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Advantage

The Nation's Leader in Quality Book Binding
& Post Press Services Since 1985

410-760-0008
2 Nashua Court, Baltimore, MD 21221

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Presenting Without Powerpoint

Presentations are part of every industry in some form or another. Whether it’s an informational presentation in a meeting, a sales presentation for clients, or a presentation on research findings, the presentation itself is a time-honored tradition with the potential to inform, engage, and persuade an audience.

However, in recent years the presentation has become an object of disinterest and boredom. The culprit? Powerpoint and other similar slideshow software. This isn’t to say that these slideshows are not useful, because they are. However, many presenters have become reliant on reading off of slideshows cued up on a digital projector and offering little other substance to the audience. Again, slideshows are a part of any good presentation, but they aren’t its foundation.

Engaging your audience requires more than just slides on a screen. Tangible visual aids can connect you with your audience in a way that reading off of slides cannot. Brochures and pamphlets provide portable visual and textual aids that can succinctly summarize a presentation, and which audience members can take with them after the presentation is over. For more in-depth presentations, small softcover bound books can hold annual reports or prospectuses, giving the audience the ability to browse at their own pace in a handsome and professional volume.

Advantage Book Binding offers a number of services that can help your next presentation break free from the monotony of slideshows. From brochures and pamphlets to professional binding and shrink wrapping, our products can engage your audience on a new level and leave them with something to remember you by.

presentation materials

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

What is Die Cutting?

Die cutting is a very unique book binding technique that adds a very engaging dynamic and new dimension to your product. Using die cutting, you can cut out windows in pages, dust jackets, or even covers to reveal images or text below. Done correctly, this can create a beautiful and creative effect.

Die cutting can be used in lots of different projects. One possible use is as a nice subtle touch to develop a theme. A bullet hole through the dust jacket makes a murder mystery that much more visceral, for example. But where die cutting really shines is in artistic projects that are heavy on graphics. Photography books are one example of this. Graphic and visual arts books are another, allowing the author to use the book itself as a medium. Children’s books are also great for die cutting, as kids will love the hide and seek effect it creates.

For a few examples of die cutting pushed to its fullest creative potential, check out this list from Brain Pickings. These five books show how die cutting takes the concept of a book as an art form to the next level.

Advantage Book Binding offers professional die cutting for all of your books and paper product. This binding technique will really make your book stand out and catch the eye. Talk to us today about your next publishing project!

die cutting

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Source

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/08/29/die-cut-books/

What is Foil Stamping?

Foil stamping is one of the many services we offer that can add a nice creative touch to your book binding. Essentially, foil stamping is the addition of designs onto a book’s spine or cover using heat, pressure and metallic foil paper. A metal plate is sculpted into a design and heated. It then comes into contact with the foil and stamps it onto the book. The heat and pressure cause the foil to stick to the book, and its shape is the design of the metal plate. In this way, no ink or paper are used in the foil stamping process.

Foil stamping is commonly used to give books a shiny element that makes them stand out among other books. The finish of foil stamping can be everything from metallic to matte to glossy, depending on the type of foil and specific process used. Foil stamping can also be used to make patterns on the binding.

The concept of foil stamping has been around since ancient times, if not specifically for books but for its aesthetic appeal in general. In ancient Egypt, arms, mummies and coffins were decorated with hold that was hammered and stamped to a paper-thin thickness. Once the printing press was developed during Medieval times, some printers added super-thin sheets of gold to designs on the binding. This practice was modified later when gold was manufactured in long thin sheets that were affixed to paper. Using heat and the printing press, printers transferred these gold sheets to imprints on the binding, and modern foil stamping was born. The addition of different substances besides gold to the foil stamping palette brought us to where we are today.

Foil stamping is great not just for book bindings, but also for brochures and mailings. Foil stamped mailings and brochures are sure to catch the eye, and exude a professional and elegant air. Foil stamping also works well for personalizing books and paper products. Contact us today to learn about the many uses of foil stamping for your publishing needs.

foil stamping

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Sources

http://www.whatisfoilstamping.com/

http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2011/04/the-printing-process-foil-stamping/

News Ideas for the Bookstore

In recent years, bookstores, like many physical stores, have lost foot traffic off the street to virtual traffic online. There are a variety of reasons for this, from the convenience of online shopping to competitive online prices. Still, bookstores are not going away just yet. New ideas may ensure their place in the physical world by incorporating elements of the virtual space to create a best of both worlds kind of experience that appeals to everyone.

In this recent article from Intelligent Life magazine, the magazine enlists four well-known architecture and design firms to redesign bookstore. Each firm came up with its own take on the next generation bookstore, and the results are fascinating to read. But perhaps most interesting is Coffey Architects take on the prompt. Rather than taking the bookstore into the 21st century with digital interfaces and e-book libraries, Coffey created “the antithesis of an e-book emporium.” It would offer few books on the shelves, instead focusing on making your own book, “choosing the paper, ink, font, leather, even gold leaf – on antique presses and binders.”

