Sumatran Shadows is a fascinating family memoir spanning two centuries and three continents. The author-publisher requested print and ebook designs with a classic layout, as well as a cover design based on an old photo.

Client: Peter Janssen

Project: Print book, ebook, and cover design for a family memoir.

Date: November 2019

Cover design: The photo the publisher requested was copyright protected so we couldn’t use that directly for the cover. So I took the photo and created a graphic that captures its essence, but is still very much a new image. The typeface on the cover matches the simple elegance of the image and stands out both on the bookshelf and in thumbnail format.

Interior design: The request for the interior was a timeless design of traditional books. I chose the classic Adobe Caslon Pro for the main text and Brandon Grotesque for the contrasting headers. A bibliography and end notes complete the text. 

Images: The author provided scans of family photos for the book. They were edited to get the correct resolution both for the paperback and the ebook editions.

Ebook conversion: I converted the book into digital files and thoroughly tested it on a variety of devices. The ebook version has pop-up end notes and its images include metadata to make the book fully accessible.

Check out Sumatran Shadows on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1709160284

Return to the portfolio page, or get in touch – I’d love to work on your book next!