Book Design: The Comp

Let me design your book, restore your photos, or print your art . . .

The Comp: a one-off proof of your book

Although it is more and more popular to keep everything on the computer and to review art on the monitor, the real proof is a comp: a comprehensive layout. Whatever makes up your work, text and images, printed on paper cut to size. This is more than a nicety.

Studies have consistently shown that most people read more comprehensively and more accurately from paper than from the monitor. Reviewing your work on paper gives you a better opportunity to catch mistakes. I also send the typeset book to you for approval printed out and with its digital file. I want you to be able to review and mark up your work as you need. I will work from your marked up file to finish the project, and unless there are structural changes, these are done at no additional cost.

Over the last ten years, the book world has changed: 99% of my clients use a print-on-demand company (CreateSpace, Spark, Lulu, etc.). They all get a proof from them. If they did not, I would insist on getting them one. No longer would I actually make a trimmed, bound, book, I would use CreateSpce, but you would get a comp: a one-off, copy of your book printed, trimmed, and bound. You will see just how it will look when printed. And it gives you one more chance to make corrections. Again, if these are reasonable, there is no additional cost.

For some very complicated projects, I will make a dummy (a printed, trimmed, and bound book) using Greeked text and dummy pictures, to give the feel and look of the completed project before it ever starts.

I want to be proud of the project, just as I want you to be—that's my promise and commitment to you.

Let me design your book, Prescott is an email away! Contact.

Thank you,

Walton Mendelson