This binding technique – exposed Smyth-Sewn Binding – is very trendy right now, and a great one to have in your designer’s toolbox!
Inside, text and images run riot, furthering the punk zine look, with only a single accent color used on those pages that have color at all. This not only keeps the reader’s attention on the words and images – including inspiring quotes, stories, and profiles – but also gives the spines of each signature a different hue, making for a nice rainbow effect when the book’s exposed spine is viewed through the clear dust jacket – a subtle reinforcement of the Google program’s message of diversity.
Smyth-sewn binding gave this book an edgy, handmade look perfectly in keeping with the diversity program’s punk aesthetic. It just goes to show that whatever message you’re trying to get across with your project, there’s a binding option that will help you do it.
Be sure to grab your copy of our super-popular, and newly expanded, “Binding Cheat Sheet: The Ultimate Guide to Binding!”
Inside you’ll discover:
- A handy overview of 15 binding options, complete with diagrams, page counts and relative costs
- Detailed explanations of how each technique is applied
- Sumptuous photographic examples
- Tips on how you can “break the rules” to achieve a special look all your own
So how do you get your hands on our new Binding Cheat Sheet? Simply download it for yourself right now –it’s free!
This book is so amazing and so is the binding. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words, Julia – so happy you enjoyed this one 🙂
Gorgeous