Design Context

Top 10 - CD/DVD Packaging inspiration

2012-02-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hunt Studio branding

Source: designspiration.net

Nexus Productions

Source: flightofthefinch.blogspot.com

Minimal DVD packaging

Creative DVD packaging

Source: septemberindustry.co.uk

Fine Art Productions

Limited edition CD packaging, with removable gold latex covering main art and track list. Each comes with a coloured plastic counter with which to remove the gold latex (or not).

Source: madebysawdust.co.uk

Top 10 - American Express advert

2012-02-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

I just saw this on TV and went searching online for it - I could only find this example but the animation is similar, albeit with a few small differences. The characters forming the word 'impossible' are the basis of the graphic, with simple animations in and around the letterform. The track creates a balanced pace and minimal sound effects enhances the graphics further - great inspiration for my own title sequence & idents.

Top 10 - Animated gifs

2012-02-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Came across these while browsing Tumblr, really nice use of colour and movement / transitions using simple graphics.

Top 10 - Sherlock

2012-01-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

I was immediately attracted to the subtle text animations when characters in Sherlock were browsing the internet or texting on their phones. Subtle scrolls and overlaps gives the impression of browsing through search fields. I could possibly use a similar technique for displaying my type as I don't want it to be too intrusive of the imagery.

Top Ten - Moshun

2012-01-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

An animated typeface by Jeroen Krielaars where each individual letterform has its own independent animation. Using quick and seamless transitions, they have designed an animated typeface with basic imagery - simply lines and shapes.The colour palette is limited and subdued therefore works as a complete set. The music is fairly minimal, also, most likely to reference the simplicity and minimalism of the video itself. This is a similar basis to the sound I aim to incorporate within my animation - steady beats which runs alongside quick animations. He states he has sourced his sound from a company / collective called Datasette therefore I looked for their site to see whether there may be any downloads / links - luckily I found a playlist. http://www.datassette.net/

Top 10 - Sonar

2012-01-23T13:21:00.001-08:00

A short film by Renaud Hallée experimenting with sound and subtle (or not so subtle) animation. In this piece, sound forms the basis of the video itself with short bursts indicating a particular beat. These begin to increase in pace and soon enough, the animation becomes extremely complex. Extremely clever, can't take my eyes off it.

Top Ten - Juice to the Moon

2012-01-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Brilliant showreel by Chris Kelly. The sound works great with his existing work, despite not being designed with this piece of sound in mind (though it does state he had his music arranged so maybe the sound artist worked with his showreel?). The animated featured within his showreel are extremely well executed and I love the use of type at the beginning and end of the video - the subtle transitions of the type works seamlessly. 0:36 - 0:39 in particular works brilliantly with the backing track.

Top 10 - City Atlas

2012-01-12T02:55:00.000-08:00

Help us build the next New York

The colour palette works brilliant with this piece - bringing a 'new life' to a heavily populated, urbanised city. In the first piece, the icons have been arranged concisely, in a square format but have been reproduced to form a map silhouette of New York itself in the second piece. I will use aspects of the simplistic icon illustrations for my own 'Top Ten' piece.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/networkosaka/6173343580/

Top 10 - Dexter prints

2012-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Following on from my previous post, these silk-screen poster prints designed by Mattson Creative capture the essence of the show through simplified, imagery using a limited, 4 colour palette. This is similar to my chosen 'Top Ten' concept - reproducing iconic imagery in a simplified, vector form. His inspiration came from mid-century modern design and the work of Saul Bass.

He also collaborated with Fashion Buddha to create an animated title sequence based on these designs.

Top 10 - Dexter title sequence

2012-01-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

A mundane, morning routine task with underlying violent connotations - it perfectly sums up the tone of the show. I have always been a fan of this title sequence ever since I watched the first episode of Dexter. Although not an animation, the short bursts of moving image, viewed in close proximity work brilliantly. The sound also reflects the tone entirely. This is the write up which Digital Kitchen outlined in their pitch:

"Everything, no matter how mundane or beautiful, has an undercurrent of violence to it. It is just a matter of how closely you look. We are conditioned to see a blossoming flower as beautiful. But if you look closely, if you look differently you will see it more like an explosion. Here we see a mundane morning routine illustrated in extreme close-ups showing the underlying tension found in everyday situations making violence a part of everything."

Top 10 - Waiting for Superman

2012-01-10T15:03:00.000-08:00

A powerful message communicated effectively and concisely through clear and visual graphics. The transitions and animation in general is smooth and works seamlessly. The combination of text and image is well balanced.

Top 10 - Data Visualisation

2012-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

Clean and consistent colour scheme which clearly reflects the nature of the video - data visualisation. Repetitive sound acts as a 'background' to the voice over narration which matches perfectly with the content - the information is therefore easy to digest.

Top 10 - 35mm

2012-01-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

This is brilliant.

"35mm« is a shortfilm about cinema itself. We picked 35 of our favorite movies and tried to simplifly them as far as possible. The outcome is a 2 minute journey through the history of film. Take a close look and tell us if you've recognized them all!"

I've posted this on both my practice and context blog as it is extremely similar to what I intend/intended to produce. The designer has derived iconic imagery from 35 films and created a sleek, vectorised animation using a reflective colour palette. The simplistic, minimal imagery adds a sense of mystery (which is why the designer has asked the viewer to try and recognise as many films as possible) and this is reflected through the lack of text. The transitions are smooth, intelligent and well thought out - they flow seamlessly from movie to movie.

Top Ten - The Adventures of Tin Tin

2012-01-10T04:08:00.001-08:00

Top 10 - Olly Moss

2012-01-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Olly Moss has been a great inspiration, not just in terms of this project but in others, too. His creative and conceptual designs communicate seamlessly and are brilliantly executed, as seen below. He uses a minimal colour scheme, allowing the concept to be at the forefront. The majority of his movie posters, I believe, are self initiated but some have been commissioned by magazines etc.

Similarly to what I intend to use as a basis for the 'Top 10' stings, he uses iconic scenes and imagery from the films to create. A lot of his work uses negative space to create an interesting aesthetic.

Top 10 - Film trailers

2012-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Top 10 - Nokia 'Smart Data'

2012-01-05T11:11:00.003-08:00

This animation uses vibrant imagery to give a visual interpretation of the narrative. The repetitive 8-bit sound connotes technology and the brand itself - mobile phones. The smooth transitions in-between short bursts of animation and subtle tilts and turns adds a dynamic aspect to the graphic.

Top 10 - Channel 4's 'The Bank Job'

2012-01-05T11:11:00.001-08:00

OUGD202 - The Fundamental Elements of Design

2011-12-12T12:45:00.001-08:00

Info here

Kinetic Type - The King's Speech

2011-12-05T16:07:00.001-08:00

The King's Speech

Info here

Kinetic Type - What We Learned

2011-12-04T12:38:00.001-08:00

What We Learned

Info here

Kinetic Type - Civic Builders

2011-12-04T12:33:00.001-08:00

Civic Builders

Info here

Kinetic Type - The New Typography

2011-12-04T12:31:00.001-08:00

The New Typography

'A piece of moving typography that has taken groundbreaking typographical works from history and updated them for viewing on screen. Jan Tschichold's New Typography represents a turning point in the acceptance of print as a medium. This piece looks towards the screen as a new typographical medium.'

Kinetic Type - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

2011-12-04T12:30:00.001-08:00

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Info here

Kinetic Type - Crash

2011-12-04T12:29:00.001-08:00

Crash

Typographic graphic based on the film, Crash.

Kinetic Type - Penguin Books

2011-12-04T12:27:00.001-08:00

Penguin Books - Is that a fish in your ear?

Info here

Kinetic Type - Doxa Film Festival

2011-12-04T08:44:00.001-08:00

DOXA Film Festival // Trailer (Chris) from Giant Ant on Vimeo.

Kinetic Type - I'm Gonna Make it Better

2011-12-04T08:20:00.001-08:00

Im Gonna Make it Better

Info here

What is design for print? Final manual

2011-11-22T03:11:00.001-08:00

Layout inspiration - Gridness

2011-11-18T15:59:00.001-08:00

www.gridness.net

"The grid is one of the most important tools a designer has at his/her disposal. They’ve always been a difficult thing to explain to clients, though luckily, the results speak for themselves. Also luckily, the clean, organized look they impart is en vogue right now, which means better design is becoming “hip,” for lack of a less unsavory term."

This site is a great source of grid and layout inspiration. These are just some of the examples found on their site:

Good is...? Impact Manifesto

2011-11-17T13:17:00.001-08:00

Source: fabioongaratodesign.com.au

The seaside

2011-11-17T07:20:00.001-08:00

Cloning the smell of the seaside

The age-old mystery was unlocked thanks to some novel bacteria plucked from the North Norfolk coast. Prof Andrew Johnston and his team at UEA isolated this microbe from the mud at Stiffkey saltmarsh to identify and extract the single gene responsible for the emission of the strong-smelling gas, dimethyl sulphide (DMS).

"On bracing childhood visits to the seaside we were always told to 'breathe in that ozone, it's good for you'," said Prof Johnston. "But we were misled, twice over. Firstly because that distinctive smell is not ozone, it is dimethyl sulphide. And secondly, because inhaling it is not necessarily good for you."

DMS is a little known but important gas. Across the world's oceans, seas and coasts, tens of millions of tonnes of it are released by microbes that live near plankton and marine plants, including seaweeds and some salt-marsh plants. The gas plays an important role in the formation of cloud cover over the oceans, with major effects on climate. Indeed, the phenomenon was used by James Lovelock as a plank to underpin his 'Gaia hypothesis'.

DMS is also a remarkably effective food marker for ocean-going birds such as shearwaters and petrels. It acts as a homing scent -- like Brussels sprouts at the Christmas dinner table! - and the birds sniff out their plankton food in the lonely oceans at astonishingly low concentrations.

"By isolating a single gene from a bacterium collected from the mud of Stiffkey marshes, we deduced that the mechanisms involved in DMS production differ markedly from those that had been predicted," said Prof Johnston. "And we discovered that other, wholly unexpected bacteria could also make that seaside smell."

Source: sciencedaily.com

What is design for print? Letterpress - An introductory video

2011-11-17T04:04:00.001-08:00

Good is...? Natwest card-reader packaging

2011-11-12T05:26:00.001-08:00

Just received my Natwest card-reader through the post and thought I could use the packaging as inspiration for my nostalgia pack. The reader itself is packaged in a moulded case with thumb holes either side to easily lift the reader out.

Good is...? Miner & Miner

2011-11-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

Simple, contemporary and sleek business cards for Miner & Miner. The monochrome colour scheme enhances this sense of elegance and the additional print finishes which although small, adds sophistication. The reveal of the business cards is something I may want to replicate in a handout of some sort for one of my 'Good is...' deliverables.

Source: underconsideration.com

Good is...? Pharmaceutical packaging

2011-11-08T04:19:00.000-08:00

Source: luigibenozzi.com

Good is...? Fred Perry packaging

2011-11-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

Source: allanpeters.com/blog

Good is...? Mobile evolution

2011-11-07T02:51:00.000-08:00

Source: kylebean.co.uk

Good is...? AFC Bespoke mailer

2011-11-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Source: truth-design.co.uk

Good is...? Parker Brothers re-design

2011-11-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Drawing inspiration from vintage type & illustration and using a limited colour scheme, these packaging redesigns were an attempt to de-construct the ornamental and overdone aesthetic modern board games are known for. The colours work well as a palette due to the subdued tones and the experimental typography reflects this well.

