Publishing Design

Edita Chew En Thung / 0357357

Publishing Design / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 1, 2, 3  

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Table of Content

1. INSTRUCTIONS

2. LECTURES

3. EXERCISES
4. TASK 2

5. TASK 3

6. FEEDBACK

7. REFLECTION

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INSTRUCTIONS

fig 1.0 | Module Information Booklet (MIB)

Throughout the beginning and the middle of the semester, exercises will be prescribed at various phases of the module.  These exercises will aid & benefit us in our quest to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in book design that will inform us whilst completing various phases of the module’s tasks. All exercises prescribed are to be completed & documented (labelled, clean, clear & concise) in our eportfolio.  The exercises are as follows:  1) Text formatting  2) Mock-up making  3) Signature folding systems (8+8=16)  4) Classical Grid structure  5) Determining Grids  6) Form & Movement Exercises (Thumbnail)  • 1 Colour  • 2 Colour  • 2 Colours + Image  • Colour + Image + Text  LECTURES derived from Mr Vinod's videos Publishing Design : Formats Introduction to Publishing Design The semester extends previous typography expertise by teaching advanced typography methods that benefit publishing design applications. Students learn to combine typography alongside layout design elements with visual material while practicing experimental ways to create forms. Types of Publications Information reaches wide audiences through publications such as books newspapers magazines and websites which serve different mass media functions. The instructional program examines books because they represent prominent publications for worldwide publishing distribution. Designing Books Designers create book formats through three determining aspects which include selecting the right audiences for their content and then designing visual elements and choosing the physical aspects of books such as bindings and papers. The target audience size determines how publishers format their content through selection of materials as well as book bindings and paper types. Historical Context of Book Formats This course analyzes progressive developments in record-keeping systems and publishing infrastructure through historical studies of Mesopotamia and Egypt and China. Advancements in technology have been reflected through book format changes starting with clay tablets progressing to palm leaf manuscripts before the emergence of paper . Materials Used in Book Production Civilisations of antiquity used clay tablets palm leaves and papyrus as their initial recording materials but maintained their record-keeping activities through their accessible local resources. The European adoption of parchment created transformative effects on bookmaking which resulted in longer-lasting readable documents . History of Print Historical Context of Book Formats The course traces the development of various book structures through time within numerous civilizations starting from Mesopotamia and Egypt and ending with China while it examines the recording materials and publishing processes . The evolution of book formats follows technological progress beginning with clay tablets evolving into palm leaf manuscripts and culminating in the development of paper . Early Developments in Printing Printing techniques developed during the second to eighth century AD through significant advancements throughout East Asia. A single-page Sutra from Korea became the first recorded printed document in 750 AD. The Emperor of China ordered the stone carving of Confucian classics during 175 AD creating early forms of printing. Innovations in East Asia Korea made history in the 14th century by building a foundry to make bronze type which led to improved printing processes. Europe followed with Gutenberg's printing press in the 15th century after this groundbreaking innovation had been established. Gutenberg and the Western Printing Revolution During 1439 Johannes Gutenberg implemented Europe's first practical printing machine through his movable type system. Gutenberg introduced the advancement of metal type together with his innovation that allowed printing clicks with controlled pressure. During 1456 Gutenberg's printing press produced its first major book which arrived in the form of the Gutenberg Bible. Impact of Printing on Society The printing press made books less expensive to produce while becoming accessible to everyone this ultimately spread literacy throughout Europe. Advancements in printing technology during the Industrial Revolution enabled precise engineering as well as the development of contemporary printing methods .

EXERCISES

We are to follow the videos tutorials to better grasp the idea on how the basic publishing process is.

Exercise : 1

fig 1.1

Bigger than A5 smaller than A4, this exercise is trying to find the find fit for the size, which size that feels right to the touch, look and feel.

Exercise : 2

fig 1.2, 1.3, 1.4

1. Understanding Signatures

Signature in a book design means a group of pages gathered together; usually 16 pages. This structure holds great importance for binding. 

