TESTIMONIALS

 

 

Jeff Lapides’ beautiful design of San Marino: A Centennial History places this book in a class by itself. His cover photo of San Marino’s iconic Old Mill is an irresistible invitation to today’s readers to join him and the author on a journey through time. In addition, Jeff is a wonderful colleague who is fun to work with, bringing a unique blend of artistry, patience, pragmatism, and humor to the creative process.

 

Ave Maria Bortz, chair, San Marino Centennial Book Committee and past president San Marino Historical Society

 

 

Jeff Lapides of First Water Design was a splendid colleague in the creation of our award-winning book,

San Marino: A Centennial History. As the author of the book, I relied on his impressive design skills in meshing illustrations with my text. He also located many of the historic images and photographed some current subjects. He was a tireless and resourceful partner in making our beautiful book, having both technical skills and an artist’s eye.

 

Elizabeth Pomeroy, author of San Marino: A Centennial History

 

 

I have worked with many designers, but never one who read every word of text and was completely dedicated to perfecting text/image alignment. He is an excellent photographer (he shot all the ephemera for the book) and always went the extra mile when we were searching for "just the right" existing image to best illustrate the text. We worked together for a couple years, and I've never found a more highly skilled, detailed oriented, and pleasant person with whom to collaborate.

 

Michele Zack, author of Southern California Story: Seeking the Better Life in Sierra Madre

 

 

I cannot imagine using any book designer other than Jeff Lapides and First Water Design.

 

Glen Owens, author/publisher, Big Santa Anita Historical Society, Monrovia, California

 

 

A Jeff Lapides designed book is truly a work of art. His juxtaposition of text and illustrations is pleasing to the eye and a pleasure to peruse.

 

John W. Robinson, author, Gateways to Southern California and Sierra Madre’s Old Mount Wilson Trail