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Bookplate Ink

Bookplates, or ex libris, are decorative labels, or stickers, to identify book ownership and for authors to sign.

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Blog

September 26, 2023

Some weeks are more rewarding than others. This past weekend, I attended a party for a 90-year-old former neighbor and had an unexpected experience.

As many of you already know, Bookplate Ink primarily prints bookplate designs from the Antioch Bookplate Company, founded in 1926 by Ernest Morgan and Walter Kahoe while they were students at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The company later became the Antioch Company as they expanded their offerings to calendars, journals, etc.

Bookplate Ink, while still a part of the Yellow Springs News, our local newspaper, worked alongside the Antioch Company for many years, personalizing their bookplates. When the Antioch Company stopped printing bookplates and later, closed, Bookplate Ink, now its own company, acquired most of their designs so they would still be available to customers.

At the party I attended, I met a woman from Yellow Springs named Jan. As we chatted, I told her about my business, Bookplate Ink, and she responded that she worked for the Antioch Bookplate Company years ago. I asked what she did there, to which she replied — sheepishly — that she used to paste bookplates into their catalogs. I told her that my business still has some of these catalogs and I’d love to show them to her. Later, I slipped away from the party and brought back two of the catalogs, both from the 1950s.

This was a magical moment. I was taken aback by how surprised and happy Jan was to see these catalogs. She was looking through them and mentioned that she still remembers the bookplates her mother had. When I asked which design it was, she said it had a tree. I pointed out the design shown on the right page in the photo above, which she recognized it as her mother’s bookplates. Her eyes teared up and she paused while she remembered her mom and the significance of her bookplates.

That bookplate uses artwork created by Robert Whitmore, a Yellow Springs artist who created many wonderful bookplate designs for Antioch Bookplate Company in the early days. We are still printing a version of the bookplate shown here, design B252, one of our most popular. Robert Whitmore’s artwork is special to me as I’m friends with his son, Jon Whitmore, who still lives in Yellow Springs on what had been his dad’s property. And I love having a small part in the history of bookplates and their meaning in people’s lives. Also amazing and fun for me, personally, is recognizing some of the names printed on the bookplates in these catalogs, as many of the descendants still live in our small village.

Two days later, Bookplate Ink received a very special testimonial from a longtime customer, George Pilcher. George has ordered several bookplate designs over the years, beginning in 2012. This is what he wrote after receiving his latest order:
I have used Antioch Bookplates (now printed by Bookplate Ink) for over 65 years, and have received compliments from friends and fellow readers for all of those years. (I have many different styles, but my favorite has always been B253 – BOOKS BY OPEN WINDOW WITH EX LIBRIS TEXT), which I first began using in the mid-1950s.) My personal library (which has spilled, over the years, from the actual library room to the sitting room, the living room, the family room, and the loft, with other volumes scattered among the various bedrooms) comprises several thousand volumes, and they are all “plated by Antioch.” The owners of Bookplate Ink did readers everywhere a great service when they took over the Antioch catalogue, and their products are, if anything, even finer and higher-quality than those from the old Antioch Press, founded in 1926. It is absolutely wonderful that the owners of Bookplate Ink have chosen to make and sell products of the highest quality at an affordable price. In an age of “throwaway,” it is great to know that these splendid bookplates will be in my equally splendid book collection for as long as the books last. My hope is that many future generations will read books from my collection, and will be pleased to see the artistic statement of Antioch and the commitment to excellent workmanship of Bookplate Ink, when they open each volume.

Needless to say, this message made my day. Not only was George very complimentary to Bookplate Ink, but he so aptly describes his love of books and the significance of bookplates. George has ordered several designs, including the one designed for chemists by Dutch woodcut artist, Thijs Mauve chemist, M604, shown at the right. George requested this printed in brown ink. But he says his favorite is still B253, shown above.

https://bookplateink.com/19344-2/

Bookplates have personal meaning

August 25, 2023

Traditionally, bookplates consist of small, personalized artwork that are pasted into books as marks of ownership. They are usually placed on the endpaper. As stated by the Princeton Architectural Press and shown online at the Literary Hub website, “A bookplate is sometimes called an ex libris in reference to the Latin inscription meaning ‘from the books of’ found on most examples. The earliest known example, dated to 1480, is the bookplate of Hilprand Brandenburg, a Carthusian monk.”

Here at Bookplate Ink, we print many personalized bookplates by adding names to our own designs, most of which originated with Antioch Bookplate Company. But we also print numerous bookplates  with custom artwork that customers submit. These designs often have very personal elements and meaning. We asked a few customers about their bookplate artwork and found the answers very interesting.