The book you make might be one by the writer on stage, something you’ve written yourself…You’d do it to enjoy the pleasures e-books will have ceased to offer: the smell and feel of ink and paper, the heft of a hardback in your hands, a cover that’s a work of art. And the edition you take home would be unique.

Now there’s an idea that captures what physical books are really about. Check out the full article for more innovative bookstore designs.

bookstores relevant

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Source

http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/lifestyle/rosanna-de-lisle/bookshop-design?page=full

A Brief History of the Dust Jacket

Dust jackets are all but ubiquitous on hardcover books today, but it wasn’t always so. For a long time, dust jackets didn’t exist, and even when they came into existence, the earliest jackets were unrecognizable from the ones we know today. Early dust jackets were not even regarded as part of the book, but rather something to be thrown away. All of that changed, however, once publishers realized the marketing potential afforded by dust jackets. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Early Dust Jackets

Dust jackets first came into use in the 1800’s. They were simple, unadorned paper wrappers, and their original intent was to protect books bound in leather or silk from the printing house to the bookseller or library. Once the book reached its destination, the jacket was taken off and thrown away.

The trend of decorating dust jackets caught on slowly. One of the first design elements of the dust jacket was actually a small window that was cut in an area on the binding where the publisher had a small picture or design sewed in. Eventually, publishers abandoned the cut-out window and simply duplicated the design on the jacket.

By the turn of the century, publishers were realizing that these relatively plain wrappers offered plenty of space for advertising. Blurbs featuring synopses of the book and biographies of the author started to show up around 1910, and by 1920 illustrated dust jackets were everywhere:

Stylistic developments were made in the art of the dust jacket. Wraparound illustrations took the whole dust jacket – front, back and spine – and created a continuous design across it all. Reduced images appeared on a book’s spine – smaller versions or vignettes of the front cover design. The idea of a recognisable ‘house-style’ for individual publishers was introduced. Yet, still the dust jacket was seen as a throwaway item; once a book had been bought, the dust jacket’s purpose – advertising – had been served.

This attitude slowly changed, however, and by the mid-20th century people were keeping their dust jackets instead of throwing them away. If you happen to have a book that dates from before this time frame with the original dust jacket, hang on to it, as it’s likely worth a lot more due to the rarity of a preserved jacket.

dust jacket

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Source

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-the-dust-jacket/

The Future of Reading is on Paper

In many ways, digital technology is a vast improvement on what came before it. There are countless examples of this. The mp3 vs. the record, cassette tape, or even cd player. The smartphone vs. the landline. The calculator vs. pencil and paper. All of these technological advancements have made possible things that were previously unimaginable. We can carry around libraries of music and books in our pockets, call and text anyone anywhere at anytime, and solve complicated mathematical problems in a split second.

But behind all of these advantages are the inevitable disadvantages. We can carry around thousands of songs in our pocket, but we trade the analog warmth and fidelity of a vinyl record for a digital sequence of ones and zeros. We can talk to anyone anywhere with smartphones, but more and more people walk around with their heads buried in their phones, oblivious to the outside world. We can do our taxes and calculate a tip with our phones, but we may be losing our math skills in the process.

The point is, there are trade-offs everywhere you look, including in the relationship between the printed word on paper vs. on an electronic device. A new article on Wired says it best: “Why the Smart reading Device of the Future May Be…Paper.” As it turns out, several studies suggest that readers are better able to engage with the text when it’s read on printed paper as opposed to a digital screen. Not only that, but they can retain the information in the text better from paper vs. from a screen.

What are the reasons for this? The studies name several. One could be the fact that brain is distracted by having to scroll through long texts on a digital device, causing the reader to lose his or her place and train of thought, and disrupting their short term memory. In addition, the size and weight give the reader information which a tablet or computer cannot:

From this perspective, the feel of pages under one’s fingertips isn’t simply old-fashioned charm. It’s a rich source of information, subconsciously informing readers of their position in a text. Reading experts say that sense of position is important: It provides a sort of conceptual scaffold on which information and memory is automatically arranged, and the scaffold is strongest when built from both visual and tactile cues.

Read the full article here.

 

ereader vs book

 

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

The Amazing Watercolor Book

If you’ve ever painted a room in your house, you’re probably familiar with Pantone. Pantone is a color guide system where literally thousands (2,100 altogether) of colors are arranged on cards in order to compare and contrast them so you can decide what color of paint to get. This portable color library makes it easy to pick between Rhubarb, Syrah, and Pomegranate (all shades of red).

Pantone is ubiquitous in its usage, but did you know that the Pantone system was actually preceded by a handwritten and handpainted book published more than 300 years ago? The book, entitled Traité des couleurs servant à la peinture à l’eau, was written by an artist known as “A. Boogert.” He wrote the 800-page book in Dutch, and in it he described how to mix watercolors to get a huge range of colors across the visible spectrum. In the introduction, Boogert stated that the book’s purpose was to serve as an educational guide. The book, which is housed at the Bibliothèque Méjanes in France, is the only copy in existence.

Get a taste of some of the colors here or you can view the entire book online here.

