The Smashing Pumpkins: Machina/The Machines of God

The special challenge of this design project was in the accuracy of its elements. The piece is intended to replicate the look and feel of an ancient alchemical journal. Historically correct typography, color palette and the use of extremely detailed illustrations had to be combined in a way that resembled a book from that era. To achieve the aged and well-handled feeling, we began by searching for dusty old volumes from used bookstores. Most of the interior pages of the booklet are re-photographed spreads from existing materials. The water-stained and aged yellowed pages were then retouched erasing the existing type allowing us a clean surface for our copy and illustrations. From the washed-out look of the black type to the intentional misregistration of second color type, every detail was intended to duplicate the printing capabilities that would have existed during that time period.