Publishing Design - Task 1 / Exercises

30/08/2022 Week 1

Publishing Design

Task 1 / Exercises

Loh Shu Huan / 0349621
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

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LECTURES

Lecture 1 - Formats

The Book, there are many types of publications with the term publishing such as books, newspapers, magazines and etc. The book is a medium to document and transmit, ideas, knowledge, records, history and so much more.

Factors such as book size and material used for cover influence and determine a book's format. The format includes the type of binding, paper, and size.

Historical Formats

1. Iran-Irag (Mesopotamian Civilization)

Progresses from simple and complicated tokens to bullae that form the early pictographic writing on clay tablets.

Fig 1.1 Clay Tablets

2. India - Pakistan - Afghanistan (Indus Valley Civilization)

One of the earliest writing systems that wrote about their government, religion, and trade. By writing cuneiform on soft clay tablets with sharp pointed tools. During the 800-900 CE formed the palm leaf manuscript from Nepal.

Fig 1.2 Soft Clay

Fig 1.3 Plam Leaf Format

3. Egypt (Ancient Egyptian Civilization)

The scribes were the only people in ancient Egypt that could read and write Hieroglyphics. It is written on a thick type of paper made from papyrus plant's pith (Cyperus papyrus).

Fig 1.4 Papyrus Paper

4. China (Han Civilization)

During the early period, Chinese characters are written vertically in columns on a thin strip of bamboo for a single column. Two lines of thread are liked to each bamboo strip to create a longer document. During the modern period, Chinese characters have pictograms of bamboo strips threaded together. Scroll format paper the earliest known printed book was then discovered at the end of the Tang dynasty. Printing from wood blocks, the Diamond Sutra is a laborious process until the introduction of the movable type invented by Korea. Which is their own writing system that constitutes 26-27 characters like the English alphabet, by using brass to put them together to create a page.

Fig 1.5 Bamboo Strip

Fig 1.6 Scroll Format Paper

4. Europe - Turkey & beyond (European Civilization)

Parchment is made from animal hide, which is thick and heavy. Making this kind of book is costly due to the making process is complex.

Fig 1.7 Parchment Book

Lecture 2 - History of Print

AD = After the Death of Christ

BC = Before Christ

CE = Common Era (0 year & after) - the year 2020 is considered CE

BCE = Before Common Era (0 year & before)

2nd-8th Century AD 

China - Confucian scholars eager to own important texts lay sheets of paper on engraved slabs and rub with charcoal or graphite to take away text in white letters on a black ground.

Korea & Japan: AD 750-768

The world’s earliest known printed document is a sutra was printed on a single sheet of paper in Korea (AD 750). The earliest recorded use of woodblock printing was in Japan.

The First printed book: AD 868

The earliest known printed book with text in Chinese and woodblock illustrations from the end of the T’ang Dynasty was discovered in a cave at Dunhuang in 1899. 

Chinese publishing: 10th - 11th century

Printing from wood blocks, as in the Diamond Sutra is a laborious process.

The carving process of so many characters in reverse on wood blocks. The task is unavoidable until the introduction of the movable type. This innovation seems to have been pioneered in China but achieved in Korea.  

Movable type: from the 11th century

Movable type is a necessary step before printing can become an efficient medium for disseminating information. Movable type = Separate ready-made characters or letters which can be arranged in the correct order for a particular text and then reused.

Type foundry in Korea: c.1380

In the late 14th century (several decades before the earliest printing in Europe), Koreans established a foundry to cast movable types in bronze. Unlike in Chinese experiments with pottery, bronze is stronger for repeated printing, dismantling & resetting for a new text. At the time, Koreans are using Chinese script and faced the problem of an unwieldy number of characters. In 1443 the Koreans solved the problem by inventing their own national alphabet, known as Hangul. 

Saints & playing cards: AD c.1400

In about 1400, more than 6 centuries after its invention in the east, the technique of printing from wood blocks was introduced in Europe. As in the east, the main market was holding images for sale to pilgrimsPlaying cads is another part of the western trade. Later in the 15th century, technical advances were made in Germany that rapidly transformed printing from a cottage industry to a cornerstone of western civilization

Gutenberg & Western Printing: AD 1439 - 1457

The name Gutenberg first appeared in connection with printing in a law case in Strasbourg in 1439. 

