26.09.2024 - 10.11.2023 | Week 1 - Week 7
Maisarah binti Mohd Sufian | 0358458
Publishing Design | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 1: Exercises
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LECTURES
Week 1
This week was just an introductory and briefing on the Module Information Booklet.
Week 2 - History of Publication Design
Publishing = The process of producing and distributing written, visual, or multimedia content to an audience. Encompasses both traditional print methods and modern digital technologies.
Publishing process:
1. Acquiring
2. Editing
3. Designing
4. Producing
5. Marketing
Publishing formats:
- Books
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Journals
- Websites
- E-books
- Digital Platforms
Periodicals - Regular publications like newspapers and magazines, issued at scheduled intervals.
Non-periodicals - Standalone works such as books and reports, not bound by a regular schedule.
Traditional Publishing History
Jikji - The oldest known book in the world printed with movable metal type. Printed in 1377 in (now known as) Cheongju, Korea, 78 years before the Gutenberg Bible.
Gutenberg Bible - The earliest major book printed in Europe using mass-produced metal movable type. Marked the start of the "Gutenberg Revolution" and quickened the spread of knowledge, discoveries and literacy in Renaissance Europe.
Early Digital Publishing
Peak of Printing Press Era - Magazines and newspapers thrived as key communication channels. Both relied on the printing press for wide distribution.
Rise of E-books
E-books - Marks a significant shift in digital publishing, offering portability and accessibility to readers.
Challenges of digital publishing:
- Digital rights management
- Compatibility issues
- Piracy
Mobile Publishing Revolution
Publishers embraced mobile-first strategies:
- Develop user-friendly apps
- Prioritize responsive design
Interactive Content and Multimedia
Leveraging AR and VR to immerse readers in dynamic narratives beyond text and images. Publishers employ interactive elements like 3D models and animations to engage readers and offer immersive experiences.
AR - Overlays digital content onto the real world
VR - Transports readers to virtual environments
Data Analytics and Personalization
Data analytics in digital publishing enables publishers to:
- Understand reader behaviour and preferences
- Optimizing content strategies and marketing efforts
- Deliver tailored content recommendations and targeted advertising
- Enhance reader engagement and revenue generation
Week 3 - Book Design
Books predate printing. Starting with early writing instruments, like scribes, the 15th century's printing propelled book publications to a new era. Typing took over calligraphy, art took over woodcuts, lithography took over artists. Soon came offset printing technique, establishing a mainstay in publication.
Book Categories:
- Trade Books
- Fiction, non-fiction
- Rely on impulse buying and individual interest
- Self-help books are popular despite little literacy value
- Higher pricing structure
- Publisher plays a key role in the development
- Text Books
- Wider range of categories, used as a reference, often non-fiction
- Targets faculty members, teachers and students
- Caters to specific education needs of all level
- Generally cheaper
- Utilize colours and arts to attract buyers
Profit Structure of a book:
- 10% total sales go to the author
- 90% total sales go to the publisher
- Self-published authors may get more, 40-60% of total profit
- Published authors will get 10-12% royalties
Publishers are involved in:
- Market research
- Consulting
- Design
- Production
- Marketing
- Sales
- Distribution
- Printing
- Copywriting fees
- Risks
etc.
Hardcover or Paperback
Books were traditionally designed with hardcover. Paper back gains popularity in 1939 in the US with the introduction of 'Pocket Books' which are cheaply bound, inexpensive paper, with simple construction.
The Approach to Design
"Design may not help much with the success sales of a book, but poor designs can surely hurt sales." - Marshal Lee, a book design and production specialist.
A typical book comes in:
- 6x9 inch size
- Times New Roman for body text
- Helvetica for title
- 1 column, flush left
- Big margins esp. at the bottom
Different design approaches:
- Transparent approach - designer doesn't intrude
- Mood approach - could be designed more elegantly
Designers take account the audience when designing. Involving:
- Font
- Size
- Paper Colour
-Texture
- Smell
- B&W or Colour
- Arts
etc.