Source: samkittinger.com

Good is...? Falcon Enamelware packaging

2011-11-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Brand identity and packaging for British enamelware manufacturer, Falcon. A great translation of product to packaging, the identity references Falcon’s distinctive blue rim. Simple half-tone illustrations are screen-printed on sturdy corrugated cardboard and a falcon crest acts as a seal of authenticity on every product.

Source: morsestudio.com

Good is...? 1990s in pictures

2011-11-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Good is...? 1990s - Toys

2011-11-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Synonymous with childhood, toys and games are at the forefront of my research due to their positive associations and their span across all decades. Film, television and video games were not as prominent in early eras.

Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles Barbie produced by Mattel
Super Soaker Water Guns
Cupcake Dolls were produced by Tonka. They looked similar to a southern belle and smelled like cupcakes as well as turned into cupcakes. They came with a dress and a plastic hat that could be fastened with a string that could be tied under their chin. The dress was made of rubber covered with cloth and if the doll's head was pushed down and the dress turned upward, the doll would become a cupcake with the hat being the frosting on top.
Power Rangers
Polly Pocket
Stretch Armstrong
My Little Pony produced by Hasbro was popular in the early part of the 1990s decade before it transitioned further away from the 1980s. Then this toy made a brief comeback starting in 1997.
Secret Wish Horse was made by Tyco. They were colorful plastic horses that had rooted eyelashes and a bejeweled saddle. One of the jewels could be removed and used as a key to unlock the hidden surprise within the saddle. The surprise usually consisted of a ring or earrings. They also came with a magic 8 ball necklace so that little girls could make wishes.
Magic Touch Horse were plastic horses that came in different shades of the rainbow. They had symbols on their hips that when pressed would light up the hooves or plastic flowers in the mane. Some of them even played music.
Sega Game Gear
Care Bears
Transformers (Toy Line)
Littlest Pet Shop
Beanie Babies (TY)
Sky Dancers
Troll Doll
Giga Pets
Tamagotchi
Hot Wheels
Skip It
Bop It
Pogs
Creepy Crawlers produced by Mattel
Fantasy Fillies were produced by Empire/Marchon and designed by the designer of Fashion Star Fillies by Kenner (1987). They were plastic horses that came in a wide aray of colors. They all had glittery symbols on their hips.
Cabbage Patch Horses produced by Hasbro were rubber ponies that came in several different color variations and some had glittery bodies. Also, some had hair that could be combed while others had yarn for hair.
Lisa Frank
Pokemon
Furby
Poo-Chi
Puppy Surprise
Pound Puppies
Animorphs
Thin Ice board game
Trouble board game
Sorry board game
Jenga board game
Guess Who game
Connect Four game
Perfection game
Pretty Pretty Princess board game
Laser Tag
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sega Genesis
Mr. Bucket
Sony PlayStation
Nintendo 64
Game Boy Color
Rollerblades
Razor Scooter

Good is...? 1990s - Technology

2011-11-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

The 1990s were an incredibly revolutionary decade for digital technology. Cell phones of the early 1990s and earlier were very large, lacked extra features, and were used by only a few percent of the population of even the wealthiest nations. Only a few million people used online services in 1990, and the World Wide Web had only just been invented. By 2001, more than 50% of some Western countries had Internet access, and more than 25% had cell phone access.

On 6 August 1991, CERN, a pan European organization for particle research, publicized the new World Wide Web project. Although the basic applications and guidelines that make the Internet possible had existed for almost two decades, the network did not gain a public face until the 1990s.
Y2K spread fear throughout the United States and eventually the world in the last half of the decade particularly 1999 about possible massive computer malfunctions on January 1, 2000. As a result, many people stocked up on supplies for fear of a world wide disaster. Eventually no globally significant computer failures occurred when the clocks rolled over into 2000.
Advancements in computer modems, ISDN, cable modems, and DSL lead to faster connection to the Internet.
The Pentium processor is developed by Intel.
E-mail becomes popular; as a result Microsoft acquires the popular Hotmail webmail service.
Instant messaging and the Buddy list becomes popular. AIM and ICQ are two early protocols.
Businesses start to build E-commerce websites; E-commerce-only companies such as Amazon.com, eBay, AOL, and Yahoo! grow rapidly.
The introduction of affordable, smaller satellite dishes and the DVB-S standard in the mid-1990s expanded satellite television services that carried up to 500 television channels.
The first MP3 Player, the MPMan, is released in late spring of 1998. It came with 32Mb of flash memory expandable to 64Mb. By the mid 2000s, the Mp3 player would overtake the CD player in popularity.
The first GSM network is launched in Finland in 1991.
Digital SLRs and regular digital cameras become commercially available. They would replace film cameras by the mid 2000s.
IBM introduces the 1-inch (25 mm) wide Microdrive hard drive in 170 MB and 340 MB capacities.
Apple introduces the iMac computer, initiating a trend in computer design towards translucent plastics and multicolor case design, discontinuing many legacy technologies like serial ports, and beginning a resurgence in the company's fortunes that continues unabated to this day.
CD burner drives are introduced.
The CD-ROM drive became standard for most personal computers during the decade.
The DVD media format is developed and popularized along with a plethora of Flash memory card standards.
Pagers are initially popular but ultimately are replaced by mobile phones by the early 2000s. Hand-held satellite phones are introduced towards the end of the decade.

Video games

The 1990s were a decade of marked innovation in video gaming. It was a decade of transition from sprite-based graphics to full fledged 3D graphics and it gave rise to several genres of video games including, but not limited to, the first person shooter, real-time strategy, survival horror, and MMO. Handheld gaming began to become more popular throughout the decade, thanks in part to the release of the Game Boy. Arcade games, although still relatively popular in the early 1990s, begin a decline as home consoles become more common.

4th generation

Starting in 1987 and ending in 1996, the fourth generation of video game consoles consisted primarily of games and systems programmed for the 16-bit era.[citation needed] During this generation, 2D graphics had improved over the previous generation and experimentation began to occur with 3D graphics, although 3D games were more prevalent on the PC at the time. The fourth generation also was the first time Compact Discs were considered a viable port for video game retail sales with the CD-i. Some of the most notable systems released during this generation were the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1990), the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis (1988), and the Neo Geo (1990).[1] Nintendo's Game Boy was also released during the fourth generation, which would later become the most popular series of handheld gaming systems during the 1990s. A rivalry between Sega and Nintendo occurred during this generation, starting the first ever console war.

5th generation

Approximately starting in 1993 and ending in 2002, the fifth generation of video games are most widely known to be the 32/64 bit era and for being the transition period for video games to evolve into the third dimension.[citation needed] The Nintendo 64 (1996), PlayStation (1995), and Sega Saturn (1995) are considered to be the big three gaming systems of this generation.[citation needed] With the introduction of the PlayStation and Saturn, compact discs (CDs) began to replace cartridges however the Nintendo 64 remained loyal to them due to the load times on CDs at the time and became one of the last cartridge based systems in mass production.

Technological Innovation

Said to be one of the most revolutionary video games, Super Mario 64 was praised for how it took to 3D environments of wide open spaces and graphics at the time. Many games that moved onto 3D also tried to mimic Mario's success. Instead of pixels, polygons became a standard sight to be in video games from then on as they looked more lifelike when programmed into the right shapes.

Nearly every system released in the mid-late 1990s began to move to the new CD-ROM technology, with the Nintendo 64 being the last major home video game console to use ROM cartridges. Also appealing to publishers was the fact that CDs could be produced at significantly less expense and with more flexibility (it was easy to change production to meet demand), and they were able to pass the lower costs onto consumers. In particular, the fifth generation marked a turning point for optical-based storage media. As games grew more complex in content, sound, and graphics, the CD proved more than capable of providing enough space for the extra data. The cartridge format, however, was pushed beyond the limits of its storage capacity. Consequently, many game developers shifted their support away from the Nintendo 64 to the PlayStation.

Controllers

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System game controller introduced a more rounded dog-bone like design and added two more face buttons, "X" and "Y", arranging the four in a diamond formation. Another addition was the "L" and "R" shoulder buttons, which have been imitated by most controllers since.

The PlayStation controller was the first standard operating device for a home console to use two handle-bars at the bottom of the controller whereas previously this feature had been relegated to niche specialist controllers. This has been standard in most game controllers since, until the Wii appeared.

The Virtual Boy controller was a controller which utilized dual joypads similar to how analog sticks functioned in later "dual control" sixth-generation systems. The presence of two pads was an effort to control objects in a 3D environment (one pad controlling pitch and turning while the other controlling forward movement and strafing).

In 1996 Nintendo introduced the first analog thumbstick on the Nintendo 64 controller. It was subsequently followed in the industry during the fifth generation by the Sega Analog controller (packaged with Nights into Dreams...), the Sony Dual Analog gamepad which introduced the use of two analog sticks, and the Sony DualShock. Since then, all major video game console controllers have included two analog thumbsticks, except for the Wii's "Wii-mote".

Good is...? 1990s - Popular culture

2011-11-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Film

Titanic becomes a cultural phenomenon throughout the world, and eventually becomes the highest grossing film of all time, grossing over $1.8 billion worldwide. It would hold this record for over a decade until 2010 when director James Cameron had another one of his films take the title, that being Avatar.[16] The films produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios became popular once more when the studio returned to making traditionally animated musical family classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. This era was known as the Disney Renaissance.

Disney Renaissance

An era from the late 1980s to the late 1990s during which Walt Disney Animation Studios returned to making successful animated films mostly based on classic fairy tale stories, restoring public and critical interest in Disney.

Animated fims include: The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998) and Tarzan (1999). Nine of the ten films in the Disney Renaissance were nominated for Academy Awards

Full-length films and independent cinema

The 1990s were notable in both the rise of independent cinema – as well as independent studios such as Miramax, Lions Gate, and New Line – and the advancements in CGI-technology, seen in such films as Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Twister, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Titanic.

CGI

Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. The visual scenes may be either dynamic or static. The term computer animation refers to dynamic CGI rendered as a movie. The term virtual world refers to agent-based, interactive environments.

Television

TV shows, mostly sitcoms, were popular with the American audience. Series such as "Roseanne" and "Seinfeld", both which premiered in the late eighties, and "Frasier", a spin-off of the 1980s hit "Cheers" were viewed throughout the 1990s. These sitcoms, along with "Friends", "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", "Full House", "Married... with Children", "Everybody Loves Raymond", and "Martin", turned TV in new directions and defined the humor of the decade.