Ed Poliakoff, a Columbia, South Carolina, attorney whose hobbies include collecting antique South Carolina maps and stewarding family artifacts, writes about his bookplate as follows: “My bookplate, composed in a few iterations with Karen Gardner’s patient assistance, has several personal design elements, including my home state’s outline and palmetto state tree; a crest that is colored and shaped to invoke my undergraduate college and placed on the area of my hometown; a loblolly pine to represent the trees around my childhood home; a stylized border to invoke some of my favorite 19th century South Carolina maps; and with space above and below the images for placement of labels identifying the maps, books and other objects to which the bookplates are attached.

Dr. Efrain Miranda, the CEO of Clinical Anatomy Associates, Inc. and devoted bibliophile, wrote about his bookplates in the blog “A Moment in History.”: “My bookplate, also known as an Ex-Libris, is a design based on images by Andreas Vesalius. It also contains the portraits of four famous anatomists: William Harvey, Andreas Vesalius, Adrian Van Der Spigelius, and Bernhard Siegfried Albinus, all of them highlighted in our blog “A Moment in History”. The bookplate was printed by Bookplate Ink, a USA-based company. They are self-adhesive, acid-free, and very high quality paper. I strongly support and recommend them.” There are several fascinating posts on the blog about books and bookplates, including https://clinicalanatomy.com/mtd/842-interesting-discovery-in-an-ex-libris.

We have printed the elegant, square-shaped bookplate shown on the left several times over the years to be placed in the books at Bill and Marcia Levy’s library.

Marcia wrote: “The plate was designed by our daughter, the ceramicist Rachel Levy, who was influenced by the feather etched on the sign of our main lodge on our ranch in western Colorado. The sign’s design graphic with hanging feather was done in the 1980s by Nick Zarkades of Seattle, Washington. We LOVE our bookplates.”

 

 

Ryan Lawson, an interior designer, had his custom design printed with us by letterpress. This striking design by German artist David Schmitt, has a lot of personal meaning for Ryan. In his own words: “I’ve always loved falcons and the art of falconry — my grandmother taught me all about birds of prey when I was younger. And, ever since I moved to NYC in 2004, when I visit the Metropolitan Museum, my first stop is this incredible sculpture. And, so I thought it would be a good idea to base my bookplates on that piece.”

 
 
 
 
 
 

Now offering letterpress printing!

April 23, 2023

https://bookplateink.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/letterpress.mp4

Bookplate Ink is embarking on an exciting new printing venture that combines the vintage charm of letterpress with our unique classic designs. We are thrilled to announce that we will be providing letterpress printing services for select designs and customized artwork. But what exactly is letterpress printing, and why are we so enthusiastic about it?

Letterpress printing is a traditional printing method that involves pressing inked type or images onto paper. The type or images are raised, and when pressed onto the paper, they leave an impression that creates a slightly raised surface. Letterpress printing is known for its high-quality, tactile look and feel, pairing well with our vintage designs and quality, non-glossy, self-adhesive paper. Letterpress printing has experienced a revival in recent years, with many people rediscovering the art and craft of this traditional printing method.

Years ago, our bookplates were exclusively printed on a Heidelberg rotary press as seen in the accompanying image. Regrettably, our press malfunctioned and we lost our printer within the same month, compelling us to discontinue this production method. However, we are excited to announce a new partnership with Carillon Park, a nearby history museum/park located in Dayton, Ohio. Carillon Park boasts a fully operational letterpress print shop staffed by skilled artisans. Each bookplate produced at Carillon Park will start with the artwork produced on a copper plate and will be meticulously run on the press under the watchful guidance of a skilled printer, who will supervise the ink and ensure precise placement on the paper.

While letterpress printing is renowned for its elegance and precision, it does have certain limitations. Due to the roller inking process, full-color bookplate printing is not possible using letterpress. Nevertheless, we are currently providing letterpress printing services for our most sought-after single-color bookplates, with or without personalization. When you request text on one of the letterpress bookplates, it will be set on the linotype machine shown here, then set in the plate. The bookplates we are are offering with letterpress printing are shown at here.

Additionally, we can create bookplates with custom artwork of a single color with crisp, clean lines. You can submit your artwork or design idea to us at info@bookplateink.com to see if it is suitable for letterpress printing, or place your order here.

In the current resurgence of letterpress printing, some printers tend to create a pronounced impression on the paper during the printing process. Traditional letterpress printers do not want a deep impression on the paper because it can damage the printing plate, distort the design, and cause the paper to become too thin, making it more prone to tearing or showing through on the other side. Instead, printers aim to achieve a subtle, crisp impression that adds texture and depth to the printed piece without compromising its legibility or durability, known in the trade as a “kiss impression.” Bookplate Ink is proud to partner with the skilled artisans at Carillon Park who practice this traditional letterpress method.

