Since I jumped back into my business I have been on the hunt for books that are affordable and durable. As a mom, I know that unless it comes in a board book style, it wouldn’t survive ONE look through in this house. There are so many choices when designing a book, and honestly, it can be quite daunting. In an effort to make things easier for my clients, as well as myself, I’ve decided that throughout this coming year I am going to review a number of different books. That being said, here is the first  post in this Product series.

I have seen a lot of advertisements for Artisan State and have wanted to try them. Since most people are on a budget, their affordable little black book was something I was immediately drawn to. The board style, and lay flat pages too of course, but more importantly, the price. Their books start at $20 for a 20 page 5 x 7 book, and come in a variety of cover choices. With the holidays coming, I thought what a better way to try them out than to make some nice gifts for the family. I went with their signature ‘black book’ that they offer, in the 8 x 8 size. Although they do offer a free design service with as many revisions as you like, I chose to custom design each book myself. A word to the wise – this kind of work can be time consuming, so be prepared. No matter the time you spend on it, Artisan State’s  user friendly web based interface streamlines the process to make changes quick and simple.

You can learn all about their products here. Below are some shots of the books I made.

Only thing I noticed with these books was that the color quality seemed to be a bit saturated. Could have been the run of books, or the fact that it was Christmas week, who knows. But I will of course keep this in mind in the future when I send other books to them. Overall, this company offers an economical book solution for the budget conscience client.

Oh, and everyone loved their gifts too. 🙂