A closer look at our book design portfolio
April Sky Design invites you to explore our publishing services and self-publishing portfolio, where every project tells its own story. Our work includes hardback and paperback publications across non-fiction, children’s titles, illustrated editions, and coffee table books.
You’ll find examples of bespoke cover designs and custom page layouts, showcasing the range of our publishing solutions. Seeing real books in person helps you make confident decisions about your own project. Whether you’re a first-time author or returning client, our doors are open to view the library by appointment and experience the quality of our work.
Our previous projects
Balloo, Killinchy: A Hidden History, 2025
A beautiful, high-profile hardback book which was nominated for the Irish Print Awards. This full-colour book required a bespoke design to convey the historical material in an accessible manner. The book is 288 pages long and includes extensive footnotes and tables, which required great care when laying out. The book sold out within a few weeks and was reprinted.
Belfast Philharmonic Choir 150 Years, 2025
A celebration of 150 years of the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, this book had to be produced to a very high standard to match the choral excellence of the Philharmonic. The cover featured gold foil blocking, and the interior was a modern design that had to respect and do justice to the historical material.
3 Stories from the Mid-Tyrone Gaeltacht, 2023
Produced for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, this book consists of text in both Irish and English and, as such, required a very focused level of attention from our design team. The book is not only attractive but also a significant addition to Irish cultural scholarship.
Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking, 2023
A unique book was completed for several independent wool producers. This book required a complex layout with each breed given its own double-page spread. The result was a beautiful book showcasing one of Ireland’s lesser-known trades.
Architects of Ulster: WJ Barre, 2021
A high-profile hardback book was completed for Ulster Architectural Heritage. This full-colour book required great skill and attention to detail, thanks to the large number of superb images of historic buildings and the necessity to manipulate scans of historical documents to remove defects and correct colour fading. The book was very well-received.
Duffys and Duggans of Gortahork, 2022
Representing a significant piece of personal research by historian David Caldwell, this book explores a family from the Donegal downland of Gortahork and their achievements locally and across the world. The design required working with numerous historic images.
Wildflowers of Northern Ireland, 2022
Dr James Napier is a well-published biologist and author. This book is a testimony to his love of the flora of Northern Ireland. We designed the book with a full-colour, accessible style suitable for a reference title and to showcase Dr Napier’s beautiful photographs. We learnt a lot about our local wildflowers by assembling this title.