Notable broadcasts:

1990 - First broadcast of Beverly Hills, 90210, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Law & Order, Tiny Toon Adventures, and Twin Peaks
1991 - First broadcast of Home Improvement, Nummer 28, The Julekalender, Æon Flux, Rugrats and Ren and Stimpy
1992 - First broadcast of The Larry Sanders Show, Cha Cha Cha, Melrose Place, and Absolutely Fabulous; Cartoon Network launched
1993 - First broadcast of the Late Show with David Letterman, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cracker, The X-Files and Frasier
1994 - First broadcast of Friends, The Kingdom and ER
1995 - First broadcast of Father Ted, NileCity 105,6 and Neon Genesis Evangelion; O. J. Simpson murder trial televised; The History Channel launched
1996 - First broadcast of Jamais deux sans toi...t, Percy tårar, Detective Conan, The Daily Show and Our Friends in the North; first high-definition television broadcasts; Al Jazeera launched; first DVDs and DVD players go on sale
1997 - First broadcast of Fóstbræður, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Un gars, une fille, South Park, Alles Kan Beter and I'm Alan Partridge
1998 - First broadcast of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Studio Julmahuvi, The Powerpuff Girls, Cowboy Bebop, That '70s Show, Sex and the City and The Royle Family
1999 - First broadcast of The Sopranos, SpongeBob SquarePants, Futurama, The West Wing, Big Brother (Netherlands), Yo soy Betty, la fea, Freaks and Geeks, One Piece and Trick; Bhutan is the last country on Earth to begin regular broadcasts; first digital video recorders released by TiVo

Medical dramas started to come into television in the ‘90s. One show stood out as a critical and ratings success for NBC. In 1994, "ER", which starred Anthony Edwards and George Clooney, was a domestic and international success, lasting until 2009 and spawning series such as "Grey's Anatomy" (2005–present). It made NBC the most watched channel in the USA. This show launched the career of George Clooney.

The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a working class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield and parodies American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition.

The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and was an early hit for Fox, becoming the network's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990).

The show has made it beyond 2010 and has become an institution of pop culture. It has spawned the adult-oriented animated sitcom genre, inspiring racier shows such as "Beavis and Butt-head" (1993–1997) along with "South Park" and "Family Guy", the latter two of which began in 1997 and 1999 respectively and continue to air new episodes through the 2000s and into the 2010s.

Good is...? 1990s

2011-11-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

The 1990s, also known as "the Nineteen Nineties" or abbreviated as "the Nineties" or "the '90s", was the decade that started on January 1, 1990, and ended on December 31, 1999. It was the last full decade of both the 20th century and the 2nd millennium.

The Information age

It is often considered the dawn of the 'Information age', an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously. The idea is linked to the concept of a digital age or digital revolution, and carries the ramifications of a shift from traditional industry that the industrial revolution brought through industrialization, to an economy based on the manipulation of information, i.e., an information society.

Though the Internet itself has existed since 1969, it was with the invention of the World Wide Web in 1989 by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee and its implementation in 1991 that the Internet truly became a global network. Today the Internet has become the ultimate platform for accelerating the flow of information and is, today, the fastest-growing form of media, and is pushing many, if not most, other forms of media into obsolescence.

The end of Modernity?

The 1990s is often considered the end of Modernity and the dawn of the current Postmodern age, even though the first traces of postmodernity takes places as far back as the 1940s.[1] Living standards and democratic governance generally improved in many areas of the world, notably East Asia, much of Eastern Europe, Latin America, and South Africa. The economies and living standards of some countries such as South Korea and Ireland improved to such an extent that they were considered 1st World nations by the decades end.

Good is...? Help Remedies range

2011-11-04T08:48:00.001-07:00

Help Remedies’ products are simple solutions for everyday, minor worries. "Instead of making medicine that's complicated and difficult, we made medicine that wasn't complicated and difficult." Their drugs use single-active ingredients; are made with the fewest possible coatings and dyes and therefore ultimately, there is less confusion; this is reflected in their choice of copy and packaging.

Good is...? AKG Headphones packaging

2011-11-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

My sister recently bought some AKG headphones and I was immediately drawn to the packaging as inspiration for my 'Good is? Nostalgia pack'. The box is opened using tear perforations running along the top and bottom. The lid is opened, revealing a section covering the majority of the contents; the front features a photograph of the product itself and the underside lists the technical specifications.

The contents are displayed in moulded plastic sections; the idea of segmented packaging is what I want to create for my nostalgia pack. The monochrome colour scheme is modern, professional and sophisticated and connotes expense and quality.

Good is...? Smell and memory

2011-11-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Smell

A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people's moods and even affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it's sometimes called the "emotional brain," smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously.

The olfactory bulb has intimate access to the amygdala, which processes emotion, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for associative learning. Despite the tight wiring, however, smells would not trigger memories if it weren't for conditioned responses. When you first smell a new scent, you link it to an event, a person, a thing or even a moment. Your brain forges a link between the smell and a memory -- associating the smell of chlorine with summers at the pool or lilies with a funeral. When you encounter the smell again, the link is already there, ready to elicit a memory or a mood. Chlorine might call up a specific pool-related memory or simply make you feel content. Lilies might agitate you without your knowing why. This is part of the reason why not everyone likes the same smells.

Because we encounter most new odors in our youth, smells often call up childhood memories. But we actually begin making associations between smell and emotion before we're even born. Infants who were exposed to alcohol, cigarette smoke or garlic in the womb show a preference for the smells. To them, the smells that might upset other babies seem normal or even comforting.

Scent and Marketing

vAdvertisers are eager to cash in on the close link between smell, memory and mood. Real estate agents have long used scent marketing as a way of putting clients at ease. Sellers set fresh pie or cookies on countertops to make a house seem comfy and livable. But because there's a limit to how many pies one agent can bake, companies that sell aroma-marketing systems are stepping up. Housing developments, hotels, stores and even car manufacturers are turning to customized scents to help set a mood and maybe even make an impression.

Scent marketing is the latest trick to stand out from the visual and auditory barrage that dominates advertising. These scents, however, are a far cry from the strong smells of incense and patchouli at the bead store. They're subtle and almost imperceptible to the unwitting sniffer. Developers use carefully tuned scents to lure customers into a sense of well-being. Stores that sell shoes or shirts, items ideally not associated with odor, formulate aromas of ivy or crisp linen. Some companies even strive to develop a "brand scent," something that customers will associate with the company as much as a logo.

Good is...? 2011 D&AD Annual

2011-11-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

This annual by Pentagram showcases many works from a diverse range of artists and designers. Given exclusively to D&AD members (in a limited quantity), the book is enveloped in an outer carton which features the D&AD mark in one colour plus stock. The cover itself features the mark in photographic form featuring the symbols on several planes highlighted by their shadows (as seen below).

The annual itself is centered on design, hence the use of a clean and structured design aesthetic throughout in order to showcase the work, much like art on a gallery. Thumb cut-outs indicate specific sections, allowing the user to locate a particular piece of content.

Pentagram made sure one of the main priorities was the environmental aspect due to the huge quantity of content. The team researched materials and processes to ensure that the book was the most sustainably produced D&AD annual.

Source: http://pentagram.com/en/new/2011/11/new-work-dad-annual.php

Good is...? Packaging - Bento Box

2011-11-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

Bento is is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware.

Good is...? Plutchik's wheel of emotion

2011-10-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Robert Plutchik was professor emeritus at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and adjunct professor at the University of South Florida. He considered there to be eight primary emotions - anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy.

He created a wheel of emotions in 1980 which consisted of 8 basic emotions and 8 advanced emotions each composed of 2 basic ones. His model makes connections between the idea of an emotion circle and a color wheel. Like colors, primary emotions can be expressed at different intensities and can mix with one another to form different emotions.

Good is...? Points of research

2011-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

During the tutorial with Lorenzo, it was noted that even with a defined concept such as nostalgia and the five senses, there are many points of research which I could look into in more depth.

Emotions (in general)
How we process emotions
The 5 senses
Medicine (and its packaging)
Childhood films/tv programmes
Childhood toys, technology, gadgets
80s/90s music

Good is...? Nostalgia pack inspiration

2011-10-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

This complex medicine first aid kit uses various drawers, segments, pull outs etc to package various items. Green and white are most commonly associated with health and first aid and the cleanliness, use of negative space and minimal composition references this. The pack opens via two drawers either side, splitting the first aid "+" symbol in half, revealing several compartments.

Source: courtesy of Steph, cheers.

Good is...? The 5 Senses

2011-10-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

Definition

A faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus; one of the faculties of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

The 5 (?) senses

Human beings have a multitude of senses. In addition to the traditionally recognized five senses of sight (ophthalmoception), hearing (audioception), taste (gustaoception), smell (olfacoception or olfacception), and touch (tactioception), other senses include temperature (thermoception), kinesthetic sense (proprioception), pain (nociception), balance (equilibrioception) and acceleration (kinesthesioception). What constitutes a sense is a matter of some debate, leading to difficulties in defining what exactly a sense is.

Sight

Sight or vision is the ability of the eye(s) to focus and detect images of visible light on photoreceptors in the retina of each eye that generates electrical nerve impulses for varying colors, hues, and brightness.

There are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Rods are very sensitive to light, but do not distinguish colors. Cones distinguish colors, but are less sensitive to dim light. There is some disagreement as to whether this constitutes one, two or three senses. Neuroanatomists generally regard it as two senses, given that different receptors are responsible for the perception of color and brightness.

Some argue that stereopsis, the perception of depth using both eyes, also constitutes a sense, but it is generally regarded as a cognitive (that is, post-sensory) function of the visual cortex of the brain where patterns and objects in images are recognized and interpreted based on previously learned information, This is called visual memory. The inability to see is called blindness.

Hearing

Hearing or audition is the sense of sound perception. Hearing is all about vibration. Mechanoreceptors turn motion into electrical nerve pulses, which are located in the inner ear. Since sound is vibrations propagating through a medium such as air, the detection of these vibrations, that is the sense of the hearing, is a mechanical sense because these vibrations are mechanically conducted from the eardrum through a series of tiny bones to hair-like fibers in the inner ear, which detect mechanical motion of the fibers within a range of about 20 to 20,000 hertz, with substantial variation between individuals.

Taste

Taste (or, the more formal term, gustation) is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc. Humans receive tastes through sensory organs called taste buds, or gustatory calyculi, concentrated on the upper surface of the tongue.

The sensation of taste can be categorized into five basic tastes: sweetness, bitterness, sourness, saltiness, and umami. The recognition and awareness of umami is a relatively recent development in Western cuisine. MSG produces a strong umami taste.

Smell

Smell or olfaction is the other "chemical" sense. Unlike taste, there are hundreds of olfactory receptors (388 according to one source), each binding to a particular molecular feature. Odor molecules possess a variety of features and, thus, excite specific receptors more or less strongly. This combination of excitatory signals from different receptors makes up what we perceive as the molecule's smell.

In the brain, olfaction is processed by the olfactory system. Olfactory receptor neurons in the nose differ from most other neurons in that they die and regenerate on a regular basis. The inability to smell is called anosmia. Some neurons in the nose are specialized to detect pheromones.

Touch

Touch, also called tactition or mechanoreception, is a perception resulting from activation of neural receptors, generally in the skin including hair follicles, but also in the tongue, throat, and mucosa. A variety of pressure receptors respond to variations in pressure (firm, brushing, sustained, etc.).

The touch sense of itching caused by insect bites or allergies involves special itch-specific neurons in the skin and spinal cord. The loss or impairment of the ability to feel anything touched is called tactile anesthesia. Paresthesia is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of the skin that may result from nerve damage and may be permanent or temporary.

Good is...? "My earliest memory..."

