Publications

Publications © Adrian Cheah

Take the hassle and stress out of your book design by letting us make your publication look the best it can be. The process of publication designing – selecting the correct typefaces for headings and paragraphs, page layout, photo editing and cover designing – is a learned skill that requires both book design skillfulness and knowledge of the printing process.


Never Forgetting Balik Pulau – exploring an alluring, rustic village in Penang across time

Josephine Choo
Photography, design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Never Forgetting Balik Pulau © Adrian Cheah

"Never Forgetting Balik Pulau" is part memoir, part guide. The author, after spending her entire youth in the village, accumulated a bagful of tales. Exploratory trips back gave credence to past memories but gradually, a comprehensive guide with maps to the village evolved.

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Enjoying the book "Never forgetting Balik Pulau"

Book review by Lillian Cheah
12 December 2020

A book was printed yesterday. Straight from the printers, the very first copy was delivered to me so that I could read and critique it.

Titled “Never Forgetting Balik Pulau”, this 176-page book is physically eye-catching, peppered very generously throughout with beautiful photographs many of which almost breathe life.

I was privy to the journey undertaken by the collaborators of the book – Josephine Choo and Adrian Cheah.

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In the Best of Company: Postcards from the Hajj

Mike Gibby
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

In the Best of Company: Postcards from the Hajj

Muslim pilgrims have been travelling for Hajj for more than fourteen centuries. How similar, how different have their experiences been? In our changing world, how has the safety and convenience of air travel changed the experience of Hajj?

Gathered here are the thoughts and concerns of Hajjis travelling over the last thousand years by trains, boats and planes, by camel, car or on foot – compared with the experiences of a recent pilgrim to Makkah.

This small book is an attempt to have a conversation with earlier generations of Hajjis, and attempts to answer questions about the changing nature of Hajj.

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Fraser’s Hill and Lewis J. Fraser of Singapore

R. H. Hale
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

Fraser’s Hill and Lewis J. Fraser of Singapore

When the name Fraser is mentioned in Singapore, most people ask ‘you mean Fraser & Neave?’ In this case, the answer is ‘No’.

The author’s rigorous historical research and superb narrative skills bring to life the fascinating story of the relatively unknown pioneer, Lewis J. Fraser. Born in Singapore in 1841, Fraser became a well-known and popular businessman there. But fickle markets and financial difficulties in the early 1880s resulted in a high-profile court case that brought his commercial downfall. Fraser was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment.

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The Armenians of Penang

Nadia H. Wright
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

The Armenians of Penang

Why is there an Armenian Street in Penang? This quaint, narrow street draws visitors from around the world but there is little to explain the legacy of Penang’s small, bygone Armenian population, after which it was named.

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Energy Revolution: Evolution or End of Humanity

N Gunananthan
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Energy Revolution: Evolution or End of Humanity

Our only limited resource in life is time
Possible extinction events are around the corner and we need technology and a greater understanding of energy to overcome extinction. But fortunately, just around the corner too, will be the greatest revolution ever for humanity, where energy will become free and opportunities will open up everywhere.

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Ireland ~ Penang: Bridging Friendships 

Maggie Territt and Barry Leddy
Design, layout and photographs by Adrian Cheah

Ireland ~ Penang: Bridging Friendships

They came, as long ago as the mid-nineteenth century from all parts of Ireland, the Emerald Isle, with exotic names like Clare, Laois, Cork, Mayo, Mallow, Antrim and Tipperary. They numbered among Penang’s first overseas settlers and during long voyages by sea, suffered untold hardships. Some came for fame and fortune, some simply for the adventure, but many did so, fired by their desire to help open up unknown parts of the “new world” and to impart both their knowledge and faith.

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Designing “Just for the love of it: Popular Music in Penang, 1930s–1960s”

Imagine the process of laying out a magazine and preparing the artwork for printing without desktop publishing capabilities. Everything was not at your fingertips and the world of graphic design involved Letraset font catalogues, Pantone charts, typesetting services, bromides, set squares, Cow Gum, paste-up work and films. Those were the good olde days of graphic design before the digital era took over.

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Regimes, diets and joys of life: A fatman’s journey to becoming an Ironman

N Gunananthan
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Regimes, diets and joys of life

Just like my journey towards financial freedom, my goal of getting healthy was not without its fair share of pitfalls. Through it all, as trite as it may sound, determination and goal-setting played a lead role in my success and they continue to assist me in my daily life. One of the reasons for this book is to address all the different emotions and thinking processes that took me through the several stages to getting healthy. I spent a lot of time in introspection, thinking about it, convincing myself; it took months, if not years.

