Poland, 28.01.2024
Ania Nałęcka-Milach, a renowned photobook designer and photo editor, has been creating award-winning works under the name Tapir Book Design since 2009. Her impressive portfolio features a wealth of remarkable photobooks, many of which are printed fully or partially on Munken papers to elevate their visual and tactile appeal. Step into her world of books and design and learn why premium paper plays a vital role in bringing her artistic vision to life.
What inspires you?
I am deeply inspired by fellow photobook designers and the broader universe of book design. I find myself particularly influenced by children’s books. In these, the tale is told through images, and the physical form of the book itself plays a significant role in storytelling. I strongly identify these traits with photobooks.
But most of all, my strongest inspiration and guidance come from the Story itself and its Author. Recently, I’ve begun the process by focusing on the story before I even start designing. In many cases, my involvement begins at the editing stage – selecting photos and arranging them in a more or less narrative order. Deciding what is to be told and how it is to be told is central. The whole process is really about storytelling, from conceptual structure to form, where the form (design) becomes a logical consequence of the story itself.
What does paper mean to you?
In my experience, paper interprets the image and helps tell the story.
We are becoming increasingly accustomed to viewing images on screens of all kinds. So today, printing an image is no longer primarily about distribution – it has, to some extent, become a statement. I am fascinated by the fact that photographers are no longer chasing “screen quality” in print. Some are even open to using the texture of the paper as part of the final image (“Presentiment”), which I deeply appreciate.
I love that all shades of white – and even colored papers – are strongly present in
photobooks, as well as the entire range of paper thicknesses, from newsprint (“Strike”) or scritta paper to cardboard, like in children’s books (“Nearly Every Rose on the Barriers in Front of the Parliament”). Or like in “OVER,” which uses a range of Munken Lynx paper from 400 gsm to 100 gsm, where the story revolves around escaping gravity and a love for flying.
The tactile aspect of paper, its flexibility or stiffness while turning pages, guides the reader and helps establish the mood and pace of the story.
What are you up to right now?
I continue my fascinating journey through the world of photobooks, still learning and discovering new dimensions of visual storytelling. 2025 is already fully planned for me, with projects for individual photographers and institutions, spanning both modern works and archival or historical research.
I’m also looking forward to the workshops I’ll be co-running with my husband. These meetings with artists, conducted in a sort of laboratory setting, are saturated with creativity and discoveries. Although physically demanding, they are always refreshing and inspiring for me.