When having an idea of designing a book, the total pages that are written in the book must be all divisible by 4 to avoid wastage so that the signatures can fit together perfectly. 

2. Page Count & Divisibility

There should be a page count for every signature, divisible by sixteen (e.g. 16, 32, 48 pages). Otherwise, you can add pages one increment of four at a time (e.g. 16 + 4, 16 + 8). 

This requirement allows for efficient use of paper and proper binding. 

3. Folding and Page Arrangement

The process starts with the folding of a huge sheet of paper (e.g., A1) into the smaller sizes (A2, A3, A4). Every fold comes up with a new size, culminating at the size of the book. 

Pages within a signature are organized not sequentially. there is some formula for placement of pages. For instance, page 1 may be on one side, while page 16 is on the other side. 

4. Printing and Binding Process

Large sheets of pages are printed and folded into signatures. After printing, these signatures are sewn together, trimmed at the edge to form a finished book. 

The stitching takes place prior to any trimming to make sure that the pages remain intact and together. 

5. Practical Exercise

As an exercise, an example of folding and binding process is introduced such that the students can handle paper folding and pages ordering to gain a better insight into their layout in signature. 

Exercise 3

fig 1.5

The first objective stated is to draw a diagonal line from one corner of the page to the other opposite corner. This lays the foundation of guideline to the design process. After this, the instructor stresses the necessity of drawing another diagonal line on the page forming an interworking structure. This is an important step to make as it will serve as a foundation for other design elements. 

Then, the instructor begins to draw a diagonal line from the bottom left corner of the sheet to the middle of the page and vice versa, thereby constructing a cross pattern similar to the Scottish flag. This visual tool makes it easier for viewers to visualize the spatial organization and layout that is being produced. 

These initial lines create a context for the next design steps that demonstrates the value of structure in the designing process.

Exercise 3A

fig 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 Digital Van de Graaff

1. Setting Up the Document:

- Begin by creating a new document in InDesign with the specified page size (e.g, 180 mm by 243 mm) and set it to two columns. Ensure that facing pages are turned on for proper layout. 

2. Page Arrangement:

- Adjust the pages so that they are aligned correctly. This can be done by selecting both pages and allowing them to shuffle, which will help in positioning them side by side. 

3. Creating the Grid Framework:

- Draw diagonal lines to establish intersecting points on the page. It is important to ensure that the stroke width is set correctly to make the lines visible. 

4. Adjusting Margins and Columns:

- Adjust the layout margins and columns to ensure that the text fits well within the grid. This includes fine-tuning the top, bottom, and inside margins to align with the intersecting points created earlier. 

5. Text Formatting:

- Insert dummy text and adjust the point size for body text, typically between 8 to 12 points, with a recommended leading of 2 points larger than the point size. Ensure that paragraph spacing is also set appropriately to enhance readability. 

6. Character Count and Readability:

- Maintain an optimal character count per line for readability ideally between 40 to 55 characters. Adjust the text size and column layout accordingly to achieve this. 

7. Final Adjustments and Exporting:

- Once the layout is complete, export the document as a PDF and JPEG, ensuring to include visible guides and grids. This final step is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the design when sharing or printing. 

fig 1.9 Text without Grids (PDF)

fig 2.0 Text with Grids (PDF)

Exercise 4

fig 2.1 | 1 colour (PDF)

fig 2.2 | 2 colour (PDF)

fig 2.3 | 2 colour + image (PDF)

fig 2.4 | 2 colour + image + text (PDF)

TASK 2

fig 2.5 | 3000 words (PDF)

fig 2.6 | 1 - "But then came the night everything cracked a little."

fig 2.7 | 2 - "But nothing came."

fig 2.8 | 3 - "Psychologists call this cognitive dissonance..."

fig 2.9 | 4 - "Settling in my chest, quietly, stubbornly."

fig 3.0 | 5 - "I think it's where our soul wakes up."

fig 3.1 | 6 - "Dreams bent and twisted into new shapes..."