2011-10-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Insightful blog where people can submitted their earliest memory; full of nostalgia.

myearliestmemory.tumblr.com

Good is...? Packaging inspiration

2011-10-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

In reference to today's studio workshop (here), I decided to look at existing packaging designs in relation to the 'nostalgia pack' design idea I devised.

Higgins India Ink

This hand-crafted wooden box with black and white labels was designed by Alex Sophocles. The traditional aesthetic of the box itself and the bottles used for the ink compliment the gothic type of the logo, whilst still retaining a sleek and concise approach to the design as a whole. The contents are cushioned therefore there is no need for individual segments to hold each item.

Source: designworklife.com

AWPIAMO

"A white page is a missed opportunity". Creation of a book questioning the responsibility and commitment of the graphic designer.

Source: saywhat-studio.com

LG Design Studio

This book showcases the work of LG Design Studio over the past 2 years and due to its confidentiality (of only being handed out to the senior members of the team) the designers developed and styled the book using the concept of a secret dossier with subtle technical details throughout. To convey the secrecy and exclusivity of the work each book was delivered in individually number-stamped envelopes.

Source: territorystudio.com

Team Impression - Process is Form

2011-10-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

At the end of the print visit with Team, they gave us each a book entitled 'Process is Form'.

This book by Team impression, has been produced to encourage readers to analyse and consider more closely the relationship between the process and mechanics of print production and the practice of design and visual communication. The book is illustrated throughout with combinations of special colours and print techniques along with photographs of industrial objects liberated from their everyday habit.

The hexagonal illustrations are a combination of 1-4 colours, spot UV varnishes and foils. Certain elements of print production such as guillotine blades and wash-up bottles are photographed on plinths to show how print is an art form in itself.

Good is...? Logo case study

2011-10-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

Lorraine e-mailed out some thought-provoking logo case-studies from various companies. The following, by Danzk, is particular insightful.

Danzk

DANZK is an upcoming blog that seeks to explore the lifestyle aspect of Denmark, including culture, food, art and design. It intends to educate the Danish customs to locals a well as tourists from abroad.

Pete Lacey aka 'Chopeh' was the designer who was sought to devise their logo. He states the brief was simple; "Create a stylish and modern identity that had a relationship to Danish design, but one that didn’t use cliché elements."

Process

He wanted to make sure there was a subtle connection between the logo and Denmark therefore he began by looking at Danish design and in particular, furniture. The simplicity and functionalism of these designs became the start point to his logo design process.

Using these two key words, he decided to break the word DANZK down into its most functional and simple parts. Using minimal sketches with little refinement, he started to generate various design ideas.

Using grid paper, he was able to incorporate some sort of structure to a chosen design concept, making the lines more accurate etc. He states this a long process as it usually requires a lot of refinement and tweaking before getting near towards the final outcome.

Once he settled on a final design, he started to focus on the letterforms in more depth and started to form the logotype. He states, "I wasn’t particularly happy with the right-hand cap of the N and the left-hand cap of the Z sitting so close together. Technically they were correct, but I didn’t like the repetition. I set about working on a way to bring the N & Z together neatly."

During the digital stage, he says "I find it helpful to look at the semi-final logo on different media. I print it off, look at it at the standard ‘web’ size logo and I even send it to my iPhone. This way I get to look at the logo at different sizes, light conditions and distances. It really helps you get a feel for the logo, to make sure that the rhythmn is right. It’s also worth at this stage to get some critque from other professionals."

After a few small adjustments, he has his final logotype.

What is design for print? Proofing & Preflight

2011-10-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Preflight

The term preflight check originates from the aviation industry where it is a standard procedure for pilots to go over a checklist before lift-off. Preflight checks (preflighting) for print documents have a similar idea in mind. They run trough all the files you used in the document to see if they're missing, changed or anything else that might have happened to the file.

Back in the day, preflight programs or plug-ins gathered all used fonts before sending off your document to the printer. With the rise of PDF this process changed as fonts are included fully or in part in the PDF file. A (modern) preflight check checks all used images and fonts in the file, if the files can be found at their indicated locations, if they're in CMYK and if fonts are used and load correct. On occasion copyrighted fonts cause problems with being embedded in the PDF file. This also is checked in the preflight check.

InDesign

Click File > Preflight… in the menu to open the Preflight Check dialog screen. Here you'll find categorized sections to check your documents on errors and missing files. A small warning icon indicates problem areas.

If there are any files missing you can replace those from the Preflight Check dialog screen. If - for any reason - you can't send a packaged PDF to your printer, there's also the option to package all external files in one directory to send those separately with your layout document.

However, there are some general proofing issues which preflight does not cover. These include:

Is the bleed correct? Does the size comply with the printers request.
Are your color separations correct? No PMS colors mixing with your CMYK or the other way around.
Are you exporting with the correct registration marks? Check if image resolutions are good enough (300 dpi for standard print work)
Is the size of the document correct? Are you adding the bleed size to the document size?

Source: printernational.org

What is design for print? Multi-tone

2011-10-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

Multi-tone

Duotone is the generic name for multitone printing, which can be done with two, three or four inks. This process requires that the press be set up with special inks, usually PANTONE-designated colors, instead of the standard CMYK inks used for process color printing. Usually the images are printed with a dark base color and a lighter second color, overprinted to fill in, tint and tone the photo or graphic.

Duotone color mode in Photoshop supports between one to four colors of ink. Because home inkjet printers are far better at printing full-color images than black and white, many photographers and designers use Photoshop Duotone processing to improve their artwork/prints. Photoshop's Duotone mode is also commonly used for creating sepia toned prints, using black and yellow inks, sometimes with a third colour.

There are 4 types of multitone images in all. Each one contains the number of inks as the name implies:

Monotone grayscale images printed with a single ink
Duotone grayscale images printed with two inks
Tritone grayscale images printed with three inks
Quadtone grayscale images printed with four ink

Source: printernational.org

(Images below are from the Photoshop induction)

What is design for print? Printing processes

2011-10-17T03:22:00.000-07:00

(Offset) lithgography

It is the most widely used printing technique on the market, suitable for printing on paper, cardboard, plastic and other flat materials. Offset is used for printing books, newspaper, stationery, packaging, etc. The following video (provided by Lorenzo) explains the offset process in more depth which I have summarised below:

In addition to size, page count, colour coverage and quantity the estimator also evaluates press time, special paper order, labour and shipping costs. This must be done efficiently to get the best price. Each file is inspected carefully to make sure they have all the fonts, colour palettes and high resolution graphics - a sample is then given to the client

The colours are then separated into the four colour process colours or PMS (Pantone) colours. Each colour is then etched into thin, aluminium plates which are then taken to the press to print the job.

The press is comprised of four separate presses, one in each tower. The four plates are then wrapped around a plate cylinder in each of these 'towers'.

There needs to be the right balance of ink and water to keep the non image area, clean. The image is transferred as a reverse image from the plate to a blanket (rubber pad) which is locked tightly around the blanket cylinder. The paper is moved from unit to unit to create the full composite image. The impression cylinder squeezes the paper at just the right pressure to make sure the print is as smooth as possible.

Flexography

In flexography a flexible (typically rubber) printing plate is used, which extends the range of substrates that can be printed on. A positive, mirror image rubber polymer plate on a cylinder, transfers 'sticky ink' directly onto the print surface. It can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate including plastic, cellophane and paper. Examples of products are crisp packets and bottle labels.

Ink Roller The Ink Roller transfers the ink that is located in the ink pan to the second roller, which is the Anilox Roller.
Anilox Roller This is what makes Flexography unique. The Anilox Roller meters the predetermined ink that is transferred for uniform thickness. It has engraved cells that carry a certain capacity of inks that can only be seen with a microscope.
Plate Cylinder The Plate Cylinder holds the printing plate, which is soft flexible rubber. Sticky 2-way tape is used to mount the plate to the Plate Cylinder.
Impression Cylinder The Impression Cylinder applies pressure to the Plate Cylinder, where the image is transferred to the substrate.

Benefits of Flexography printing

Better resolution and ability to print four color process (or more).
Increased ability to reproduce highlight tonal values.
Uses a wider range of inks, and can print on a variety of different materials.
Inks have low viscosity to enable faster drying
Faster production and lower costs.

Digital print

(definition courtesy of wikipedia) Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large format and/or high volume laser or inkjet printers.

Digital printing has a higher cost per page than more traditional offset printing methods but this price is usually offset by the cost saving in avoiding all the technical steps in between needed to make printing plates. It also allows for on demand printing, short turn around, and even a modification of the image (variable data) with each impression. The savings in labor and ever increasing capability of digital presses means digital printing is reaching a point where it will match or supersede offset printing technology's ability to produce larger print runs at a low price

Rotogravure

Gravure is a type of the intaglio printing process that involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. Gravure printing presses two large print reels of paper together rather than sheets of paper. This type of printing is the fastest and widest printing press in operation. It is capable of transferring more ink to the paper than other printing processes, and is also noted for its remarkable density range.

A gravure printing press has one designated printing unit for each color, commonly CMYK. While the press is in operation, the engraved cylinder is partially immersed into the ink fountain, filling the recessed cells. As the cylinder rotates, it draws ink out of the fountain with it. Acting as a squeegee, the doctor blade scrapes the cylinder before it makes contact with the paper removing ink from the non-printing (non-recessed) areas. Next, the paper gets sandwiched between the impression roller and the gravure cylinder. This is where the ink gets transferred from the recessed cells to the paper.

The purpose of the impression roller is to apply force, by pressing the paper onto the gravure cylinder, ensuring maximum coverage of ink. Then the paper goes through a dryer because it must be completely dry before going through the next color unit and absorbing another coat of ink.

Screen print

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A roller or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of the woven mesh in the open areas.

Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced through the mesh onto the printing surface. It is also known as silkscreen, serigraphy, and serigraph printing.

Screenprinting is more versatile than traditional printing techniques. The surface does not have to be printed under pressure, unlike etching or lithography, and it does not have to be planar. Different inks can be used to work with a variety of materials, such as textiles, ceramics, wood, paper, glass, metal, and plastic. As a result, screenprinting is used in many different industries, including:

Balloons
Clothing
Decals
Medical devices
Printed electronics, including circuit board printing
Product labels
Signs and displays
Snowboard graphics
Textile fabric
Thick film technology
... and so on

CMYK printing (screen angles)

To improve print quality and reduce moiré patterns, the screen for each color is set at a different angle. While the angles depend on how many colors are used and the preference of the press operator, typical CMYK process printing uses any of the following screen angles (in degrees)

C: 15, 15, 105

M: 74, 45, 75

Y: 0, 0, 90

K: 45, 75, 15

What is design for print? GF Smith

2011-10-17T03:12:00.000-07:00

GFSmith is an independent British company that has been providing the creative world with inspiration for over a century. They are a company who specialise in paper and cover a diverse range of colours, weights, sizes, formats and finishes. Their downloadable resources will be useful in showcasing how vast the possible choice of stocks is.

"Our distinctive coloured and textured papers are widely regarded as the definitive collection of premium materials for design and print. We believe this distinction has come from our long-standing ties with world-renowned mills; our innovation in sources, materials and techniques; and an ingrained sense of pride in our products."

A significant proportion of GFSmith papers are guaranteed for digital printing. Many of their coloured, textured, metallic, FSC accredited and recycled papers are approved for HP Indigo, Xerox iGen, Kodak Nexpress, Colour Laser and Inkjet technologies.