Unity must be the goal, a template of structure and design convention, even brand identity. The book's manuscript should be read before design, to ensure that the correct ideas are given. The cover should not reveal too much of the plot, use a metaphor or a graphic that has a good central idea of the book's story and theme. A book jacket may be needed to get noticed on the shelf
The Lineup of a Book
Some books start at page 9, some as far as 11. A book rarely starts after the front cover, and it has to do with getting the readers to feel, set their mood and inform what they will read in pages after. This is why various pages are added before the story begins. The author may include a preface, acknowledgement, dedication page, his/her profile, background story, TOC, a recap of previous books, etc.
Working with Printers
Printing - An important aspect of book production. A designer must clearly and constantly communicate with your printer. It is better to provide the printer with specification sheets when working with many illustrations or specific requirements.
Things to communicate:
- Trim size of pages
- Size of margins
- Size of copy area
- Size and style of type and amount of leading
- Amount of paragraph indentation
- Handling of long quotes
- Handling of footnotes
- Size and placement of page numbers
- Handling of chapter titles, subheads, running heads, and initial letters
- Amount of drop between chapter titles and beginnings of chapters
- Handling of front matter, including title page and table of contents
- Handling of back matter, including bibliography and index
Week 4 - Formats
Historical Formats
Different formats across time in different civilisations:
1. Iran-Iraq = Mesopotamian civilisation (1995)
- Progression from simple and complex tokens to bullae
- Early forms of pictographic writing on clay tablets
2. India-Pakistan-Afghanistan = Indus Valley civilisation
- Not much known about record keeping
- They had a complex system, cuneiform was one of the earliest forms of writing
- Wrote records about their government, religion and trade
- Written on soft clay tablets using sharp pointed tools
3. Egypt = Ancient Egypt civilisation
- Only scribes could read and write Hieroglyphics
- Wrote on a special type of paper called papyrus and tomb walls
4. China = Han China civilisation
- Early period chinese characters were written in vertical columns, a thin strip of bamboo was ideal
- Two lines of thread linked each bamboo strip to create longer documents
- The modern Chinese book character evolves from a pictogram of bamboo strips threaded together
- Diamond Sutra 868 CE from the T'ang Dynasty is the earliest known printed book, discovered in a cave at Dunhuang in 1899. It uses paper in a scroll formate, Paper was invented in 179-41 BCE.
- 10th-11th Century printing is from wood blocks, all the Confucian classics are published for the use of scholar officials, with Buddhist and Daoist works and the complete Standard Histories since the time of Sima Qian.
- The carving of characters in reverse on wood blocks was unavoidable until the introduction of movable type, which seems to have been pioneered in China but achieved in Korea
5. Europe (Turkey & beyond) = Europian civilisation
- Parchment, made from animal hide, was invented in Turkey in 197-159 BC, later spreading to Europe.
- Scrolls could be made with papyrus and bamboo but it was not possible with leather as it was thick and heavy
- Europeans started making parchment books around 50 AD
- The use of paper slowly made it's way from China to Persia-Arab empires and eventually through Turkey vis-a-vis the Ottoman empire to mainland Europe
- Paper became widely available in Europe during 1400-1500 CE
- The ingredient to paper changes until the 1860s when wood pulp was first used to print the Boston Weekly Journal
- Despite paper's late emergence, the folding format started to take a foot hold in 'the west' at the turn of the century. First with wooden blocks with thread sewn to hold them together and then with parchment and later with paper, sewn, bound and glued together.
Week 5 - History of Print
2nd - 8th Century AD
AD 175
- The emperor of China commands that the six main classics of Confucianism carved in stone.
- Scholars eager to own these important texts, lay sheets of paper on engraved slabs and rub all over it with charcoal or graphite, taking away a text in white letters on a black background.