LAYOUT (BOOK)

fig 3.2 | Layout (contact sheet)

FINAL COVER

FINAL PUBLISHED BOOK ONLINE

book

Book HTML 5 flipbook (published online)

LINK HERE

I tweaked the book from 1st attempt to print as it had some issues with the text. Then I printed another one on the second day. The book was recommended to use perfect binding as it had more than 50 pages.

specifications:

Perfect bind

180.5mm x 240mm

2 side

52pages

Inner : maple bright 140gsm

Cover : maple bright 250gsm

PROGRESS : POSTER

I did the poster in illustrator then only mockup in photoshop with minor tweaks here and there. After feedback from lecturer, I faded the lighting on the top and bottom to give a softer effect for the lighting on the book.

FINAL POSTER

(300 dpi jpg)

(300 dpi pdf)

FEEDBACK

Week 13:

- presentation

Week 12:

- tweaking my poster after feedback from lecturer

Week 11:

- my inner cover page stuck to the 1st page so i had to add more pages to make it correct.

- added a "The End" page to better fit the book's ending

- changed the text from black to CMYK black so that it's consistent throughout.

Week 10:

- check the distribution of my text

- check my leading and kerning, distributed of text is non-partial

- my layout is consistent

- approved my cover

Week 9:

- Cover was consulted for feedback, could be improved, increase the height a little bit and try designing it in a different way.

- Did page numbers and covers.

Week 8:

N/A

Week 7:

- layout visually looks okay, but proceed to finish the layout to determine readability

- layout looks okay, but needs to be visualised on the contact sheet.

Week 6:

- taught about Indesign mechanism, PSD, tiff, files and whatnot.

- my illustrations were approved

- layout visually looks okay, but proceed to finish the layout to determine readability

Week 5:

- Gave feedback on the movement exercise

- lectured on typography

Week 4:

- Gave a brief lecture with slides.

Week 3: 

- We continued on doing the Van De Graff exercise.

- Had feedback on the 3000 words, said it was okay and even added some words.

Week 2:

- Gave feedback on tasks, continued our work.

- Gave lecture about the industry and brief on how it is on the inside, the corporate world.

Week 1:

- Briefed on the tasks and the overall module.

- start on the exercises that were given and watch the videos made by Mr Vinod

REFLECTION

Findings

During this activity, I learned more about the book format and methods of binding which I was slightly aware of earlier. It was the discovery of how formats influence the look and usability of a print project that has literally opened up a whole range of new possibilities in my ideas of how a print project will be carried out. I also learned the importance of formatting information right at the beginning of a design since it decides the temper and form of all other subsequent work.

This is the use of grid systems in my work. I discovered that I could use a flexible grid and thus experimentation is always achievable with it in place. It provided my layouts with consistency and it did not restrict invention. Also, I began to feel more at ease combining images and words in a natural manner than trying to make things work together.

Observations

Space was one of the key aspects that I observed during the designing process as it could degrade or improve a layout. Where I gave a breathing space between other elements, my work seemed more certain and deliberate. Whereas, by filling a page, I took away its clarity and power. This actually caused me to ponder more about the spatial relations.

I was also more conscious of tone and readability than the use of colour. At the beginning I did not dare to use bold or dynamic colour schemes, but after testing I realized that colour can be used as supporting or main element in the design relying on the way it is applied. They have more to do with gorgeousness, colour actually can direct the eye and define emotive reaction.

Finally, the work process made it possible to get closer to the content I had been working on. I would stop seeing it as something to be formatted but rather why it was essential to orient the tone of the writing and layout with the message of the text. It contributed to the attractiveness of this project and increased its intimacy.

Conclusion

This project has come as an eye opener in a number of ways. Now in addition to gaining practical skills in formatting and design, I am learning to think more like a designer, a person who makes informed choice in terms of space, structure, and language of the image. The new knowledge makes me feel more comfortable with both creating and creating expressive layouts.

In the future, I would like to see my visual communication and begin to learn to experiment with how various elements of design communicate. I do not only regard the grid as a technical instrument, but also as the creative construct. I also realize that good design is not only about making things good looking, but what makes it right.