To ship the oversized “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” book we did some research and settled on making our own custom wraps using corrugated cardboard and heavy-duty staples.
The bad news is that customers are reporting that the staples are cutting the cardboard and opening the package at times. The good news is that the USPS has generally been helping us out and taping up the packages and doing its best to deliver the book without damage.
The next wave of books, which goes out tomorrow, will have additional reinforcement.
If your copy is damaged, send an e-mail to john@lostartpress.com and we will get you a replacement.
Our apologies for the trouble.
— Christopher Schwarz
I know where Follansbee works. I’m going to have him duct tape my copy personally, if it arrives damaged.
Mine was like that – but the book was not damaged.
It’s BEAUTIFUL! The binding is awesome, the cloth, the SMELL OF FRESH INK!
The column width is perfect and the type is perfect. I’m a graphic designer at a printing company. I’m going to take it in to my boss now and let him have a smell… er… a look.
I got my copy today. It was pretty much falling out of the cardboard but the book and the shrinkwrap were undamaged. The is the first Lost Art Press book I have recieved that was not autographed. Pity. Can’t wait to read it though!
yaakov….
Furniture by Yaakov
Found my package on the stoop this afternoon balancing precariously upright with its gaping, corrugated maw to the sky. Perfect timing with the decision to skrinkwrap. You guys have truly outdone yourselves on this one.
The book that is.
Got mine today. Chris, there is a reason boxes were invented. Mine was torn, someone taped it up. Outside it looked, well, lame. However, the book itself is in fine shape. I’ve read some of it and I like it so far. Not sure if I will ever cut down a tree though.
Mine was open on one end also but the book was wedged in and was in good shape. Beautiful job on the book!!
I received mine tonight, in the same fashion as others, one end open, can see the book. The shrinkwrap did save it indeed, good call on that.
I’ve been following Peter’s blog and have been loving the posts. Cover looks great… open it up…. and sadly the decision to go with an uncoated stock doesn’t do this photo heavy book any favors. If you go with a coated stock for the jacket for obvious reasons, why not the inside? The end result is that you can see through pages, usually when large photo blocks are on the reverse. And the photos, no doubt taken with great care and expense, come out washed out like they came out of an old newspaper.
The content is what really matters, but its a shame. To make a woodworking analogy, the surface of paper is your wood, and the photos are your finish. You want smooth before finishing, not rough. For classic texts, its fine, for photos, not so much.
I like the uncoated stock. I like it very much. My shelves are full of glossy paged books. UV coating has become commonplace. This reminds me of hard bound American Heritage books.
I found it to be appropriate for the subject matter, wonderful for reading the text, works perfectly with the line illustrations and I’m fine with the softness of the photos. I’m glad to pay extra for the non-glare finish! Different is good.
It does work quite well artistically for the illustrations and text, but the paper is thin. If you view the first page of chapter 2, you see what looks like the photo from the other side of the page coming through the paper. It’s actually the photo on the next page. This is how porous and translucent the paper is that the photos are presented on. It trades detail and clarity on an artistic choice in a book where color photography dominates the pages.
I received my copy yesterday, clear out here on the west coast. Someone at the post office had taped it up a bit. (They really do try to provide service.) The book was in perfect condition.
The book itself is a joy to read and view and smell. Peter and Jennie did an amazing job, the photography is outstanding, Eleanor’s sketches are excellent as usual, and all the work by Chris and his team created a book that will last for years in my family. Thanks to all of you! The local oak trees are already being sized up.