The Landmark Thucydides Stamp
The leather test stamping for the first Castalia History book
One of the final steps before a book is bound is the test stamping. This is our last chance to be certain everything is correct with the brass stamp and check that the various cover elements line up correctly. A book cover, or “case”, is created, then a single stamp is made for our approval before the entire print run is stamped, the interiors are inserted into the leather cases, and the books are bound.
As you can see in the image above, the test stamping for THE LANDMARK THUCYDIDES was very successful. The complexity of the cover image, combined with the detailing on the History logo and the Spartan helmet on the spine, make this a relatively difficult stamp, but it clearly passed the test with flying colors.
All three text sizes show up clearly and cleanly on the cover. It’s good to see there is no sign of blurring at the edges, which is usually the sign of the dwell time being set a little too long. The reason the color appears to be a little different is just the lighting; this is the same piece of leather as the image at the top.
The big History logo at the top of the spine really makes the Castalia History books stand out on the shelves. Even the detailing of the vines in the frame are sharp; the only flaw is a bit of minor pinholing on the skull. All in all, an excellent result that we approved and means that the books will start being bound for shipping next week.
We expect to have a few extra books that will be made available for sale once we know exactly how many copies have been bound. However, please note that History subscribers will be given the first opportunity to buy them, followed by Library and Libraria subscribers.