Stationery

Many papers from their ranges are ideal for stationery use, and a certain number have been specifically engineered with that function in mind. They all feature ideal weights for letterheads and business cards, and matching envelopes are available in both standard and

Coloured paper (Colourplan)

Colorplan is a classic collection of coloured papers and boards available in 56colours, 8 weights and 25 embossings. Available with matching envelopes, cut sizesand a unique duplexing service for 540 and 700gsm finished weight in the same or contrasting colours. Envelopes are available in all shades of Colorplan, C6, DL, window and bespoke sizes.

Colorplan is the cornerstone of the GFSmith portfolio. This iconic range of premium coloured papers and boards is generally considered to be indispensable within the design industry. Choose from a broad palette of 50 colours, 8 weights and 25 embossed textures. We should also highlight the fact that Colorplan is guaranteed for digital printing and has FSC accreditation.

(click for larger preview)

Colorplan

Housed in a Pale Grey one-piece Clamshell box, six books guide the user through the paper selection process.

Select Colour - The entire collection of colour stocks shown as chips by colour and shade, with accompanying stock charts broken up by pages of photography.

Select Black+White - All black, white and every monochrome shade in-between shown as chips, with accompanying stock charts.

1 Colorplan/2 Smooths/3 Textures/4 Specials - Individual books showing every colour and weight as a large swatch, grouped by paper/brand type and interleaved with Factory Yellow spec pages that double as section dividers.

Source: septemberindustry.co.uk

What is design for print? The problem with paper?

2011-10-17T03:11:00.000-07:00

This is an insightful blog post about the problem with paper in terms of published standards

Typically paper - the most used printing substrate - accounts for some 30-50 percent of the overall print project cost. And despite the fact that it is also often the most expensive component of the final presswork it's surprising that there are no published standards, specifications or trade customs in the paper industry.

The assignment of a particular grade to a quality category and the establishment of sales policies are made by each paper mill based on its own internal evaluation of its products relative to those of its competitors. That makes direct, objective, competitive comparisons between different papers virtually impossible.

The color of paper is identified using adjectives like "cream","natural", "white", etc. rather than objective definitions such as the CIEL*a*b* coordinates that printers use. Again, there are no specifications or tolerances provided by mills as to the consistency of a specific paper color either through the stack, roll, or when the same brand is supplied by mills located in different regions.

The brightness of the sheet is one common measure of distinction. It is measured by comparing the amount of light reflected by the paper surface to the amount of the same light reflected by the surface of magnesium oxide established as the standard of 100%. A common term used in quoting the measure is “G.E. brightness,” although G.E. no longer manufactures the measuring instrument. "Brightness" is also not a measurement that printers or buyers can measure themselves. Even though variation is part of every manufacturing process, there are no defined tolerances for paper brightness.

There are no specifications or tolerances or even notification of optical brightener agent content. This has become a major issue as the mills have mostly switched from clay fillers to calcium carbonate. This problem has resulted in the fact that papers today, for the most part, no longer meet the ISO 12647 specification. Papers with optical brighteners are impossible to visually match between printing technologies which can cause severe disconnects between proof and presswork as well as greater color shifting as presswork and proof are viewed under different lighting conditions.

"Caliper" defines the thickness of paper, measured in thousandths of an inch, which can also be expressed as a point size - e.g. If the caliper of a paper measures .009 inches it is a "9 point" stock. As paper caliper varies, presswork color may also vary. But again there are no defined tolerances for paper caliper either through the stack, roll, or across the width or length of the sheet.

Source: qualityinprint.blogspot.com

What is design for print? Stock considerations

2011-10-17T02:37:00.000-07:00

Following on from this post, I decided to look at paper stock in more depth.

Paper density

The paper density of a type of paper or cardboard is the mass of the product per unit of area. The term density here is not used in its traditional sense of mass per unit volume. "Paper density", rather, is a measure of the area density. Paper products that let little or no light pass through (e.g. poster board) are considered dense or heavy. Paper products that allow some light to pass through (e.g. tissue paper) are considered lightweight.

In the metric system, the density of all types of paper and paperboard is expressed in terms of grams per square metre (g/m²). Typical office paper has 80 g/m², therefore a typical A4 sheet (1⁄16 m²) weighs 5 g. The unofficial unit symbol "gsm" instead of the standard "g/m²" is also widely encountered in English speaking countries.

Moo business cards

"We love paper as much we love print. We never settle for second best and we don’t see why you should either. There’s no sneaky hidden charges for ‘better’ paper, because 'better paper' is MOO’s standard paper."

Source: uk.moo.com

Weight: 350gsm
Finish: Matte Laminate, silky, faintly reflective.
Print quality: Crisp white, reproduces colour well.
Production: Sourced from sustainable forests. Elemental Chlorine free.
Which means: Choose this thick stock for its great print quality and smooth satin feel.

Weight: 352gsm
Finish: A light coating, non reflective
Print quality: Unflecked, equally good for art or photograph
Production: 100% recycled and recyclable. Manufactured using wind power. Free from harmful chemicals.

What is design for print? Paper sizes/formats

2011-10-17T02:35:00.000-07:00

In the ISO paper size system, the height-to-width ratio of all pages is the square root of two (1.4142 : 1). In other words, the width and the height of a page relate to each other like the side and the diagonal of a square. This aspect ratio is especially convenient for a paper size. If you put two such pages next to each other, or equivalently cut one parallel to its shorter side into two equal pieces, then the resulting page will have again the same width/height ratio.

The ISO paper sizes are based on the metric system. The square-root-of-two ratio does not permit both the height and width of the pages to be nicely rounded metric lengths. Therefore, the area of the pages has been defined to have round metric values. As paper is usually specified in g/m≤, this simplifies calculation of the mass of a document if the format and number of pages are known.

ISO A Series

ISO B Series

The B series formats are geometric means between the A series format with the same number and the A series format with one lower number. For example, B1 is a geometric mean between A1 and A0. The sides of B0 are 1 m to v2 m.

ISO Size variations

ISO Envelope sizes

This envelope series was designed to accommodate ISO A size papers. Metric measurements are the finished envelope size. Inch measurements are approximate (calculated at 25.4 mm = 1 inch and rounded off). Although DL is not part of the ISO C series, it is a very widely used standard size. DL, probably at one time the abbreviation of DIN Lang (Deutsche Industrie Norm, Long), is now identified as "Dimension Lengthwise" by ISO 269.

What is design for print? Colour management

2011-10-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

CMYK

The CMYK color model (process color, four color) is a subtractive color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks used in some color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Though it varies by print house, press operator, press manufacturer and press run, ink is typically applied in the order of the abbreviation.

Process colour is generally very good for reproducing pictures but there are some colours that it cannot reproduce well. This is because the gamut (or range) of reproducible color for Process Colour is not as wide as that of RGB color. As a result, certain intense values of colors such as Orange, Green, Blue, and other bright colours can sometimes appear dull or even dirty. On the other hand, bright Reds generally reproduce very well.

Since RGB and CMYK spaces are both device-dependent spaces, there is no simple or general conversion formula that converts between them. Conversions are generally done through color management systems, using color profiles that describe the spaces being converted. Nevertheless, the conversions cannot be exact, particularly where these spaces have different gamuts (as seen below):

The Gamut Warning tool in Photoshop allows you to see what colour are out of the CMYK gamut range. Before converting an RGB image to CMYK, it is useful to use various image adjustments beforehand to achieve similar colours.

RGB

Digital cameras and scanners and create images using combinations of just three colors: Red, Green and Blue (RGB). These are the primary colors of visible light and this how computers and televisions display images on their screens. RGB colors often appear brighter and more vivid specifically because the light is being projected directly into the eyes of the viewer.

This is an "additive" process in which the three colors are combined in different amounts to produce various colors. It is called "additive" because you must add varying amounts of two or more colors to achieve hues and values other than the three basic red, green and blue colors. Computer monitors and televisions vary the amount of each color from 0 to a maximum of 255. Equal maximum amounts of all three colors (often expressed as R255, G255, B255) creates white. The absence of all three colors (R0, G0, B0) creates black. Equal amounts of all three colors somewhere between 0 and 255 will create varying shades of gray.

Source: bestprintingonline.com

Adobe Kuler

Explore colour themes: Browse thousands of color themes created by the Kuler community. Search by tag word, title, creator, or hex color.

Create colour themes: Quickly create themes with the easy-to-use tools in Kuler. Use the color wheel, harmony rules, and color sliders for ultimate customization. You can also upload an image which you are then able to select colours from, forming the basis of a complimentary colour scheme - useful for editorial pieces.

What is design for print? Rich black

2011-10-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

On a computer monitor, there is only one way to represent black. When there is no light coming from the monitor, the screen is black. In print there are many different ways to represent black.

The simplest is "plain black," or 100% black ink (0C, 0M, 0Y, 100K). However, you can also create a "rich black" by printing other inks along with black. There are many different possible ink combinations - the most common "rich black" contains percentages of all 4 inks: 63C, 52M, 51Y 100K. This particular variant owes it's popularity to Adobe Photoshop - when an RGB file is converted to CMYK, areas that are absolute RGB black (R0, G0, B0) will wind up with this combination, unless certain default settings have been changed. Other possible flavors of "rich black" are "Cool Black" (60C, 0M, 0Y, 100K) and "Warm Black" (0C, 60M, 30C, 100K).

The problem with all these blacks is that they all look the same on the computer screen - all of them are represented as R0, G0, B0 - but they will not look the same on paper. A classic beginner's mistake is to take a photoshop image that fades into rich black on all sides, place it in a picture box in the page layout software, and assign the picture box a background of "black" ("black" in page layout software = plain black). This appears to be continuous and uniform on the computer screen. If the layout were to be printed, however, there would be a distinct difference between the areas of rich black and plain black.

The solution to this problem is to measure the ink values in the CMYK (referencing Photoshop's info palette), and create a matching color in the page layout program. Care must be taken that the rich black in the CMYK image is actually continuous; move the cursor around and make sure that the ink values don't fluctuate. Then create a new separated CMYK color in Quark using the Edit>Colors dialog box; you can call it "Rich Black." Assign that color to the background of the picture box. Check your work by printing paper separations before sending out for film. The special-purpose color "registration" is another potential source of black mismatches. On screen, by default, it appears as R0, G0, B0, so it seems as if it might be the same as black. It's not. Registration color prints 100% on all plates. If your layout is CMYK, then registration color is 100C, 100M, 100Y, 100K.

If your layout is CMYK + Pantone 285, then registration color is 100C, 100M, 100Y, 100K, 100Pantone 285. Registration color is used for, appropriately enough, registration marks, explained elsewhere. Do not use it in place of black. Having that much ink go down presents many problems from a printing standpoint. There's no good reason to use anything other than Plain Black or a Rich Black variant.

Source: printernational.org

What is design for print? File types

2011-10-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

We routinely use various file formats for saving, opening, and printing files. But questions persist in many minds about whether the file formats they’ve chosen are in fact appropriate for their print workflow. Are the specific options they selected when saving their files the right ones? Are there other choices that improve the quality of their artwork or output?

