Street Fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham once said, “We’re in the age of cookie-cutter sameness.” However, it doesn’t just apply to how people dress now, it has also befallen on books. To be precise, e-books.

“The death of print” is probably a statement that we heard one too many times. But is it really dead? For much of the e-books out there, the interaction between the content and user still relies heavily on how one would interact to a physical book – especially through the way one flips a page. Why the nostalgic adherence to print if it is already a thing of the past?

Fully Booked: Ink on Paper demonstrates how print can still be relevant and far from being out of touch in this digital era. Jim Stoddart, Creative Director for Penguin Books, said, “The most interesting thing of Fully Booked is it’s promoting books that are really creative, as a priority.” It is a collection of books and other printed products that showcases the creativity of print, be it in material, techniques or workmanship.

The book is divided into five parts, namely: The Storytellers, The Showmaster, The Teacher, The Businessman and The Collector. It illustrates how concepts, designs and innovations in print can alter and present new ways for the readers to experience their books.

Though print is nowhere near its death, Carolie-Bickford Smith, Book Cover Designer acknowledged that books  “have to work harder to justify their physical presence. And then there’s the e-book, the hybrid. We’re at a point where anything is possible. And we haven’t reached the answer yet. We haven’t found the ultimate e-book. It’s just all there to explore.” So until then, books are here to stay.

Check out Gestalten’s website for more interesting books.

Text by Julius Kensan