Shown here is Carillon Park printer Jim Widner proudly displaying the first bookplates printed there, a beautiful custom design by David Schmitt (@tuyo.art on Instagram) for our customer, Ryan Lawson (@ryanclawson on Instagram).

A loving project

June 28, 2022

More than a year and a half ago — which now seems in the distant past — we had an order requested for bookplates for a wonderful and loving project: a book area for children at the Child Study of Center of Yale School of Medicine, in honor of the beloved Director of Finance and Administration there, Karen Muth, who was losing her long battle with cancer. Karen was able to help choose the design she wanted before she passed. As her friend Jean Herzog, who placed the order, wrote, “books will be chosen by the faculty and staff for children and families who are dealing with childhood cancer. Karen dealt with her own cancer for more than eight years and was very touched that her friends and family chose to remember her this way.”

Jean wrote to me recently to let me know that Karen’s Korner was finally opened, on May 6, 2022, after some delays due to the pandemic. This wonderful book haven includes rocking chairs and a bookshelf with a variety of children’s books, each with a bookplate dedicated to Karen Muth. You can read more about it at their website.

I was touched that Jean shared this with me. These are the bookplate orders that give so much meaning to what we do. Bookplates in memory of a loved one are treasured tributes.

Authors dealing with the coronavirus

April 30, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has required everyone, including businesses, to adapt and innovate. How can you serve your customers when you can’t be near them? How do you promote your business? And if you’re an artist or writer, how do you still connect with your audience?

Authors have had to cancel book tours and signings since the pandemic occurred. And, of course, libraries and bookstores are closed, so books are being purchased online.

For years, however, authors and publishers have been using bookplates to send to readers, either as a promotional item from their website, or to give to people in person. What could be easier than signing bookplates in advance and having them ready at book signings?

One of our longtime customers is an author and speaker. Jill Tietjen, who co-authored Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America, used bookplates for years for speaking engagements throughout the country. She signed the bookplates in advance and added a personal note when her book was purchased.
 
 
While in-person signings have now been canceled, more and more authors and publishers are using bookplates to continue to stay in touch with their readers. We have had several orders from loyal customer W.W. Norton & Company — a well-known independent and employee-owned publishing house — for their various authors. W.W. Norton has two of its own designs that Bookplate Ink prints. During this time of working from home we are of course, able to ship directly to the authors.
 
 
 
 
 
New York Times Bestselling author and former U.S. Navy Seal Jack Carr, who wrote Savage Son, True Believer and The Terminal List, recently re-ordered bookplates for True Believer. He sells the signed bookplates on his website at jackcarrusa.com and sends 100% of the profits to veteran focused foundations. This is a wonderful idea to connect with readers while supporting a great cause! He even has on his website these photos of a signed bookplate in his book and himself signing the plates.
 
 
Grove Atlantic, another well-known independent literary publisher, ordered some of our non-personalized border designs when they needed bookplates quickly for promotions for their authors. The one shown here, design N100, can be ordered both personalized and non-personalized. This art deco design is one of our most popular border designs. We have several more border designs suitable for signings by authors and speakers at bookplateink.com.
 
If you are an author — whether new or established — or a publishing company, we can help you! Feel free to call at 937-319-0067 or toll-free, 866-483-3830; or email info@bookplateink.com with questions or comments.

World Book Day and COVID-19

April 23, 2020

I’ll be honest. I really don’t like reading ebooks. And I find if difficult to concentrate listening to audiobooks, even though I love listening to podcasts. I read hard copy books, ones I can hold in my hands and take to the beach (back in the pre-COVID-19 days). I like books whose covers I can look at and whose pages I can flip through.

But as the owner of Bookplate Ink, audiobooks and ebooks are also a little scary and disappointing to me. And with the coronavirus pandemic, I have had some concern that people will start reading more ebooks. After all, libraries and many local bookshops are closed.

But there’s hope! Today is World Book Day, officially UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. As Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO said, “Books have the unique ability both to entertain and to teach. They are at once a means of exploring realms beyond our personal experience through exposure to different authors, universes and cultures, and a means of accessing the deepest recesses of our inner selves.” What better day to think about and act on that than today? If you’re like me, the state of the world today makes it all the more tempting and important to be able to escape into a good book.

Here at Bookplate Ink, we encourage people to celebrate World Book Day, any day really, by ordering hard copy books from an independent bookstore. Although bookstores are closed during this pandemic, many are still shipping books to customers. And by ordering from an independent store instead of Amazon, you will be supporting a small business that mostly likely really needs your help right now. You can find independent bookstores in your area at www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder, part of the website for the IndieBound, a resource for Independent local bookstores. If you can’t find a local bookstore that it shipping books, try Powell’s in Portland, Oregon, www.powells.com/, the world’s largest independent bookstore.

Here in Ohio, it is a rainy day today. Perfect for curling up with a good book!

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