Custom Portfolios for Creatives

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Portfolio Boxes for Designers, Architects, & Photographers

Why is a custom portfolio right for you? In this day and age the packaging is just as important as the product inside -- first impressions separate the wheat from the chaff.

Whether you are a seasoned professional or a student entering the workforce, the best way to feature your body of work is with a presentation piece made especially to house it. 

Open Bookcloth Clamshell for Long Stitch Album

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Memory Box with Custom Compartments

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Navy Clamshell for Winery

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Portfolio with Cedar Cover Coptic Bound

Also key to your presentation are high quality prints of your work. We work exclusively with experts Pushdot Studio and Stevens IS for our clients' digital printing needs.

Contact us with any questions about the materials we source, optional add-ons, or any other ideas you might have that will distinguish your work as the crème de la crème. We are happy to assist you in the pursuit of your dream job!

"I got an internship with the very first firm I applied to because of the awesome work you guys did on my portfolios."

- Matt F.

Heirloom Photo Presentation Box

A Personal, Timeless Gift

We were recently asked to build an incredible keepsake for a former First Lady. What an honor. Our client wanted to collect photos of the First Lady's experiences around the world, and preserve them in an archival, handmade album. Since the photos were going to be large and many, we ultimately chose to build a clamshell box. The box provides a stunning way to showcase the photos, and allows the viewer to hold and experience each photo individually.

Watching the First Lady carefully view each photo and talk about the experience it represented was truly memorable. We were so thankful to work on this, and to have a client who values and supports our craft. Thank you also, to Pushdot Studio, for their incredible work on the image printing.

View Custom Work • Shop Clamshell Boxes • More About Boxes

Clamshell Boxes

Clamshell boxes (sometimes known as Solander cases) are book-form cases traditionally used to store precious books, manuscripts, maps, and are often used by archivists and libraries. Our clamshell boxes provide a stunning display element for your albums and books, and also protect their contents from dirt, dust, and light. We make them in all of our cloth colors, and you can order them with or without a personalized letterpress printed plaque.   

An example of a custom clamshell box built to display fine letterpress invitations:

What are slipcases? Shop Clamshell Boxes {Contact us to inquire about custom-sized clamshell boxes.}

What about boxes?

When we think about bookbinding, the first thing we think about is often books. But handmade boxes are a wonderful treasure  in their own right. One of our favorite structures, the Clamshell Box, has been used historically to preserve or present documents or photographs. Here at HSS we've created clamshells for a variety of purposes. Have a look: The same box, two different looks and purposes. The first functions as the library box for descriptions of Archery Summit's finest wines. The second is our own travel-size portfolio.

A personal project, this clamshell box is the home for a sonata written by Molly's grandfather.

Some variations on the clamshell box. The first shows a box fitted with an internal drawer and an album that fits above. The second is, well, just a really BIG version made to hold a selection of prints for amazing photographer Toni Greaves.

Our friend, photographer Lincoln Barbour, asked us to make a case for his wooden-covered portfolio (created by another company.) A clamshell box designed to coordinate (that includes an attached postcard pocket) works perfectly.

You can also see clamshell boxes sized to house our albums in our store. Or contact us to make one especially for you!