Raster and vector Raster art, also called bitmapped art, is comprised of a grid of colored pixels that make up the image. Scanners, digital cameras, screen capture applications, and paint programs generate and save raster art. Vector art is comprised of mathematically defined objects with specific shape parameters like arcs, circles, and squares. CAD (Computer-Aided Design) programs and drawing and illustration packages produce this kind of art.

Tip #1 In Photoshop you can save a copy of the file in its present state while continuing to work on the original file. To do this, check the Save: As a Copy option in the Save As dialog. This is similar to photocopying a document and filing it away for future use, while continuing to work on the original.

I might as well say this upfront: The main file formats used for print work actually do not alter or improve the image data and appearance in any way. They merely control how the file is written to disk. But how a file is written will affect how the file is handled by the application that opens it. A key question: Is the application merely to open the art and print it, or will you be editing, cropping, scaling, and manipulating the art as well? Why different file formats? Most file formats are made to handle a specific kind of artwork, typically either vector or raster art. Luckily, in the print world, recommended file formats handle both kinds of artwork very well. So how do you know which format to use, and when?

It gets a bit confusing when we realize that mainstay applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and QuarkXPress can use raster as well as vector art. So to exchange files between these applications, you should use “standard” formats that can contain any kind of artwork for saving and opening across applications and platforms. The main players in this category are the TIFF, EPS, and PDF formats. Each uses the exact same image data but writes the file with specific permissions and limitations for editing and manipulating the file content in applications.

When to use what format?
Although you might create and archive artwork in its originating application in its “native” format such as PSD, AI, etc., you might also want to save a copy of the file to send to a client or offsite for output. The Save As option in the File menu allows you to save a copy of the file in one of the standard formats. Save As also allows you to rename the file, flatten layers, simplify artwork, reduce the file size, and remove any extras such as annotations, paths, etc. See Tip #1.

Learning standard formats
Each of the standard formats was designed to fulfill a certain need and has unique advantages in certain conditions and workflows.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) TIFF is an industry standard designed for the handling of raster or bitmapped images. It can save black-and-white (1-bit), grayscale, index color (256 color), RGB, LAB, and CMYK images. It supports 8 bits/channel and 16 bits/channel files, and various forms of compression. Saving in TIFF means that you can save or embed an ICC color space profile in the file, making it the format of choice in a colormanaged workflow. In other words, just about any application that can read bitmapped art will open TIFF files. The attractive aspect of TIFF files is that once placed in a program, you can edit, scale, and manipulate all aspects of the artwork!

A CMYK TIFF file will often print faster than another format because of the way the image data is sent to the printer. TIFFs offer a variety of file compression options, including the excellent “lossless” (nondegrading to image quality) LZW compression. Photoshop users can also compress files using lossless ZIP compression, and for higher compression rates and more compact file sizes they can choose “lossy” (degrading to image quality) JPEG compression. In Photoshop CS, the TIFF format will save layers, adjustment layers, and spot colors, though at present these files can be read by very few applications. If you encounter a problem opening a Photoshop TIFF file in a layout program, you’ll need to reopen the file in Photoshop. Choose Save As from the File Menu, check Save: As a Copy, then uncheck any checked boxes pertaining to Alpha Channels, Layers, Annotations, and Spot Colors. Choose TIFF and click Save.

What is design for print? Imposition

2011-10-17T02:04:00.001-07:00

Imposition

(Wikipedia) Imposition is one of the fundamental steps in the prepress printing process. It consists in the arrangement of the printed product’s pages on the printer’s sheet, in order to obtain faster printing, simplified binding and less waste of paper. Correct imposition minimizes printing time by maximizing the number of pages per impression, reducing cost of press time and materials. To achieve this, the printed sheet must be filled as fully as possible.

Imposition can be affected by the following:

Format of the product: The size of the finished page determines how many pages can be printed on a single sheet.
Number of pages of the printed product: The compositor must determine how many sheets are to be printed to create a finished book.
Stitching/binding method: The compositor must understand how the sheets are placed to form the signatures that compose the finished book.
Paper fiber direction: Many papers have a "grain," reflecting the alignment of the paper fibers. That these fibers must run lengthwise along the fold influences the alignment, hence the position, of the pages on the printed sheet.
Finishing and binding

Imposition Software carries out the most important task in the printing industry. Print operators will print books using huge sheets of paper, to be folded later. This allows for faster printing and lower production costs. Imposition is the process of arranging pages correctly prior to printing so that they fold in the correct order. To someone unfamiliar with the imposition process, the pages may seem to be arranged randomly; but after printing, the paper is folded, bound and trimmed. If correctly imposed, the pages should all appear in the correct orientation and readable sequence.

Imposition dummy

An imposition dummy should be created in order to envision how the pages relate to one another.

What is design for print? Using pantone/spot colours

2011-10-17T01:58:00.000-07:00

Last year I bought 'The Print Handbook', a useful source of information for all things print. In addition to their pocket-sized booklet, they provide various, useful links on their website. The following is in relation to using a spot or pantone colour in addition to or in replacement of CMYK and the price it may cost. The following information was found on their site:

Pantone

Adding a Pantone colour to your normal CMYK is a great way of achieving colours which simply are not possible with 4 colour process printing. The example below from the Print Handbook is a great example of this. The Pantone here is a vibrant red which simply wasn't possible using just CMYK inks.

It's also possible to use a metallic or fluorescent ink which CMYK can get nowhere near in impact. It's a great way of adding an extra little something to your project. Adding an extra colour is not as expensive as you might expect either.

Here's a quote from Centreprint for printing 10,000 leaflets.

In CMYK they'll cost £317. To add a spot colour would cost an extra £38. Not bad at all.

One colour job

If you or your client are on a tight budget then using a Pantone spot colour for a one colour job can be a great way to save money. The same specification as the above quote, but this time printed with just one colour would cost £158.

These are the production details for the design below:

PRINT METHOD   Offset
PAPER STOCK   Challenger, uncoated, 120gsm
NUMBER OF COLORS 1 Spot (Metallic PMS 876)

and the cost?

QUANTITY PRODUCED   3,000
PRODUCTION COST   £520 ($788)

Source: underconsideration.com

Print & Finish book - Print finishing

2011-10-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

Finishing

Print finishing encompasses a wide range of processes that provide a final touch to a design. Although these are at the end of the production process, they should be viewed as an integral part of a design - either to provide added functionality to a design or simply for decorative means.

Varnishes

A colourless coating that is applied to a printed piece to protect the substrate from scuffing, ear or smudging - it can also enhance the visual appearance of a design.
Gloss - Reflects back light and is often used to enhance the appearance of photographs as it adds to the sharpness and saturation of images
Matt (dull) - Used with text-heavy pages to diffuse light, reduce glare and therefore reduces readability. It provides a non-glossy and smooth finish to a printed page
Satin (silk) - A mid-option between gloss and matt varnishes
Neutral - A basic, almost invisible coating that seals the printing ink without affecting the appearance of the design. It is often used to accelerate the drying of fast turnaround print jobs where inks dry slowly.
UV Varnish - A clear liquid which is cured instantly with ultraviolet light. It is sometimes used as a spot covering to highlight a particular image as it provides more shine than varnish.
Full-bleed UV - All-over UV coating which produces a very high gloss effect
Spot UV - Applied to highlight discrete areas of a prited design
Textured spot UV - Textures can be created with UV varnish to provide an additional tactile quality to a printed design. Examples include sandpaper, leather, and crocodile skin.
Pearlescant - Varnish that subtly reflects myriad colours to give a luxurious effect Lamination - A thin film that is applied to one or both sides of a printed stock. It improves sheet stability or rigidity, protection from moisture and handling but also provides a gloss or lustre finish.

Die cut

Die cutting is a process that uses a steel die to cut away a specified section of a ensign. it is mainly used for decorative purposes and to enhance the visual performance of a piece. A die cut can serve a functional purpose such as allowing a person to see through an aperture through a publication or as a decorative aesthetic. For example, die-cut rounded corners to a business card softens its visual appearance.

Embossing

An emboss or deboss is a design that is stamped into a substrate with ink or foil, which results in a three-dimensional, raised , decorative or teetered surface to provide emphasis to certain elements of a design. Thicker stock is typically used as it able to hold an emboss much better than thinner stocks.

Embossing - RAISED impression made in conjunction with ink or foil
Blind embossing - RAISED impression made without ink or foil
Debossing - RECESSED impression mad in conjunction with ink or foil
Blind debossing - RECESSED impression made without ink or foil

Embossing

Blind debossing

Foil blocking

Foil blocking is a process whereby coloured foil is pressed on to a substrate via a heated die, which causes the foil to separate from its backing. There are other terms to describe this process including foil stamp, heat stamp, hot stamp, block print and foil emboss.

Flat stamping - Gives a slight raise above the surface and usually no impression on the reverse side of the substrate

Multi-level stamping - A die created with different levels and textures which provides eye-catching results but is more expensive (also called sculptured foil embossing)

Gold foil on blue stock (Benwells print sample)

Fore-edge printing

This is a special process to print on the cut, outside edges of the book block of a publication. It originates from gilding, a process that applied fold or silver to the pages of a book to pretext them - however, it is now used to add decorative effects.

What is design for print? Stock considerations

2011-10-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Stock considerations

Coated paper

Paper with a clay or other coating applied to one or both sides is coated paper. Coated papers are available in a gloss, silk (sometimes called satin) or matt finish and are used for projects requiring a fine finish, which is why coated paper is sometimes referred to as 'art' paper. Coated paper generally produces sharper, brighter images and has better reflectivity than uncoated paper. Coated paper is used to print brochures, leaflets & posters and a wide range of design for print formats, especially high volume print runs.

Uncoated

Paper that does not have any kind of coating applied is uncoated paper. Through not having a coating this stock is not as smooth as a coated page. Uncoated paper is available in many different finishes, colours, and weights and is generally more absorbent than coated paper. Premium quality uncoated paper is used for business stationery, and commonly used in laser printers. Uncoated stocks are also used as an alternative or in conjunction to coated stocks in a wide range of design for print disciplines.Uncoated papers are available in a range of finishes:

Wove

Paper made on a closely woven wire roller or mold and having a faint mesh pattern. Wove is a popular sheet for stationery and book publishing. Wove is a premium quality paper with a uniform surface, not ribbed or textured like laid paper.

Laid

Laid paper is a premium quality paper with a textured pattern of parallel lines, similar to hand made paper. Commonly used for business stationery.

Bond

An economic, uncoated wove paper, often used for copying or laser printers. A higher quality bond stock can be used for letterheads.

Sample quotations

A3 poster

297mm wide x 420mm high

Folded to 4 page A4 brochure/booklet

Printed 4 colour process on 170gm silk (both sides)

Spot UV varnish on 1 side

Quantities: 100 & 200

Costs: 445.00 + VAT (Run on : 15.00)

A3 poster

297mm wide x 420mm high

Folded to 4 page A4 brochure/booklet

Printed 4 colour process on 135gm uncoated (both sides)

Die-cut shape (1 corner into a shape)

Quantities: 100 & 200

Costs: 348.00 + VAT (Run on : 15.00)

Print & Finish by Gavin Ambrose/Paul Harris

2011-10-15T06:42:00.001-07:00

I bought 'Print & Finish' the other week and found some useful information regarding print, stock considerations, print finishing, binding and formats. I wrote down some notes which I thought could help me with the current - 'What is design for print?' brief.