AD 750 - 758
- Korea takes the lead for the invention of printing, a striking achievement of Buddhists in east Asia
- World's earliest known printed document in a sutra printed on a single sheet of paper in Korea (Dharani sutra)
- In Japan, devoutly Buddhist Nara, the empress commissions a huge edition of a lucky charm or prayer in AD 768
- The project took six years to complete and that the number of copies printed for distribution to pilgrims is a million
- The Hyakumanto Darani (One Million Pagodas & Dharani Prayers) is a famous large-scale wood-block printing, the earliest recorded uses of woodblock printing in Japan
- The first printed book was discovered in China in AD868, the Diamond Sutra. It is 16 feet long and a foot high. It is the world's first printed illustration, depicting an enthroned Buddha surrounded by holy servants.
10th - 11th Century
Chinese Publishing
- Printing from wood blocks (method for the Diamond Sutra) is a labor intensive process.
- All the Confucian classics are published for the use of scholar officials, with Buddhist and Daoist works and the complete Standard Histories since the time of Sima Qian.
- The carving of characters in reverse on wood blocks was unavoidable until the introduction of movable type, which seems to have been pioneered in China but achieved in Korea
Movable Type (from the 11th century)
- Separate ready-made characters or letters which can be arranged for text and reused, it is an efficient medium for disseminating information.
- The concept was experimented with in China, but it was impractical as the Chinese script has many characters, making type-casting and type-setting too complex. Chinese printers also cast their characters in clay and fire them for pottery, which is too fragile.
14th - 15th Century
Type foundry in Korea (c.1380)
- Koreans established a foundry to cast movable type in bronze, which is strong enough for repeated printing, dismantling and resetting, unlike clay.
- Koreans were using Chinese script, posing the same problem of too many characters. This was solved in 1443 by inventing their own national alphabet, hangul.
- This is precisely the decade in which Gutenberg was experimenting with movable type, a mere coincidence.
Saints and playing cards (c.14000)
- The technique of printing from wood blocks is introduced in Europe.
- In the East, images are printed by a simple method, laying a piece of paper on a carved and inked block, and then rubbing it's back to transfer the ink, with the main market being holy images for sale to pilgrims.
- Early western trade included playing cards.
- In the 15th century, technical advances are made in Germany, transforming printing from a cottage industry to a cornerstone of western civilisation.
Gutenberg & Western printing (AD 1439-1457)
- In a law case in Strasbourg in 1439, Gutenberg is being sued by two of his business partners. Witnesses describe Gutenberg's stock as a press and a supply of metal type. He seems to already be capable of printing small items of text from movable type and did so.
- Nothing from this period survives.
- He is next heard of in connection with printing in Mainz, borrowing 800 guilders in 1450 from Johann Fust with his printing equipment as security.
- Gutenberg skillful development in his technology precedes the basic work of printing - that of arranging individual letters, aligned and well-spaced, in a form which will hold them firm and level to transfer the ink evenly to the paper.
- There is no date on the Gutenberg Bible, printed simultaneously on six presses. At least one copy is known to be completed, with the initial letters coloured red by hand, by 24 August 1456.
- The first dated book from the same presses, known as the Mainz Psalter in 1457 achieves colour printing in its two-colour initial letters.
Week 6 - Typo Redux
Typography is the most important area in graphic design to master. In book design, typography will play crucial role in the output.
Characters in a typeface:
- Small Caps
- Numerals
- Fractions
- Ligatures
- Punctuations
- Mathematical figures
- Symbols
- Non-aligning figures
Weights in a typeface:
- Light
- Light italic
- Regular
- Regular italic
- Semibold
- Semibold italic
- Bold
- Bold italic
Legibility
- establishing legibility guidelines is important for making a readable body of text.
- only totally familiarised designers can attempt to stray from these roles.
- choose text typefaces that are open and well-proportioned i.e. classical serif typefaces (Garamond, Bodoni, Bembo, Minion Pro, Baskerville, Jenson, Caslon; and sans serif typeface Frankling Gothic, Frutiger, Gill Sans, Helvetica, Myriad Pro, and more.
