Beyond Books and Screens

A Collaborative Journey: Creating a Moveable Book for The Movement of Books Exhibit

Christine and Tex crafted a mechanical book for Dot Porter’s The Movement of Books exhibit, showcasing their collaboration and creativity. The exhibit runs from August 30 to December 13, 2024.

Moveable book

Our outstanding colleagues from the Education Commons, Christine and Tex, have been hard at work for the past few weeks, pouring their creativity and effort into building a mechanical book for Dot Porter’s The Movement of Books exhibit. This fascinating exhibition delves into the many ways books can move—both physically and conceptually. 

We aimed to create an engaging and interactive piece that would resonate with the exhibit's theme. As we embarked on this project, we quickly realized it was a tremendous learning experience. Neither of us had attempted something like this before, but we embraced the challenge and leaned into our collaboration. The process began with the design phase, where we conceptualized the character that would inhabit our book. Once we finalized our design, we utilized a laser cutter to bring our vision to life. 

 

Cutting Techniques: Vector Cutting and Raster Engraving 

We employed two cutting techniques that are essential for creating intricate designs: 

  1. Vector Cutting: This technique is ideal for cutting out shapes. It allows for clean, precise lines, making it perfect for creating the outlines of our characters and book structure. 

process
  1. Raster Engraving: This technique operates similarly to a printer and is best for engraving detailed images. The laser moves from left to right and top to bottom, burning off the top layer of the material to create intricate images and textures. (Just like the text content.)

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These advanced technologies enabled us to create precise cuts and engravings, resulting in a beautifully crafted book that showcases our character. The intricate mechanism hidden beneath its pages sets our moveable book apart. We engineered a wheel system that controls the character's movements, making the book come alive as visitors interact with it. This dynamic feature adds an exciting layer to the storytelling aspect of the exhibit, inviting viewers to engage with the book in a whole new way. 

In addition to the cutting techniques, we also tinted the wood to enhance the visual appeal of our moveable book. The careful application of color adds depth and texture to the design, bringing out the wood's natural grain while highlighting specific elements of the book. This subtle coloring technique allowed us to give the piece a more vibrant and polished finish, adding to the overall storytelling experience.

The combination of precise laser cutting, detailed engraving, and thoughtful coloring has resulted in a unique, interactive creation that draws viewers in visually and mechanically. The experience of creating this moveable book has inspired us to explore new ideas and projects that further push the boundaries of how we think about books and their movements. 

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finished book

 

Christine Made Moveable book

Stay tuned for more updates as our work continues to evolve! The Education Commons will continue to create great things. Feel free to contact us in the future—under your imagination, you can create anything with the Education Commons! As we look to the future, we are excited about the possibility of more collaborations with our collections.

We’re thrilled to announce that the outcome will be exhibited in the Goldstein Gallery from August 30 to December 13, 2024. This exhibition is free and open to the public, located on the 6th floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays).

Access Information: Penn faculty, staff, and students must swipe their PennCard for access. Visitors from outside the Penn community must present a current, valid government or school-issued photo ID that contains an expiration date. Find more information to plan your visit! 

Moveable Book Exhibition

Authors

Date

October 8, 2024

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