Pantone

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Sources

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/05/color-book/

http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=67&ca=4&s=1

http://www.e-corpus.org/notices/102464/gallery/

On Bookworms and other Literary Stereotypes

If you’re a lover of all things literary, there’s a good chance you’ve been referred to as a bookworm. And though you might not have ever explicitly learned the origin of this reference, you’d be correct if you’ve always assumed it had something to do with insects eating books. Though these insects are less likely to be worms than they are to be termites or termite larvae, it is true that some insects have an affinity for books. Some find the glue in the bindings of old books particularly tasty, and many old books in attics and other abandoned places have lost their spines in this way.

Interestingly, there are two things about bookworms you might not have known. First, book eating insects only like to munch on older books. It seems that they don’t have a taste for the chemicals used in the modern binding process, which means your books are safe from would be insect diners. Second, the use of the term “bookworm” to describe someone who really enjoys reading actually predates the use of the term to describe book-eating insects by about 200 years. An interesting historical quirk that apparently has no explanation.

On a related note, you might also not have known that there is a difference between someone who loves books for their content and someone who loves books for their physical attributes. The former is a bookworm while the later is a bibliophile. Here at Advantage, we’re both bookworms and bibliophiles, and we’ll embrace any literary stereotypes thrown our way because we just can’t get enough of books or reading. How much of a bookworm (or bibliophile) are you? Check out this list of stereotypes about book lovers from Huffington Post to see how many you identify with. Happy reading!

 

bookworm origin

 

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Sources

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/book-lover-stereotypes_n_4392221.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-bookworm.htm

The Craftsmanship of Book Binding

Book binding is a craft that is hundreds of years old. It has seen the influence of many waves of new technology, making the binding process faster and more efficient. But while machines have brought binding into the 21st century, there is a tradition among book binders, indeed, among craftsman of any trade, that stretches throughout the centuries and technological advances that propel a craft.

 

As in all crafts, the human element is that which makes the difference. Attention to detail and fine-tuned works are traits that only the hand of an experienced craftsman can bring to the table. Here at Advantage, we’re devoted to the time-honored craft of book binding, and with nearly 30 years of experience, we provide the hand of experience needed to deliver a quality, fine-tuned product. We’re proud to say we’ve been recognized by the following organizations for our work over the years.

 

 

 

BIA – Binding Industries of America

2003 – Best of Category in Case Binding, United Nations Diary

2003 – Award of Merit Unusual Turnaround – University of Notre Dame

1990 – Award of Merit in Mechanical Binding – ATT Calendar

1988 – Award of Merit Adhesive Binding – Early Cycladic Art in North American Collection

1989 – Best of Show – Byrd Book

PGAMA – Printing Industries of America – Maryland Affiliate

2012 – Best of Category Finishing/Binding – MacImpressions

2012 – Best Finished Entry – MacImpressions

2011 – Best of Category Finishing/Binding – David Bruce Smith (DBS)

2011 – Peoples Choice Aware – David Bruce Smith (DBS)

2010 – Award of Excellence Finishing/Binding – RR Donnelly

2009 – Award of Excellence Finishing/Binding – S&S Graphics

2008 – Best of Category Finishing/Binding – Schmitz Press

2001 – Award of Excellence Finishing/Binding – River Downs Gourmet Club

2001 – Most Creative use of Binding – Jones Printing

1999 – Best of Category Finishing/Binding – Fontana Litho

1993 – Best of Category Stamping/Embossing – Jeffery C. Weidig, MD

1989 – Award of Merit Stamping/Embossing – Barton Cotton

PIVA – Printing Industries of America- Virginia Affiliate

2000 – First Place Best in Print – Jones Printing Service, Charles Fazzino – Master of 3D Pop Art

2000 – First place for Books – Jones Printing Services

1998 – Award of Excellence Foil Stamping – John D. Lucas

1997 – First place foil stamping and embossing – Colorcraft Printing

 

custom book binding

 

 

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Bible Repair from Advantage Book Binding

You may have noticed this Easter that your old family Bible is looking a little older and more worn that it has in years past. Books aren’t immune to the passage of time, and this may show in bindings that are loosening or covers that are scuffed and discolored. For many people, Bible’s have been passed down from generation to generation, and have sentimental value as a family heirloom.

So what do you do when your family Bible needs repair? Contact Advantage Book Binding! One of the many services we offer is Bible and book repair. Our skilled craftsman can restore your treasured Bible to its original condition, tightening up loose bindings and bringing color back into a faded jacket. We can also add new custom additions to your Bible to your tastes. Customized imprints are available for the cover and spine, and new end sheets and ribbons can be added as well. In order to protect your Bible for future generations, you might also consider a matching slipcase or clamshell box for storage that has both great form and function.

For more information on how to repair your Bible, please visit www.repairmybible.com.

 

Bible repair

 

Advantage Book Binding has been in the book binding business since 1985, when we were founded on the principle “we do a quality book on time.” Since then we’ve seen plenty of changes both in and out of the industry. While some have sounded the death knell for books and other physical media, we believe that the fact that we continue to be an industry leader into the 21st century is a testament not only to our longevity as a company but to that of our craft. We think it’s important to keep books and physical media on the shelves, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing you with the highest quality book binding and post press services available.

Keep up with us on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.