All the skillful technology precedes the basic work of printing and arranging individual letters. One copy was known to have been completed with its initial letters coloured red by hand by 24 August 1456Known as the Mainz psalter, it is the first dated book from the same presses in 1457 that achieves outstanding colour printing in its 2-colour initial letters

The rest is history

Many inventions to improve the printing press and its quality was invented or modified over the years. The industrial revolution brought in precision engineering & the printing press was one that benefited tremendously. The desktop revolution brought in desktop publishing The internet revolution brought about instant publishing 

Conclusion

• Paper was invented in China in 179-41 BCE. 
• The transfer was initially done via rubbing from stone to paper, hence mass production enabled the introduction of moveable type was introduced in the 1000 - 1100 CE. 
• Koreans established a foundry to cast movable type in bronze

Lecture 3 - Typography Redux

Typography is the art of composing and organizing text; it also serves as a medium for expression and, most crucially, communication.

Characters in a typeface

Small Capitals, Numerals, Fractions, Ligatures, Punctuations, Mathematical signs, Symbols, Non-aligning figure.

    - Every font type family contains a wide variety of typefaces within it, albeit occasionally this was not necessary.

    - To view the hidden aspects: In Illustrator or InDesign > text/type > glyphs.  A character map will appear for the particular type of family.

Fig 1.8 Example of characters in a typeface

The x-height of the small caps is the same height as the x-height of the lowercase.
 

Fig 1.9 Example of characters in a typeface 

Capital Swashes:  Use to make the words more expressive and decorative manner. They are not meant to be used in all capitals.

Legibility / open & well proportioned

1.  Underline: The underline should be lowered so that they do not touch the characters as this impedes readability.

2.  Small Caps: Good for subheads or the first line of paragraphs.

3.  All Caps: Should be used in short headlines or subheads. (Never be used for long sentences and emphasis.)

4.  Special-purpose Style: Normally exist within the software for making footnotes, references, and mathematical formulas.

Fig 1.10 Examples of Special-purpose Style

5.  Text Scaling: Some programs allow users to create a pseudo-condense or pseudo-extended font by horizontally or vertically squeezing or stretching a font.

Fig 1.11 Examples of Text Scaling

6.  Outline Shadow: Text outline should be <1 (around 0.5, 0.7), >1 will become a problem.  Title outline around 1.2, 0.7 ~ 0.5. Shadows do not go too far away from the main text.

Legibility / type size, line length & line spacing

1.  Line Length: A column of type is about 50 characters usually, and no more than 65 characters.

2.  Leading: The amount of space between lines of type. It depends on the font used, line length, type size, and book size.

Overly long or short lines of the type also tire the reader and destroy a pleasant reading rhythm.

Legibility / character & word space

1.  Kerning: This adjustment of character selection makes the text more pleasing to read.

2.  Tracking: The important use of it is to fix or avoid orphans or danglers.

3.  Italics: Best suited to create emphasis within the text rather than to function as text.

Legibility / Alignment

1.  Flush Left, Ragged Right: The most readable alignment. (I must make sure the ragging is smooth)

2.  Flush Right, Ragged Left: Not used for a large amount of text.

3.  Centered: Not used for a large amount of text. Remember to smoother the ragging of both sides.

4.  Justified (left, center & right): It is fine, but do necessary letter spacing, kerning, or force line break to avoid the river.

5. Paragraph Spacing: The indentation should follow the type size.

 

Legibility / Paragraph Indent

1.  Widow: The paragraph-ending line fall \s at the beginning of the following page or column.

2.  Orphan: The text or line that is left alone.

3.  Hyphens: Usually used only to divide words or numbers, En-dash symbolises "to', and Em-dash is to connect two sentences.

4.  Line Break: Follow the leading; Paragraph Space: Follow the paragraph space value.

5.  Drop Caps: Used to start off new chapters and a special section of a report.

Fig 1.12 Example of double and single quotes, plus inch and foot marks.

6.  Sidebar: The leading must be the same as the main body text despite the text size is smaller. 

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INSTRUCTIONS

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PROGRESSIONS

Task 1: Exercises

1. Text formatting
2. Mock-up making
3. Signature Folding System (8+8=16)
4. Classical Grid System
5. Determining Grids
6. Form & Movement Exercise (Thumbnail)

• 1 Colour
• 2 Colour
• 2 Colour + Image
• Colour + Image + Text

Week 1

#1.Text formatting 

We were asked to generate content for our book with 3000 words minimum. 

At least 3 chapters in total, 3 - 5 subtext & 1 pullquote each chapter.

Attachment 3K words

Week 2

#2.Mock-up making 

Last week, Mr.Vinod reminded us to bring materials such as A3 paper, a steel ruler, a cutter, a stapler, and so on for the in-class exercise that we are going to complete.

During the practical section of the class, we were required to watch a tutorial video by Mr.Vinod in order to complete our exercise.

For this exercise. we need to come out with 3 different sizes which are smaller than A4 but bigger than A5.

