A great print design or concept only lasts until the reality of execution comes into play. A great designer knows that to bring their vision to life, they need to work with their Print Production Manager (if they are in an Agency), or directly with a printer if they work independently. Im sharing this because it’s nice to hear that Printing is still considered a CRAFT (at least by this designer) and that he knew the success of this project relied on collaborating with the experts!
Contain Us Book
Art Direction, Design, and Layout by Tom Bejgrowicz Man Alive Creative
Article by JESSICA MULLEN
Achingly elegant design elevates metal musician Devin Townsend’s image to a much higher octave in this deceivingly quiet box set. Bejgrowicz visually distills Townsend’s work into a museum-quality presentation, helping us see the melody behind the noise.
From the get-go, I made it clear to the printers that I wanted their input. I’m not an expert in their craft, of course, and I was sure that they’d look at my initial plans and be able to tweak a few things in order to make the construct as good as it could be. This came in handy, for instance, with regards to the gatefold centerpiece, disc mounting sheets, and varnishes on the disc labels.
If only I had foreseen the issues that the blind debossing on the charcoal linen wrap would have created. Hands down, this was the single-most anxiety-inducing aspect of the project. In the beginning, this process was never in question and then at some point along the way, it became an issue for both the slipcase and book. On my end, continuity between papers and both the deboss’ effectiveness and depth were extremely important and the fact that the slipcase and book were being handled by two different companies only added to my worries. In the end, mostly everything worked out but my salt and pepper hair is a little saltier because of it.
Otherwise, with there being so many pieces to this puzzle and only myself to handle every aspect of the design, I relied heavily on my studio walls where I sketched out each of the individual items within the collection along with full details on those items. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without what could best be described as the “Great Wall of Devin” this past summer!
See more photos and the project credits here: Contain Us Book – FPO: For Print Only.
