A Pocket Placard

This week’s project is my contribution to the #AreYouBookEnough_Protest challenge.

In a time when it seems to be necessary to protest multiple things on multiple occasions, I thought a portable placard would be a good idea. Unlike most protest signs, which are bulky and can be awkward to transport from place to place, this one fits in your pocket.

To make your own pocket placard, print out the pdf. I used 176 gsm/65 lb card stock, but if you have a heavier weight, that would be better. Score all the dotted and dashed lines, then cut out the parts along the solid lines, including the slit that goes halfway up the middle of the square panel. If your card stock feels floppy, you can add a second layer to stiffen it. Cut four squares to fit the quadrants of the placard and glue in place. Be sure to leave a small gap at each fold so the placard will close neatly.

Pierce the centre of the black pivot hole on the square, then fold the bottom tabs together and pierce through both layers.

Fold the handle strips in half along the scored line, then pierce in the centre of the circle through both layers.

Put a handle strip over one side of the square and put a pin through all the layers to check the alignment. The handle should be centred across the split in the lower half of the square. If it isn’t, make a new hole through some or all of the layers to correct the position. Repeat with the other handle. Glue the handle strips shut. You can reverse the fold first if you want to hide the printing.

Cut small crosses centred on each pinhole, then cut away a small bit at the centre. (The hole on the left below shows the first rough cutting.)

Use a tapered awl or something similar to round and smooth the hole so that you can mount eyelets to attach the handles.

Here’s a picture of the first eyelet in place. (Note that the vertical side of the handle is not flush with the cut, but a little bit inset.) One handle strip attaches to the front of the placard, the other to the back. Make sure that the shorter handle is attached to the flap that will fold it to the inside.

If you don’t have any eyelets on hand, this post shows some alternatives.

Cut and fold your Yes and No squares. To use your placard, rotate the handles 180º into position below the bottom of the square and attach one word square, text side exposed, on the front of your placard and the other on the back, text hidden. Attaching both adds extra stability and also keeps all the parts together. I used mini binder clips, but you could use large paper clips.

Of course, you can substitute a blank piece of paper for the text. In many countries this apparently is all that is required to get people arrested.

When your protest is done, rotate the handles and fold up the placard, tucking your folded Yes and No signs inside and fasten shut with the clips. (The clips fit over the whole depth of the fold. Paper clips will only hold a couple of layers each.)

If you want additional protection for your placard while it is in your pocket, you could make a 3D envelope or a four-sided wrapper for it.

If you enjoyed today’s project, you can help support the blog here.   ; ]

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My other big project for the week was another kusudama for the 2022 Advent Calendar. Here’s the trial model,

and here’s a sneak peek at the final version.

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In other book arts news:

The Type Directors’ Club series for 2022 is Ezhishin and focuses on the Native typographic experience. Read more about it in this article.

(Image is a work by Joi T Arcand.)

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Artist’s book design meets high end printing processes: you can have a closer look here.