* For elegance and legibility, Leigh McLellan is the best book designer I know.
—She's also a pleasure to work with—pleasant, meticulous, and extremely organized.
—I, for one, appreciate it when she's got my back.
— —Gail Saari, Publications Director, The Independent Institute
—— (and formerly of Backbeat Books and CMP Media)

* We don't freelance out much work but Leigh is always first on our list for interior
—layouts. She's experienced, fast, punctual, and can take complicated materials
—and make a lovely layout within specs given to her. Her files are problem-free,
—which makes me and the printers extremely happy!
— —Diane Lee, Production Editor, Heyday Books

* Leigh McLellan is a consummate design and production professional. Her broad
—knowledge and experience in the book-making world have contributed to her
—wonderful eye and composition sense. You can't miss working with Leigh.
— —Mary Hazelwood, Production Editor, formerly of Jossey-Bass, Inc.

* Leigh McLellan is a highly competent and conscientious book and graphic
—designer. Our authors have been very happy with her work, and she is very
—good at ensuring excellent communications among all key stakeholders.
—Great results, personable, high integrity.
— —Johanna Vondeling, Vice-President for Editorial and Digital, Berrett Koehler Publishers

* Leigh McLellan has consistently designed and paged books with unmatched
—skill and excellence for me over the last ten years. I am always confident
—that she will come up with creative solutions for the tricky spots in any project.
—She is the one I turn to for the most difficult and important books.
— —Dawn Kilgore. Senior Production Editor, Pfeiffer, an imprint of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

* Leigh takes my phone calls, makes sense of my ideas, and translates them
—quickly to the web. What more could a traveling artist and workshop teacher want?
— —Georgette Freeman, book artist

Back to the top• Home • Endorsements • Design Awards • About

20152 Deepening Community: Finding Joy Together in Chaotic Times.
2 2013 Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. Adult Trade Book Non-illustrated,
2 2013 Bronze Award. 2015 PubWest Book Design Awards

20132 Essential Art: Native Basketry from the California Indian Heritage Center
2 2013 Foundation and California State Parks. Heyday.
2 2013 43rd Annual Publishing Professionals Network Book Show

2012 2New California Writing 2012. Heyday.
2 2013 42nd Annual Publishing Professionals Network Book Show

2011 2Jo Mora: California Cowboy & Artist. The Book Club of California.
22 013 41st Annual Bookbuilders West Book Show

20102 Share This! How You Will Change the World with Social Networking.
2 2013 Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. 40th Annual Bookbuilders West Book Show

20062 Leader to Leader. Quarterly journal. Jossey Bass, Inc.
2 2013 Apex Award for Design and Layout, shared with Sackett Design Associates,
2 2013 who designed the first issue. Issues 2–40 were composed by Leigh McLellan,
2 2013 including layout, design of new elements, ads, and technical illustration.

1988 2Hawai'i One Summer: 1978. Prose by Maxine Hong Kingston. Meadow Press.
2 2013 Bookbuilders West Book Show

22 013 Hawai'i One Summer: 1978. Prose by Maxine Hong Kingston. Meadow Press.
2 2013 Western Books Exhibition, The Rounce and Coffin Club, Los Angeles

1986 2Blank Country. Poems by Debora Gregor. Meadow Press.
22 013 Western Books Exhibition, The Rounce and Coffin Club, Los Angeles

2 2013 A Sky Empty of Orion. Poems by Laura Jensen. Meadow Press.
22 013 Western Books Exhibition, The Rounce and Coffin Club, Los Angeles

1985 2A Sky Empty of Orion. Poems by Laura Jensen. Meadow Press.
22 013 Bookbuilders West Book Shows

1983 2Shaving at Night. Poems by Charles Simic. Meadow Press.
2 2013 Bookbuilders West Book Show

2 2013 Shaving at Night. Poems by Charles Simic. Meadow Press.
2 2013 Western Books Exhibition, The Rounce and Coffin Club, Los Angeles

2 2013 Learning to Read. Poems by Patricia Kirkpatrick. Meadow Press.
2 0213 Western Books Exhibition, The Rounce and Coffin Club, Los Angeles

1981 2Dead Color. Poems by Charles Wright. Meadow Press.
2 2013 Bookbuilders West Book Show

2 2013 Sensing. Poems by Sandra McPherson. Hardbound. Meadow Press.
2 2013 Bookbuilders West Book Show

Back to the top• Home • Endorsements • Design Awards • About

Leigh McLellan began her graphic design career as a student at the University of Iowa. There she designed books for the university press while learning letterpress printing and bookbinding, as well as designing posters for poetry and prose readings. In 1977, she moved to San Francisco and shortly began designing textbook front and back matter and learning dummying and layout of complex textbooks. Over the years, she has worked for many of the major publishers in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as a number of self-publishers. Currently she works for small to medium-sized trade book publishers and many individuals. She has taught design, typography, and letterpress printing at the San Francisco Center for the Book, the Bookbuilders West Crash Course in Book Production, Mills College, and the University of California at Berkeley, among others.

From 1974 to 1990, Leigh operated Meadow Press. Her letterpress work can be seen at http://www.meadowpressbooks.com.