First Attempt: 

• 270mm x 190mm
• 250mm x 160mm
• 240mm x 170mm

Fig 2.1 First Attempt - Book size exploration, 6/9/22

Second Attempt: 

• 270mm x 190mm
• 240mm x 180mm
• 230mm x 170mm (Final Book Size)

Fig 2.2 Second Attempt - Book size exploration, 6/9/22

Fig 2.3 Cut out sheets (in-class), 6/9/22

Fig 2.4 Combined (in-class), 6/9/22

Fig 2.5 Final Mock-up Making (video), 6/9/22

#3. Signature Folding System

Fig 2.6 Folding Progression (in-class), 6/9/22

Fig 2.7 Signature (Opened), 6/9/22

Fig 2.8 Signature (Closed), 6/9/22

Fig 2.9 Final Signature (Before Cutting, Video), 6/9/22

Fig 2.10 Final Signature (After Cutting, Video), 6/9/22

Week 3

#4. Classical Grid Structure (Van de Graff)

Fig 2.11 Hand-drawn Van de Graff, 13/9/22

Fig 2.12 Digital Van de Graff, 13/9/22

#5. Determining Grid

For this exercise, we are required to find an example of magazine spreads or book spreads online and identify the grids and margins within the layout.

Fig 2.13 Example Spreads, 13/9/22

Three Grid Systems for Book

After showing the progression to Mr.Vinod, I was told that this is not a good example as both pages don't have the same size of column gutter, and it's hard to determine the top margin of the pages. After that, Mr.Vinod asked us to come out with 3 different grid systems.

Fig 2.14 Grid System 1, 13/9/22

Fig 2.15 Grid System 2, 13/9/22

Fig 2.16 Grid System 3, 13/9/22

Chosen Grid

Fig 2.17 Final Grid System, 13/9/22

Week 4

#6. Form & Movement

Fig 2.17 B&W - 1st attempt, 20/9/22

Fig 2.18 B&W - 2nd attempt, 20/9/22

Fig 2.19 Colour, 20/9/22

Fig 2.20 Picture, 20/9/22

Fig 2.21 Text, 20/9/22

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FEEDBACKS

Week 2

General Feedback: - if the introduction is too short then we need to combine them with the next chapter

- Visuals are the most important part of a book as they are the first thing that came into readers' eye. 

- take visual references 

- have at least 2 or 3 visuals attempts 

- don't fix the visuals into a certain shape, as we may need to crop it 

Specific Feedback: 

- remember to highlight the sentences for visuals 

- need to credit the first publish and mention this republish is a student project not for commercial use

Week 3

General Feedback: - Remember to include text formatting in both Task 1 and Task2 blogs.

- The size of the illustration must be at least 2 times bigger than our actual book.

- Have at least 4-5 visuals next week.

- Update eportfolio tasks 1&2 

Specific Feedback: - For my grid system, I can be more creative, the pullquote can be outside the edges. The readability of the pullquote is not super important.

- The use of typeface for both headline and pullquote must be consistent.

Week 4

General Feedback: - Form & Movement: Don't put too many forms in one spread. The form must be transit smoothly and don't move too many steps in one spread.

Specific Feedback: - Form & Movement -1st Attempt: No connection between the first and second pages. Suggested moving the first page to the second, and moving the smaller box to the edge to link with the third page. The rest looks better and workable.

- Visuals: The illustration style is fine, but all look too centralised, it would be better to present from a different angle. Don't present the visuals ina too direct way.

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REFLECTIONS

Experience

I honestly think that to have these kinds of small exercises while doing other tasks is useful for us, but challenging at the same time too. The skills and knowledge that we learn from the exercises will really apply to other tasks. Doing exercises and tasks at the same time will deepen our memories and learn how to apply them properly.

Observation

I observed that a good layout design is based on its grid system. And at the same time, transition and consistency are also the key things to a good layout design. 

Findings

Before doing the exercise on the signature folding system, I didn't even know this is how it works. I also found that having an actual size mock-up is important while planning to do a publishing design.

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FURTHER READING

The Grid System: Building a Solid Design Layout

Fig 3.1 The Grid System: Building a Solid Design Layout, (Soegaard,2020).

By using rows and columns that are ordered, the grid system aids in aligning page items. Throughout the design, we employ this column-based framework to consistently position text, pictures, and functionalities. The best layout is one that provides no distraction from the content. 

The grid system and the golden ratio were combined by the French artist Villard De Honnecourt in the 13th century to create printed page layouts with margins based on set ratios. The expectation of the reader is that everything will be in its rightful position. The human eye is drawn to elements, but it is also easily irritating if it becomes confusing or has to solve a puzzle it was not expecting to. 

The grid system functions similarly to the print layout in the digital realm by ordering the components on the page. It also offers designers a manual for making several layouts that allow responsive themes for various screen sizes.