ng such wonderful progress
during the last five years, and at one time seriously threatened
lithography as a medium for the reproduction of certain classes of
colored illustrations.

Our experience teaches us, however, that the surface or lithographic
and the relief or typographic method will never seriously interfere
with each other, but on the contrary by actively competing in all
matter relating to the reproductive art will continue to improve their
respective methods, and thus enable them to satisfy the continually
increasing demands on the part of the public for colored
illustrations, not only as to the quantity but particularly as to the
quality thereof.

COVER DESIGNING

By Amy Richards.

So many books of the present day have decorative book covers
especially designed to fit each book that many people who buy the
books are beginning to ask what suggests these designs and how they
are executed.

Having made book-cover designs for a number of years, I have been
asked to write a practical account of how these book covers are made,
which will give an answer to some of these questions. This account
will have no bearing on the designs used on hand-bound books with
their beautiful "tooled" covers. These are a different branch of the
art altogether from the so-called "commercial bindings" which I am
about to describe. The designs for these tooled covers are as a rule
made by the same hands that bind the books.

Every year hundreds of books are published that need "commercial" book
covers. In many cases these covers are used to help sell the book;
that is, they must be attractive enough to draw attention to the book
as it lies on the counter in the bookshops and other places where the
book is on sale.

Some publishers have artists, regularly employed, to make their own
designs exclusively; but as a rule each publisher keeps in touch with
a number of designers, sending for one or the other as the needs of a
particular book require. When a design is needed, the particular sort
of cover required is discussed with the publisher, the number of
colors that can be used is mentioned, also the exact dimensions of the
book and the material to be used in binding the book. Almost every
designer prefers to read the manuscript of the book, if possible, or
to have a synopsis of it, for, naturally, he can make a much more
suitable and successful cover if he has a complete idea of the subject
of the book.

Having read