Substrate

A substrate is any stock or material that receives a printed image. This can range from standard paper to more elaborate and unusual materials such as metal, wood and fabric. A colour magazine for example, requires a high-end, art glossy substrate as opposed to a newspaper which uses inexpensive newsprint. The wide range of possible substrates to print upon provides many creative possibilities for designers. A design outcome can be strengthened through the use of stocks as it gives a sense of individuality.

Tip: Use uncoated stock for future overprinting

Metal: Screen print , transfer, die cut
PVC: Screen print, transfer, die cut
Fabric: Screen print, hand painted
Wood: Burnt, screen print, hand painted

Showthrough

Showthrough occurs when ink printed on one side of a page can be seen on the other (non-printed) side - usually determined by the type of substrate. Translucent and absorbent stock are most susceptible to showthrough. A 'vellum' insert adds tactile dimension and allows the image to showthrough - this can create a multi-layered textural effect as different elements build on top of one another.

Imposition

Imposition is the arrangement of a printed publication's pages, in the sequence and position they will appear when printed; before being cut, folded and trimmed. An imposition plan provides a visual guide which we can use to see which pages are printed on the back of what and how the design will look when eventually printed.

Printing pass - Used to describe the movement of a sheet of stock through a printing press.

Tipping-in/on

A tip-in refers to the attachment of a single page into a printed publication by wrapping it around the central fold of a section and gluing along the binding page - if it is shorter than the publication's pages then it needs to be aligned at the top of bottom edge.

Tip: Use of different stocks with tip-ins provides an interesting contrast (see below)

Duplexing

Duplexing refers to the bonding of two substrates to form a single one. This allows a stock to have different colours, textures and finishes on each side. Two duplexed 270gsm boards would produce a 540gsm, for example.

Tip: This creates an interesting finish with business cards (as seen below)

Mama's Sauce business cards

Print: Letterpress

Stock: French Paper, Muscletone Black, 140 lbs and Crane, Lettra, Flourescent White

Colour: 1 spot

Source: mamas-sauce.com

Printing

In short form, printing is 'applying ink to a substrate or stock'. These include: offset lithography, screen printing, gravure (or intaglio), letterpress, hot-metal, lino-cut, thermography, ink-jet, laser printing and so on. There are many variables however, such as the available range of colours alongside cost and limited print runs.

Lithography

The lithography printing process uses a treated metal plate to transfer (offset) a design via a rubber blanket to a stock.

High volume
High speed
Consistent, clean results

Continuous roll of paper allows a higher printing volume A series of screens containing halftone dots are used to replicate the continuous photographic tones in the print process which when printed, give the illusion of a full-colour image. Each screen is offset/angled so the colours do not interfere.

Wash printing

Wash printing is a special technique that allows the most delicate of colours to be applied to a substrate. It uses a heavily diluted ink in order to produce a flat colour. The wash is applied by pre-printing the sheets with a flood-colour of the diluted ink. If this ink were to be printed as part of the four-colour (CMYK) process, it would print as a halftone dot (as aforementioned). Wash printing allows a subtle approach to colour application.

Silk screen printing

Silk-screen printing imposes an image on to a substrate by forcing ink through a screen that contains the design. Although it is a flexible method which allows a design to be applied to many substrates, it is not a high-volume print method as each colour has to dry before another can be applied.

Letterpress

Letterpress is a method of relief printing whereby an inked, raised surface is pressed against the substrate. It was the first form of commercial printing as print-specific terminology derives from this process (in particular in terms of typography). There is often a slight indentation made into the substrate (gives the impression it is slightly embossed). Letterpress can achieve forms of natural defects that create a unique aesthetic.

Thermography

An in-line print finishing process that is used to produce raised lettering on paper substrates. Thermographic powder is deposited on to a sheet of printed paper while the ink is still wet. When the substrate is passed through an oven, it leaves a raised surface with a mottled texture. This produces a tactile finish so people can feel it as awol as see it (this is evident in embossing, also).

Print seminar - 7 things to know about print

2011-10-15T06:31:00.001-07:00

1) Colour models

CMYK, RGB, Hex (6 colour printing), Pantone (PMS)

2) Formats

Be creative and economical

- Standard ISO

- A & SRA sizes

- Imperial vs Metric

- Tabloid (compact), broadsheet, berliner

- Envelope 'C' sizes

DL - 1/3 of A4 (letters)

3) Stock

The weight and finish of a paper is crucial

- Weights (gsm) look up in more depth

- Finish - Gloss, silk, matt, coated, uncoated

- Laid or wove

- Boards, cartons, plastics, cetate

4) Artwork

Always get the client to sign off the proof

- Document set up

- File formats and fonts

- Copyright issues

- Don't send a 100mb file to a client, show previews

- Spellcheck

- Colour specification

- PMS between different applications

- Printer marks

- Pre-flight check

- Mock-ups, proof

- For the printer to know exact size, font/colour choice, composition etc

- Sign-off (really important)

Check with the printer that you get a proof copy and get confirmation from the client

5) Print processes

You should know in advance which print processes and finishing is appropriate for the job

- Lithography (offset)

- Gravure

- Screen-printing

- Flexography etc

6) Finishing

- Linked very closely with the print process

- Everything is decided in advance as you are working on strict deadlines

7) Cost

Get 3 quotes and check the specification is the same on each one to see which is the best deal

- Be aware of finishing costs as this be as expensive as the print itself

- Get a quote beore you start

- Learn roughly what things cost (per unit)

- Understand viable minimum quantities

- Extra/authors corrections

- Delivery?

- The more units you have, the cheaper the price

Book binding

Burst

Swiss

Otabinding

PUR bind

Perfect

Thread sewing

Case

Flexi

Task 4 - Specialist Production & Definitions

2011-10-15T05:05:00.001-07:00

TASK

Based on the terminology and examples introduced during this session, extend your awareness of the diversity of print production methods in relation to professional design practices discussed. See how this impacts on what you have learnt so far and how it might affect your personal interpretation of print issues around the 4 core areas below.

Branding and Identity
Packaging and Promotion
Publishing & Editorial
Information & Wayfinding

It is important that you identify and evaluate unfamiliar products, contexts and functions of design for print as this will help you to develop a broader and more informed understanding of the specialist nature of print production.

Research Sources / Further Information

LOOK AT: How the Pantone Matching System (PMS) works. What exciting alternatives different stock/substrates can provide in terms of options. How you might collaborate/interact with specialists. How the same problem might be solved in different ways.

The Art of Lynda.com

Print method: Digital offset / Indigo
Paper stock: Mohawk Premium Digital, Neon White 100 lb Text
Colours: Digital 6-color
Binding: Hardcover Modified Coptic stitch binding
Finishing: Embossed cover

A wide range of print processes results in a hefty price tag - $40000 for just 500 copies (apparently). This is a 242-page coffee table book featuring 100 of the best illustrations created exclusively for Lynda.com’s line of self-paced educational CD/DVD-ROMs.

Source: underconsideration.com

Australian Centre for Photography

The brochure unfolds in three stages, encouraging active participation through a discovery experience. The colour range is visually engaging and the photographic imagery hidden behind the colour stock adds interest. The design is printed on a 1 page, satin coated stock (150gsm) therefore reducing the cost.

"We discovered that folding a single sheet of paper in two directions can cause issues with bulging as you are folding against the grain. Also with text running across the folds, we wanted to ensure there was no cracking in the print. We made fine adjustments to the knife and the stock to minimise this. It took a brave printer to take the job on board as all brochures must be meticulously hand folded. In the end it was all worth it as the brochure has worked extremely well for the client."

Source: messy.com.au

Design for Print - Benwells print samples

2011-10-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

I requested a sample print pack from Benwells - a London based print company who use litho printing, embossing, foil block and die cutting. I mentioned these in a previous post but a week or so ago, I requested a free pack in the post with various samples covering a range of print processes and finishes which I thought would be extremely beneficial for this current module.

Rocked - Silver foil dots

made - Gold foil

Gold foil on a thin, black stock

Silver foil and emboss to create a 'silver medal'

Stylist pick - Silver foil, front and back, heavy stock

Invitation - Black foil on black stock creates a stylish aesthetic

Gold foil on heavy, blue stock - interesting outcome

Traditional, professional aesthetic created by gold foil block on white stock

Gold foil on card

Embossed red logo on translucent stock - hard to see but creates a nice effect

Note to self

2011-10-09T09:24:00.001-07:00

http://www.gfsmith.com

What is design for print? - Links

2011-10-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

Reminder to myself of some useful links provided by Lorenzo

PRINT LITHO PRINTING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUlBueqStg4

PAZZAZ RANT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpAuDrs5ocg

PAD PRINT
http://www.pdsconsulting.co.uk/2007/Library/Printing_Pad.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlypyjjLDZI&feature=related

SCREEN PRINT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFM_tBfyjM0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3iY21z8qLQ&feature=related

COLOUR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=059-0wrJpAU&feature=relmfu

CMYK and printing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUd4r5olX1Q&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cOZv4AF4pc&feature=related

CMYK v RGB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNisT6ROdUo&feature=related

RICH BLACK Vs NORMAL
http://marvin.mrtoads.com/richblack_vs_plainblack.html

ABOUT PANTONE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=NL&hl=nl&v=l6r_CK0rNlk

ABOUT COLOUR MATCHING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz3AMwRJiRw&feature=related

COLOUR MODELS http://www.sketchpad.net/basics4.htm http://www.devx.com/projectcool/Article/19954

EXTRAS EXTRAS EXTRAS

4 COL + METALLIC
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing-tutorials/create-a-five-color-magazine-cover-using-a-spot-metallic/

EMBOSS/FOIL/THERMO
http://www.frankel.co.uk/bespoke_invitations.html

SETTING UP CROPS & BLEED
http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/designing-for-print-setting-up-crops-and-bleed

3 SINS http://www.fuelyourcreativity.com/3-deadly-sins-of-print-design/

VARIOUS TUTORIALS
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/02/the-ultimate-round-up-of-print-design-tutorials/

FORUM & TUTORIALS
http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/printing-prepress-basics/

LETTERPRESS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0OoWX6TQs&feature=fvw

PRINTERS VIRTUAL TOUR
http://www.belmont.co.uk/about/virtualtour/

SIMPLE OFFSTE EXPLAINATION
http://www.cmykreative.com/useful/offset_lithography.htm

ETHICS
http://www.cmykreative.com/articles/article04.htm

ADOBE TUTORIALS
http://layersmagazine.com/category/tutorials

Task 3 - Packaging & Promotion

2011-10-08T09:21:00.003-07:00

Still Here DVD

The designers explain their choice of blind embossing: "The purpose of the black on black and blind printing was to put emphasis on the name of the DVD entitled “Still Here”. Even though you don’t see us, doesn’t mean we’re not here."

Source: alykcru.com/

Draw in Light

This unique packaging which incorporates a screen printed poster is based around the Draw in Light's existing logo. The diamond/crystal aesthetic is reflected by the folds and the way in which the packaging opens out.