- today with a computer we can do many things while type-setting, ad many people become unaware of typographic rules and stray away from them.
Considerations to take on board when formatting text for legibility:
Underline
- Many programmes handle underlining incorrectly, the underline should be lowered so that they do not touch the characters.
Small Caps & All Caps
- Small capitals are good for subheads/first line of a paragraph.
- Text set in All Caps should be used in short headlines or subheads.
- All Caps should never be used for long sentences and for emphasis.
Special-Purpose Style
- Many formatting styles exist within softwares for making footnotes, references, and mathematical formulas. They tend to be embedded or nested within the tools sections and a lay user may not be aware of its functions.
- Text Scaling:
- some programmes allow for a pseudo-condensed or pseudo-extended font by horizontally or vertically squeezing or stretching a font.
- never do this, it distorts the font and makes the messaging look cheap.
- Outline & Shadow
- to be avoided as far a possible.
Type Size, Line Length & Line Spacing
- Text that flows naturally is achieved through a harmonious relationship exists between type size, line length, and line spacing (leading).
- A column of type is usually about 50 characters across, and no more than 65 characters. Type that is too small will "cram" too many letters per line and make the copy hard to read.
- Font size determines line length, in turn determines line spacing
- Leading = the amount of space between lines of type, there are no set rules for how much line spacing to use, however, consider these factors:
- The font used - some font require more line spacing than others to keep their ascenders and descenders from touching
- The line length - longer lies require more leading for easier reading
- The type size - the larger the type size, the more line spacing is required. This rule applies to body copy; headlines, which are normally set larger, may actually be set with tighter line spacing
- Overly long or short lines of type also tire the reader and destroy a pleasant reading rhythm.
Character & Word Space
- Depending on the program used, extra attention is needed.
- Larger type sizes need adjustments to the space between characters; and paragraphs need to be adjusted to eliminate 'widows' and 'orphans'.
- Kerning = inter-character spacing, creates a more pleasing look to the text. Most programs apply kerning automatically, but certain letter combinations may require manual adjustments.
- Tracking = the adjustment of word spacing, similar to kerning but refers to the adjustment of a selection of characters, words and spaces.
- to make type fit a required space without altering the type size or line spacing.
- can be either negative (closer together) or positive (further apart).
- an important use for tracking is to fix single words (or 2-3 short words) at the end of a paragraph (called orphans or danglers).
- Word spacing, factors that determine correct word spacing include typeface, size and weight of the type.
- Consistent word spacing provides and even typographic 'colour' (overall lightness and darkness of the text)
- Italics are best suited to create emphasis within text rather than to function as text.
- Capitals severely slows down the reading process, text set in all capitals diminishes all visual cues seen in small caps.
Alignment
- Flush left, Ragged right
- produces very even letter and word spacing, reader can easily locate each new line
- perhaps the most legible means of aligning text
- Flush right, Ragged left
- works against the reader by making it difficult to find each new line
- this method is suitable for small amounts of text, but not large amounts
- Centered
- give text a very formal appearance and are fine when used minimally
- should be avoided when setting large amounts of text
- Justified (left, center & right)
- can be very readable if the designer ensures spacing between words are consistent, and that awkward gaps 'rivers' do not interrupt the flow of text.
Paragraph Spacing
- An automatic space between each paragraph that is applied when starting a new paragraph.
- A more elegant way to space out paragraphs than simply double spacing return.
Paragraph Indent
- Most common indent is the small indent at the beginning of each paragraph.
- First-line paragraph indents only should be used if there is no paragraph space because both exist to inform the reader when a paragraph stops and a new one begins. Using both is overkill.
- Standard amount of indent is equal to the type size. E.g. if the type size is 12 pt, the indent should be 12 pt. The amount of the first line indent can be extended for design purposes.
