RECENT ADDITIONS
Dan and Darlene taught and encouraged me so much in this new process to help ensure that my first book would be a success.
They were always available to assist me in this new journey.
Having been encouraged to paint the dishes, I decided to take the deep dive and paint the entire pages, including variegated backgrounds, as well as completely hand-lettered menus. However, when I showed them to my extremely talented Francesca, she recommended that I make the backgrounds a consistent plain cream color. Happily, this was no problem for Dan, who had extensive experience with Adobe Photoshop®. He first extracted the dishes and put them on separate layers. Though he started by adjusting the colors and contrast to obtain black letters on white, this resulted in the hand-drawn letters looking quite jagged. So, then Dan suggested that he could convert my hand-written letters into a computer font.
I was very impressed with how well his custom font emulated the look of my own letters. And I was VERY relieved that I wouldn't have to keep drawing all of the letters. I also realized that the font would allow me to have my office girls help me type in everything for other new cookbooks I planned to make, so that I could concentrate more on just painting the dishes.

Once Dan and Darlene delivered the finished "font-bearing" pages, I realized that Dan was right, and that the pages looked EVEN BETTER than they did with my hand-drawn lettering!
They also had lots of other creative ideas which made me feel like I had partners to throw thoughts to.  They were not only attentive  and on time but truly caring  and excited to work with me.

I have already recommended them to others and can’t wait to start my second book with them!
—Mimi Aiello, author, Mama Mimi's Cook Book
I recently finished my first book.  I had no prior experience with self-publishing, but a friend of mine recommended Darlene and Dan Swanson, who are owners of Van-Garde Imagery. I received expert guidance from Darlene and I am very pleased with the interior and exterior design of my book. Darlene and Dan’s level of expertise and professionalism exceeded my expectations. I sent Darlene many requests for corrections that I wanted to make in the manuscript, and she quickly and efficiently returned the proof with the changes for me to review. She also assisted me in figuring out the technical in’s and out’s of the publishing platform. My book is now scheduled for release on 3/1/25. If you have publishing needs, I highly recommend Darlene and Dan Swanson!
Douglas Howerton, Author of A Farewell to Farms: Reflections on a Transplanted Life
Larry Jon Davis and I have worked with Van-garde Imagery to produce two children’s picture books: Last Pick and Norma Jean. Originally recommended by another local author, we could not be more pleased with the way both books turned out. We regularly receive high praise at shows and book signings about the quality of the work. As a writer, I am very pleased with the pagination and with the way the text appears on the pages. Larry’s images make the words come to life and Van-Garde did a wonderful job of making them fit with specific passages from the text.
Darlene is a pleasure to work with. She is patient and displays tremendous attention to detail. When we ask, no request is too small to accommodate or consider. In short, she is a pro to work with, and we would highly recommend Van-Garde to any author/illustrator looking to produce a book. Outstanding!
—Joel O. Estes, Author, Last Pick and Norma Jean
Dan and Darlene were a pleasure to work with: responsive, professional and committed to getting the book just right. The layout and cover looked great and my book, a local hiking guide, was the number one bestseller that year at our local bookstore for 2023..
—Elizabeth Saito, author Walking Falmouth
Even before I saw the quality of her work, I was relieved when I found Darlene Swanson at Van-Garde Imagery. I knew I wanted a beautiful book but the journey to get there was more frustrating and time-consuming than I expected.
People wanted to tell me what I wanted instead of listening to what I wanted. They insisted something couldn’t be done because they didn’t know how to do it. They quoted me “rush” fees to get to my book in two and a half months instead of the three-month wait they said was normal. They put ridiculous clauses in unnecessary contracts. They ... well, you get the idea.
From the first contact I had with her, Darlene was straightforward and nononsense. Working with her was a dream. Not that the transition from manuscript to book was seamless or even easy. I don’t have those skills. But now I had a partner. I was finally confident I’d found who I needed and made the right choice.
That’s when the surprise happened. I fully expected that I would get good work from Darlene. What I got instead was great work. The book is gorgeous. From the covers to the fonts to the chapter numbers ... everything is skilled and classy and respectful of my vision. Exactly like Darlene herself.
—Alice Vachss, author OBaaT
Please accept my sincere thanks and I am happy to announce to others how pleased I am to work with you.
What an absolute joy to work with this talented couple. Dan and Darlene Swanson’s expertise knows no bounds. Working with them over ZOOM, on the phone, and via e-mail, I got to know their dedication to their work, and they got a feel for me and my book and what I wanted to convey. I’m so proud of the result.
I had an idea for a book cover, which Dan expertly entertained, but the picture I wanted to use didn’t excite me as much as I thought it would. I then let Dan loose to work his magic. I should have given him free rein from the start. I gasped when he revealed it to me.
Darlene designed my book interior beautifully, incorporating pictures and artwork to personalize it in a way I never imagined. I requested a canoe paddle icon between sections, so she asked me for a picture of a paddle for reference. I sent her a picture of my paddle, and that’s what is there – not just an icon but MY very own paddle. Incredible.
Dan and Darlene are personable, patient, gifted craftspeople. They won’t let you go until you are completely thrilled.
—Nancy DeWitte Condon, author, Paddle For Water
Darlene and Dan were fantastic! As a first-timer, I needed a lot of guidance on publishing a memoir. Darlene listened to my overall wishes, and then she provided me with various options. She was kind and patient and explained each step along the way. Dan took my very basic ideas for the cover and made it into exactly what I had imagined. Both of them were highly attentive to my needs, and they turned my project into something beautiful. I highly recommend their services!
—Valerie Ward, author, The Windng Path to Me
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