It all began on a cold and wintery morning in January 2009.
Pinball Publishing was having a day of research and development to scheme up new print items to offer in the new year. During that session, the Pinball team combined years of production know-how and print design experience to produce a variety of prototypes. Some were flops, but the Scout Book emerged as the most compelling and versatile format. We had a winner.
We knew that pocket notebooks were useful and beloved items, but there weren’t many opportunities in the marketplace for custom pocket notebooks. It made sense to us that people would love the opportunity to create their own.
And so, the Make Your Own Scout Book was born. The beauty of the Scout Book is in its carefully selected materials, its hyper-efficient production format and its versatility.
Making good choices
All of our Scout Book papers are 100% recycled and sourced from paper mills in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest. By supporting domestic paper mills, we can help strengthen our local economy. By having our papers travel shorter distances to get here, we can lessen the impact that freight transport can have on the environment.
We print all Scout Books with vegetable-based inks made from plant oils like safflower, soy, corn and canola. Our inks are expertly milled and mixed right here in Portland.
The saddle stitch binding technique we use on all Scout Books is durable and cost-effective.
As accessible as possible
We want Scout Books to be accessible to everyone, and so we’ve engineered them to be super efficient in production. The paper, time and labor we save by having a hyper efficient format is passed along to you in the form of affordable pricing.
Each Scout Book interior is made using a single press sheet that is folded, stitched to a chipboard cover, trimmed and corner rounded. This method reduces paper waste and streamlines production.
Our online ordering system connects our craft manufacturing to the world, which we see as an amazing partnership between analog and digital.
Ultimate versatility
Since its modest beginnings as a simple pocket notebook, the Scout Book has grown to shine in multiple contexts and uses. We’ve had clients use these pocket-sized beauties as marketing tools, promotional gifts, retail products and more. And that’s just the Scout Book notebooks! We introduced custom interior printing in early 2010 and opened up a whole new world of micro publishing. The possibilities are now truly endless: the Scout Book is a powerful platform for publishing content of all kinds.
Thriving on collaboration
We’re fortunate to work with a fantastic cast of clients and collaborators. We strive to connect our creative network with exquisite printing, and from the beginning we’ve joined up with individuals and organizations in the design and business communities to create print products with impact.
Some of our creative partnerships include TEDx, PDX Pop Now!, Mount Hood Community College, AIGA Portland, AIGA Colorado, AIGA San Francisco, AIGA Chicago and Chicago Design Week, 826 National, and Willamette Week.
Our community of clients continues to grow daily. You can view a more comprehensive list of our clients and collaborators here. Perhaps we’ll have the pleasure of working with you next!
