Yesterday I saw the first set of proofs from the printer for my upcoming book Time and Space on the Lower East Side–they look amazing. The color is spot on with no loss of vibrancy. Having looked at lots of photo books and done my own color prints for some 30 years, I have to say I’ve rarely seen printing this good.

My publisher Bill Diodato and I went over each image individually and picked out about 20 for minor adjustments in density (light/dark). We’ll look at one more set of proofs and then go to the final printing.

The images above show the finished cover design with yellow and magenta accenting added on the front, back, and spine. The limited edition slipcovers will have the same magenta and yellow.

We also received a blank dummy from the printer to get a feel for the size, materials and workmanship. The sewn binding was beautifully done and the pages lie very flat. Holding the dummy also confirmed my sense that 9×12 inches is a good size for these images. It is spacious enough to provide plenty of detail, but not too large for comfortably holding in one’s lap.

At this point we are on schedule for an early March arrival of the books, but I may not have a hard date until we approve the second round of proofs. I should have more updates soon. Stay tuned!