- Widow = a single line of text at the top of a page or column, separated from it's paragraph
- Orphan = a single line of text at the bottom of a page or column, seperated from it's paragraph.
Special Formatting
- Hyphens are usually used only to divide words or numbers, but also used to break words from one line to the next. Headlines and subheads should never be hyphenated.
- Dashes have two types:
- En-Dashes = slightly longer than hyphens (usually width of letter N).
used to separate ranges of items, such as dates. quantities and time.
- Em-Dashes = in place of a comma for a section of a sentence that requires special emphasis.
used for preceding the attribution of a quote. (usually the width of letter M)
- Lines often need to be broken for readability. However, just typing a "return" to break the line can alter formatting. To avoid this, most programs allow break, inserted by typing "shift-return".
- Drop caps are used to start off new chapters and special sections of a report. The cap can be created and the font, style and colour can be altered through the use of a Character style. If the program does not have automatic settings, drop caps should be avoided.
- Quotes have their own set of rules:
- Sidebar = the text that accompanies the main body copy, usually an added description that has some relation to the main narrative but isn't important enough to be part of it.
- I is sometimes used to highlight alternate narratives or facts or to describe an image used alongside the main body text in line with the sidebar. A similar leading should be maintained despite the smaller font size.
Week 7 - The Grid
Raster System
- The grid divides a two-dimensional plane into smaller fields or a three-dimensional space into smaller compartments, which maybe the same or different in size.
- Used by typographers, graphic designers, photographers, exhibition designers, etc. for solving visual problems into two or three dimensions.
- Arranging the surface and spaces in a grid allows texts, photographs and diagrams to be placed in a coherent and functional manner, creating a sense of compact planning, intelligibility, clarity and suggests orderliness.
- Info presented clearly and logically in titles, subtitles, texts, illustrations and captions are read quicker, easier and easily understood and retained in the memory.
Modular
- The grid is modular in nature, but not to be viewed as a constraint.
- Flexibility is allowed, if you are capable of seeing the multitudes of combinations it can afford.
- Variations have a limit when using it within a book to maintain continuity and coherence in the outlook and navigation.
- Depends on the content of the book being designed, it can range from containing body text and visuals, to body text, visuals, charts, diagrams, sub-text, etc.
Readability and Legibility
- The grid helps in making user experience seamless.
- It is like the hidden framework behind a beautifully constructed architecture--you don't see it, but it's there.
Week 8 - Elements
Elements of a book
1. Type
2. Colour
3. Image
Everything is held together by the format and grid.
Variation
- It is important to not fall into predictability when using the three elements on a grid.
- Variation within the layout (while maintaining consistency) entails keeping certain areas fixed; hang line, typeface, colour, image style and such, while varying the combination of elements and how it's arranged.
Example:
- The variation is created within the grid system, creative use of the content will allow you to shuffle your content in a consistent yet varied manner.
- The result should be a sequence of layouts that delivers a surprise at every turn of the page, but is still expected to re-use and rotate formulas in the book.
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EXERCISES
Instructions
There are a number of exercises for us to do so we can get familiar with what goes into publishing a book, and the basics on how to use InDesign.
Exercise 1 - Task Formatting
We learned how to format text using the 3000 we have written for our book in InDesign.
Exercise 2 - Mockup Making
For this exercise, we see how different paper sizes look to scale. This is to determine what book size we will use for printing our book, and we must choose a size bigger than A5 but smaller than A4. I used a ruler to draw lines on A4 paper to visualise each size.
I tried 3 different paper sizes,
- 270x170mm
- 240x200mm
- 230x170mm
I chose 230x170mm, so I highlighted with a marker.
I cut out 32 pages of my desired size, I didn't have A3 paper or a stapler so I used masking tape to hold all the sheets together.
Exercise 3 - Signature Folding System
In this exercise, I followed the video tutorial provided by Mr Vinod and folded a sheet of A4 paper into 8 parts.
I numbered the parts, following Mr Vinod while the paper was still folded to get my page numbers.
