Hello,
It’s been another non-stop month, but a mix of jet lag and work commitments has slowed me down more than I’d planned. I’ve not really even had time to make any social content with all the overtime at my 9 to 5. I’d secretly been hoping to launch PREST tomorrow, on the 1st of September, but with everything taking longer than expected, it’ll now be towards the end of the month. Not ideal, but I’m trying not to beat myself up about it. Things are moving in the right direction. Bit by bit it’s all coming together.
So, here’s what’s been in the works at PREST this month.
TLDR: Packaging finalised. Website dragging. Collaboration coming. Trading skills.🎁 All wrapped up
The packaging design is now locked in. That means boxes, tape, stickers, wrapping and bags are all ready to go. Every detail has been thought about, and the whole system is recyclable with no single-use plastic. Not always easy when you’re shipping paper products that don’t like moisture. To avoid wrapping anything in plastic, I’ve sourced a smooth, glossy paper called glassine. It’s air, water and grease resistant, without a plastic coating like a lot of protective papers have. Traditionally it’s used in fine bookbindings to protect illustrations, so you know it’s the good stuff.
👨🏻💻 One week turned into three
The website has been my biggest time sink. I’d given myself one week to build it. Now, nearly three weeks later, and I’m still at it. I’ve written far more custom code than I intended, refining lots of small details that (hopefully) make it feel less like a templated Big Cartel site. It’s meant late nights and plenty of head scratching, but it’s starting to feel closer to what I imagined.
💌 Something extra
For our first batch of exercise books, I wanted to include a little something extra. Something special. I’m working with award-winning illustrator Ian Morris on a limited edition Risograph postcard that will be included with every order. I won’t give away too much yet, but there’s a sneak peek below. I’ll be sharing an interview with Ian on the website soon too, with more about his process and our collaboration. My hope is to make this a tradition with each batch, inviting different makers to contribute and giving you something new to discover each time. If you’re interested in creating a postcard for the next batch, drop me a message.
🗃️ An exchange of skills
As part of my collaboration with Ian, I’ll be making portfolio boxes in return for his illustration. They’re hand-built, cloth-bound boxes designed to house and protect his prints. Bootstrapping PREST and covering the cost of everything myself means budgets are tight. Sometimes you have to get creative. So you look at what you can trade instead. For me, it’s time and craft in box making. For Ian, it’s his eye and hand as an illustrator. This kind of exchange feels true to what PREST is about. Not money changing hands, but makers supporting each other and finding ways to make more together. There’s a 3D render of the box design below. More on this next month.