Source: weareuseful.com

Task 3 - Information & Wayfinding

2011-10-08T09:21:00.001-07:00

TypeSHED11 Conference Map

Source: the-international-office.com

Task 3 - Publishing & Editorial

2011-10-08T09:20:00.003-07:00

Condiments & Entrails

Print: HP Indigo 5500 Digital Press and Emboss for the cover

Stock: Cover - Rives Classical Natural White 250 g/m2 and Body - Uncoated

Colours: CMYK

Source: bunchdesign.com

Ugly Duckling Presse catalogue

Print: Offset

Stock: Newsprint 60lb

Colour: Pantone Red 032

Source: rachelkinrot.com

Klip Type Specimen

Source: http://www.the-international-office.com/projects/klim.html

Task 3 - Branding & Identity

2011-10-08T09:20:00.001-07:00

Space 150 Business Cards

Space 150 - a digital design agency - update their identity every 150 days and for their 26th version, they decided to use a multitude of print finishes consisting of the following. I'm surprised the outcome doesn't look too cluttered despite the overload of print techniques.

Custom triple layer stock (black with white middle)
Black foil on logo side
Letterpress printed metallic ink on the info side
Die cut with 'snake bite marks'

Source: beastpieces.com

1882 Branding

Emily Johnson is a ceramist and designer who has followed in the steps of her forefathers who founded the Johnson Brothers in 1882. Her exhibition entitled “Boned in England - 200 White Lights” is a collection of repeat Fine Bone China Lights hand crafted in the North Staffordshire Potteries. The design focuses on the heritage of the family brand brand by referencing the date of origin. This logo is printed in white foil which is a reflection on the nature of her products. The minimal approach is sleek, straight forward and professional.

Source: http://pentagram.com/en/new/2011/09/new-work-1882.php

L'abattoir restaurant branding

Branding and stationery for L'abattoir - a french restaurant situated in Vancouver. The modern and subdued identity is referenced throughout all of its promotional materials and website but is also reflected in the restaurants interior (images on its site here). The use of blind embossing creates a minimal yet sophisticated aesthetic.

Source: glasfurdandwalker.com

Mama's Sauce business cards

Print: Letterpress

Stock: French Paper, Muscletone Black, 140 lbs and Crane, Lettra, Flourescent White

Colour: 1 spot

Source: mamas-sauce.com

Marcos and Trump

Sophisticated branding for Marcos and Trump - a vintage and designer wear boutique. The gold foil block on black card stock adds a sleek aesthetic.

Source: edgeandbarrett.com

Task 3 - Stock Options & Print Finishing

2011-10-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Study Task

With a focus on Stock, Substrate and 'special' Print Finishes find as many variants as possible for each of the following areas of Design:

Branding and Identity
Packaging and Promotion
Publishing & Editorial
Information & Wayfinding

You should consider production values, scale and functionality in relation to appropriate contexts and target audiences and evaluate their impact on the design decisions that have been made. Wherever possible you should aim to collect physical/actual examples of print as this will help you to evaluate the important tactile, formal and functional elements of your source material

Your findings should be recorded and critically evaluated on your Design Context blog.

Research Sources / Further Information

Keywords

Coated, uncoated, die cut, spot ink, UV varnish, Emboss, laminate, duplux

Websites (all links)

Pantone matching system
4 colour & metallic ink
Emboss/foil/thermo

Books

Experimental Formats - Roger Fawcette-Tang

Design for Print - Benwells

2011-10-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Can't remember where I found this website (I think it might have been on a graduates blog) but they offer some great printing advice and samples. They focus primarily on foil blocking, embossing, die-cutting and litho print. This is some of the tips they provide:

Embossing

1. In impressing an embossed image through a surface, the image has to be 3 times thicker than the material it's being pushed through. Where this is not possible, we can use a process called debossing - where the impression is instead sunk into the material.

2. Multi level embossing is often not as expensive as you would think. We have a few tricks to make a single level die appear more complex than it is. Call us on 020 7237 5111 or email a PDF to us so we can advise the best route.

3. You can combine foil blocking and embossing in two ways. Firstly by using two separate dies in two passes through the machine. This is ideal for short-run on one-off jobs. For longer running or repeat work, we can create a fluted combination die to foil and emboss in a single pass. The tooling for this is more expensive than standard dies, but it is offset by a saving in press time. 4. You can choose from bevelled, faceted or rounded dies, all of which can be either single or multi-level, depending on the depth and complexity you wish to achieve.

Foil Blocking

1. Foil, unlike ink, is available in a limited supply of colours and shades. Let us know what colour you'd like to match and, through our wide network of suppliers, we will search for something suitable.

2. Not all foils are laser-printer guaranteed. Whilst gold, silver and black are usually available, we do recommend you test other foils before production. We are, however, happy to do this for you free of charge.

3. To help you present your design ideas to a client or customer, we can give you a sample of any combination of foil and paper. Just let us know what you need and we’ll either have a sample already - or can run one off for you within 24 hours.

Die Cutting

1. The minimum width for an image to be die-cut is 3mm. This is due to tooling restrictions. We can cut finer than this by laser cutting and using an alternative tooling solution.

2. We hold a stock of C6, DL, C5 and C4 envelope cutters. If you have a specific envelope size in mind, and it isn't available 'off the shelf', we can usually provide a cost effective solution.

3. When die-cutting a folder or box we offer a CAD cutting service so final tolerances can be adjusted before we go to the expense of making the cutter. We recommend this on projects where there is uncertainty over the finished piece.

Task 2 - Packaging & Promotion

2011-10-03T06:29:00.001-07:00

CMYK

Entry

This particular packaging uses CMYK printing to create unique colour combinations which cannot be achieved through any other colour printing. The vivid colour scheme works effectively against the white card stock. The overall aesthetic is clean and concise yet striking, also.

Source: transformerstudio.ru

Altitude Music

The minimal photography on these CD cases and covers works effectively against the one colour, tonal backgrounds. The composition and form is consistent throughout and the colour scheme is reflected in both the packaging and the content.

Source: andsmithdesign.com

Spot colour

Fresh Colour Coffee (Self promotion)

This unique self promotion by Benjamin Dooling uses a 2 colour screen print on stand up pouches containing fresh coffee beans. The type is altered for a specific target audience but focuses on his key skills and attributes. The design allows for a placement of a traditional date stamp giving a custom and authentic aesthetic to every design.

Source: thedieline.com

Monochrome

Shine

The black and white colour scheme is clean, professional and is reflected in the choice of type and composition. The white 'tip in' booklet wrapped around the black stock reinforces the monochrome colour scheme by adding contrast and an effective aesthetic.

Source: bestawards.co.nz

The Kitchen Films

The cover of the DVD has been stripped to its bare form - simply using varied type weights and sizes and no imagery. The inside, however, and the DVD's themselves contain minimal icon illustrations.

Source: designspiration.net

LG Design Europe

Source: territorystudio.com

Task 2 - Information & Wayfinding

2011-10-03T06:28:00.003-07:00

CMYK

Pick Me Up

Exhibition graphics, invitation and brochure for an annual exhibition entitled 'Pick Me Up'. The designer has achieved a striking colour scheme through the use of CMYK and printing on card stock. The geometric shapes are referenced throughout and provides a clear and distinguished identity.

Source: nodaysoff.com

Political Cycles

Clear, concise infographics printed on white stock and bound into a small, square format book. The colours compliment each other well and form a neat and professional aesthetic. The information is easy to digest due to the minimal composition and subdued colours.

Source: matthew-hancock.co.uk

Spot Colour

Andy Warhol Exhibition

Andy Warhol relied a great deal on repetition in his work, and helped to democratize art by “mass producing” much of his work in his Silver Factory. The designer wanted to replicate this idea of mass production in the graphic title that is situated just outside the exhibition. Visitors can take a part of the exhibition home with them by removing one of the thousands of sheets.

3 spot colours were used. 200 sheets per pad.

Source: underconsideration.com

Exploradonia

Just 2 spot colours (on white stock) were used to create this minimal, illustrative map in editorial form. The information is clear and concise and areas are indicated through simple icon illustrations. Although not as detailed as conventional maps, the information is easier to digest due to the stripped back aesthetic.

Source: behance.net

Monochrome

Adidas Laces signage

Rather than using conventional signage, room numbers are printed onto large 3D type (INFOPOINT) displayed in the entrance of the building. Although the costs would be high, it immediately creates interest.

Source: uebele.com

Museu de Ciències Natural

This signage for Museu de Ciències Natural uses minimal icon illustrations to show the whereabouts of various facilities. In some areas, there is no need for text as the icons are clear and easy to distinguish - the directions are simply indicated by an arrow. White on black creates a professional and sleek aesthetic.

Source: jordihuaman.com

Design Context

Top 10 - CD/DVD Packaging inspiration

Top 10 - American Express advert

Top 10 - Animated gifs

Top 10 - Sherlock

Top Ten - Moshun

Top 10 - Sonar

Top Ten - Juice to the Moon

Top 10 - Minimal movie posters

Top 10 - City Atlas

Top 10 - Dexter prints

Top 10 - Dexter title sequence

Top 10 - Waiting for Superman

Top 10 - Data Visualisation

Top 10 - 35mm

Top Ten - The Adventures of Tin Tin

Top 10 - Olly Moss

Top 10 - Film trailers

Top 10 - Nokia 'Smart Data'

Top 10 - Channel 4's 'The Bank Job'

OUGD202 - The Fundamental Elements of Design

Kinetic Type - The King's Speech

Kinetic Type - What We Learned

Kinetic Type - Civic Builders

Kinetic Type - The New Typography

Kinetic Type - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Kinetic Type - Crash

Kinetic Type - Penguin Books

Kinetic Type - Doxa Film Festival

Kinetic Type - I'm Gonna Make it Better

What is design for print? Final manual

Layout inspiration - Gridness

Good is...? Impact Manifesto

The seaside

What is design for print? Letterpress - An introductory video

Good is...? Natwest card-reader packaging

Good is...? Miner & Miner

Good is...? Pharmaceutical packaging

Good is...? Fred Perry packaging

Good is...? Mobile evolution

Good is...? AFC Bespoke mailer

Good is...? Parker Brothers re-design

Good is...? Falcon Enamelware packaging

Good is...? 1990s in pictures

Good is...? 1990s - Toys

Good is...? 1990s - Technology

Good is...? 1990s - Popular culture

Good is...? 1990s

Good is...? Help Remedies range

Good is...? AKG Headphones packaging

Good is...? Smell and memory

Good is...? 2011 D&AD Annual

Good is...? Packaging - Bento Box

Good is...? Plutchik's wheel of emotion

Good is...? Points of research

Good is...? Nostalgia pack inspiration

Good is...? The 5 Senses

Good is...? "My earliest memory..."

Good is...? Packaging inspiration

Team Impression - Process is Form

Good is...? Logo case study

What is design for print? Proofing & Preflight

What is design for print? Multi-tone

What is design for print? Printing processes

What is design for print? GF Smith

What is design for print? The problem with paper?

What is design for print? Stock considerations

What is design for print? Paper sizes/formats

What is design for print? Colour management

What is design for print? Rich black

What is design for print? File types

What is design for print? Imposition

What is design for print? Using pantone/spot colours

Print & Finish book - Print finishing

What is design for print? Stock considerations

Print & Finish by Gavin Ambrose/Paul Harris

Print seminar - 7 things to know about print

Task 4 - Specialist Production & Definitions

Design for Print - Benwells print samples

Note to self