I don't have a stapler so I used masking tape again to hold my paper and cut the folds of the paper, trimming the sides to get my small book.
The result was pages I could flip through with correct page numbers, this simulated the general binding and printing process some books go through.
Exercise 4 - Classic Grid Structure
In this exercise we learned about the Van de Graaf and how to create it on any sized spread. I used A3 paper and drew out the guides following the Mr Vinod's video tutorial. I drew intersecting lines across the corners of my paper to determine my margins.
I then did the same thing in InDesign, but I used the same size spread as what my book will be printed with.
Exercise 5 - Determining Grids
I first looked for some existing spreads and determined their grids.
After getting familiar with the form of those grids I attempted my own on a spread the same size as my book in InDesign.
I added some content from my book. I'm not a huge fan of this kind of grid as I want my book to feel more personal and I want it to feel like reading a diary, so I ended up sticking with the Van De Graaf margins when designing.
Exercise 6 - Form & Movement
In this exercise I created some layouts with shapes, the aim to have smooth but interesting transitions across each page and spread. Each page should surprise the reader to keep the book engaging and from preventing the reader getting bored. I tried two different layouts, starting with using only B&W.
Attempt 1:
Attempt 2:
I then tried added some colour.
Attempt 1 with colour:
Attempt 2 with colour:
Then, I used this image (@ella on Pinterest) and added some text to place within one of the layouts. I chose to go with my second attempt.
Layout with image:
Layout with image and text:
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FINAL SUBMISSIONS
Exercise 1 - Task Formatting
Text Formatting PDF
Exercise 2 - Mockup Making
Final book size: 230mmx170mm
Book Size Explorations
Closed Book Mockup
Open Book Mockup
Book Size Explorations + Closed Book Mockup Flat Lay
Exercise 3 - Signature Folding System
Signature Folding System (Open)
Signature Folding System (Binded)
Exercise 4 - Classic Grid Structure
Traditionally Drawn Van de Graaff
Digital Van De Graaff
Digital Van De Graaff PDF
Exercise 5 - Determining Grids
Determining Grids (3) PDF
Grid with Text PDF
Exercise 6 - Form & Movement
Form & Movement B&W
Form & Movement Colour
Form & Movement Colour+Image
Form & Movement Colour+Image+Text
Form & Movement PDF
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FEEDBACK
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REFLECTION
Experience
I think that the lectures for this module are very interesting, I honestly didn't expect to be making a book in graphic design but when I think about it now it does make sense and I'm glad to be learning a skill like this. Since the exercises are done following video tutorials, it was good to do it at my own pace. Doing some of the exercises felt like arts and crafts, and it reminded me of how I would make tiny books for my dolls as a kid so it's interesting how I'm taking it seriously now and learning how books are properly binded and assembled.
Observation
Some of the exercises were a bit tedious to do, such as the forms and movement exercise. I realise that I'm although I'm not bad at creating layouts, it was a bit difficult for me to create interesting transitions across different spreads that were consistent with each other, yet still interesting enough to not be boring. I'm usually a go with the flow kind of person when it comes to designing, so it's a little hard for me to see potential in my sketches and drafts. Besides that, I didn't really have some of the materials for some of the exercises like A3 paper and a stapler so I just made do with tape and A4... I could've just bought the materials but I didn't feel like spending more money than necessary since printing my book would cost a lot...
Findings
I found that the history behind publishing books is quite heavy, which makes sense because books are quite literally the reason why we have so much information, records and knowledge to this day. My motivation for these exercises were honestly quite low, and I felt uninterested most times to do them. Mostly since I could never complete them during class hours and when it came to outside class hours I just didn't have much time due to the load of other assignments and other things going on in my life :p. But honestly, even if my first attempts this time are wonky and not exactly things I would be proud of I remind myself that's what learning is and it's okay if your first time is not the best. I at least now have some experience rather than none, and I have basic understanding for if I choose to pursuit this line of work further.
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