Publishing Design - Exercises

28.08.2020 - 02.10.2020 (Week 1 - Week 6)
Wong Kai Yi (0340236)
Publishing Design
Exercises

1. LECTURE

Fig 1.1 Formats

Formats

Civilizations:

Mesopotamian

Pictographic writing on clay tablets

Ancient Egyptian

Hieroglyphics is wrote on special type of paper - papyrus.

Indus Valley

Cuneiform is one of the earliest systems of writing (written on soft clay tablets)

Han Chinese

Chinese characters are written in vertical columns, a thin strip of bamboo is ideal for a single column

Earliest printed book: Chinese, end of T'ang dynasty (paper scroll using Chinese wood blocks - movable type)

European

Parchment (animal hide)

Paper becomes widely used

Fig 1.2 History of Print

History of Print

2-8th century AD China

6 main classics of Confucianism carved in stone

AD 750-768

Hyakumantō Darani: large-scale woodblock printing (earliest recorded uses of woodblock printing in Japan)

AD 868 China

First printed book: Chinese (end of T'ang dynasty)

Movable type: from the 11th century

separate ready-made characters

concept experimented in China

AD c.1400

Woodblock printing introduced in Europe

AD 1438 - 1457

Gutenberg & Western printing

Individual letters (metal)

Gutenberg Bible

Fig 1.3 Typography Redux

Typography Redux

Legibility

1. open and well proportioned text typefaces

Underlining: underline should be lowered so that they do not touch the characters as this impedes readability

Small Caps: subheads / first line of paragraph

All Caps: short headlines / subheads

never in long sentences and for emphasis

Never pseudo-condense or pseudo-entend font by horizontally / vertically squeezing / stretching a font

Outline & shadow

Takes many years of experience before one can format text beautifully and effectively. Avoid these as far as possible.

Type size, line length, line spacing

50-65 characters per line

overly long / short lines of type tire the reader & destroy a pleasant reading rhythm

Kerning & Tracking

Word spacing, factors that determine correct word

spacing includes typeface which is chosen, the size

and weight of the type.

Consistent word spacing provides an even

typographic “colour” a term referring to the overall

lightness and darkness of the text.

Fig 1.4 The Grid

The Grid

Using the grid, the designer can favorably use it to arrange his texts, photographs and diagrams in

a coherent and functional manner. This creates a sense of compact planning, intelligibility and clarity and suggests orderliness in design. Information that is presented in clear and logically set out titles, subtitles, texts, illustrations and captions will not only be read more quickly and easily but the information will also be better understood and retained in the memory.

The grid allows for flexibility, but it must have a limit when using within a book in order to maintain a certain amount of continuity / coherence in outlook / navigation.

Fig 1.5 Elements

Elements

1. Type

2. Colour

3. Image

The format and grid hold these elements together.

Variation

Create variation within the layout (but maintain consistency) to avoid predictability. This can be seen through the form and movement exercise.

Using a grid system, create variation. You can reuse and rotate the formulas in the book (each spead does not have to be different).

Surprise the reader at every page turn.

A good book takes its reader on a journey without the reader even knowing it.

2. INSTRUCTIONS

Exercises

28.08.2020 (Week 1)

Determining book size

We are to take an A3 paper or stick 2 A4 papers together then fold it into half. After that, we have to determine our book size by making at least 3 sizes which are between A5 to A4.

Fig 1.6 determining book size - red line (chosen size)

Fig 1.7 determining book size - 32 pages cut out (untrimmed)

Fig 1.8 determining book size - opened book (untrimmed)

Here is a video of how it looks:

Fig 1.9 paged book before trimming

Van de Graaf Grid

Fig 1.10 Van de Graaf grid and with text

04.09.2020 (Week 2)

Text formatting

Fig 1.11 text formatting 1.0

Determining Book Size part 2

Trimming the 32 paged book
The pages of the book from week 1 was not trimmed, so we had to trim them with a metal ruler and a blade.

Fig 1.12 trimming with metal ruler and blade

Final look:

Fig 1.13 Final 32 paged book

Fig 1.14 Final 32 paged book

Fig 1.15 Final 32 paged book

Fig 1.16 Final 32 paged book

Signature Folding System

The signature folding system is where one sheet of paper will be folded into a 16 paged notch.

Initially, I folded wrongly so I tried again.

Fig 1.17 Signature folding system 1

Fig 1.18 Signature folding system 2

Layout Dissection

We had to choose 3 layouts to be dissected. Mr Vinod stated that the dissection will help us to understand what the designer was thinking during the process of designing.

Fig 1.19 Layout dissection 1

Fig 1.20 Layout dissection 2

Fig 1.21 Layout dissection 3

Fig 1.22 Layout dissection (PDF)

11.09.2020 (Week 3)

Determining Grids

We were to determine 3 grid structures for 3 layouts using Lorem Ipsum text.

Fig 1.23 grid layout 1

Fig 1.24 grid layout 2

Fig 1.25 grid layout 3

Fig 1.26 book grid 1.0

Form and Movement
We are to try one layout of form and movement in InDesign, to be shown on week 4.

After receiving feedback during class, I made some changes and made another layout.

Fig 1.27 Form and movement 1

18.09.2020 (Week 4)

I tried to do another version of form and movement.

Fig 1.28 Form and movement 2

We were also busy completing visuals for the book.

25.09.2020 (Week 5)

After receiving feedback multiple times, this is the final outcome of form and movement in black and white.

Fig 1.29 Form and movement 2 final (bw)

Gif:

Fig 1.30 Form and movement 2 final (bw) GIF

Here is the PDF for form and movement 2 (bw):

Fig 1.31 Form and movement 2 (bw) PDF

Then, we proceeded with adding one color to the previous exercise.

My attempt:

Fig 1.32 Form and movement 2 color

Fig 1.33 Form and movement 2 color (gif)

PDF:

Fig 1.34 Form and movement 2 color (PDF)

02.10.2020 (Week 6)

Form and movement with image:

Fig 1.35 Form and movement with image (GIF)

Fig 1.36 Form and movement with image (PDF)

Form and movement with image and text:

Fig 1.37 Form and movement with image and text (GIF)

Fig 1.38 Form and movement with image and text (PDF)