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Galle Fort, World Heritage Site – a visitor's guide and illustrated walking tour

By Mark Thompson and Karl Steinberg
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Galle Fort, World Heritage Site

Galle Fort is one of Sri Lanka’s most glorious World Heritage Sites, and it promises to retain its charms and beauty for centuries more under the careful watch of its custodians. The challenges of development and mass tourism will be great but Galle Fort has faced many dramatic changes in its history: invasions, battles, colonisation, terrorist attacks, plague and even the most devastating tsunami since Krakatoa.

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Discover Penang's ‘island behind the hills’ in this memoir and guide

Book review by Andrea Filmer
The Star, Monday, 26 July 2021

Even with the country in lockdown, Balik Pulau has continued to receive a steady stream of visitors.

Coming in from the long, winding roads that connect the old town with the rest of Penang island, travellers now are not heading for the durian estates or famous laksa stalls.

Rather, most have their attention on their GPS devices, trying to make their way to the mega vaccination centre (PPV) at the Balik Pulau Sports Complex that has been administering hundreds of Covid-19 vaccines daily to those living in the state’s south-west district.

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The Armenians of Singapore: A Short History

Nadia H. Wright
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

The Armenians of Singapore

So small a community: so great a legacy!

Fewer than 750 Armenians have ever lived in Singapore, yet St Gregory’s Church, Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, the Straits Times newspaper and Raffles Hotel owe their existence to the pioneering Persian Armenians.

Who were these Armenians, what did they do and what happened to them?

This book throws light on those questions.

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The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history

Authors: Keith Hockton, Marcus Langdon
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

The Habitat Penang Hill: a pocket history

This handy, illustrated pocket guide tells the rich history of Penang Hill’s early bungalows as seen from the historic trail of The Habitat Penang Hill. It is not only an invaluable guide for those intending to walk The Habitat Penang Hill’s historic rainforest trail but also a useful keepsake for locals and visitors to Penang.

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Alana and The Secret Life of Trees at Night

Book One
by Keith Hockton
Illustrated by Winnie Cheng
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah, ACEK Creative Solutions

Alana and The Secret Life of Trees at Night

Trees are magical.

Trees tell stories, love, walk, dance and sing and have done so for thousands of years. When you start to think a tree is just a tree, think again, for at night their world comes alive and they get up to all sorts of secret tree business.

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From Sentul to Oxford: autobiography of Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam

Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam
Design and layout by Adrian Cheah

From Sentul to Oxford: autobiography of Dato’ Dr. R. Ratnalingam

I have written this brief autobiography not as an ego ride but as a source of information for my grandchildren. This gives them an insight into my background and their ancestral past. Hopefully, they can draw upon my success or avoid my mistakes and shortcomings.

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Just for the love of it: Popular Music in Penang,1930s–1960s

Authors: James Lochhead, Paul Augustin
Copy-editing by Gareth Richards
Cover design, layout and artwork by Adrian Cheah

Just for the love of it © Adrian Cheah

A beautifully designed book, extensively illustrated with photographs and advertisements and graphics ‘of the time’, is full of fun and celebration. The pages of "Just for the Love of It" weave together the adventure of Penang’s popular music by locating the wonderful stories of the musicians and the bands within the context of Penang’s overall history.

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George Town World Heritage Site: The story of the Chinese in nineteenth-century Penang

By Mark Thompson and Karl Steinberg with photographs by Adrian Cheah

George Town World Heritage Site: The story of the Chinese in nineteenth-century Penang

Walk between two of George Town’s most famous landmarks with this illustrated guide. Discover the story of the Chinese in nineteenth-century Penang and explore some of the community’s fascinating characters, customs, architecture and events.

For as long as it has existed, George Town in Penang has attracted travellers and settlers from across the globe and is a true confluence of cultures. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site continues to enchant visitors with its traditional charm and its well-preserved historical townscape.

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“Ireland – Penang: Bridging Friendships” book launch

Maggie Territt and Barry Leddy
Design, layout and photographs by Adrian Cheah

Ireland ~ Penang: Bridging Friendships book launch

Top photo from left: Mr. Declan Kelly with authors, Maggie Territt and Barry Leddy.

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Helen Ong's Great Dining in Penang

by Helen Ong

Helen Ong's Great Dining in Penang

Published by Helen Ong Publications
ISBN 983-4391-50-1
140 pages,18 x 25.3 cm
Year of publication: April 2008

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Postcards from a Foreign Country

by Yin
Cover design and layout by Adrian Cheah

Postcards from a Foreign Country

Published by East West Publishing Pty Ltd
13.2 x 20.8 cm, 246 pages
Year of publication: December 2008
Language: English
ISBN 978-0-9751646-5-5 

Job specifications:

  • Design and layout
  • Cover concept, design and photography

'Postcards from a Foreign Country' allows us a peek into the lives and times of both the expatriates and locals living during that time and their relationship with each other. It tells of the social mores and restrictions, prejudices and values of a time past when things were done differently. In many ways that were a foreign country.

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