Publishing Design - Task 1

28.8.2023 - 6.10.2023 / Week 1 - Week 6

Lee Yan Xu / 0347696 / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Publishing Design

Task 1 - Exercise

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Lectures

Lecture 1: Formats

Mesopotamian civilization

In her essay on the token system, "Record Keeping Before Writing," Denise Schmandt-Besserat (1995), argues that "It is remarkable that the first writing system developed from a counting technology." Bullae, a step between simple and complicated tokens, served as the foundation for the earliest pictographic writing on clay tablets.

Ancient Egypt

The only people in ancient Egypt who could read and write hieroglyphics were scribes.  On a particular kind of paper known as papyrus, the Egyptian scribes wrote. Egyptians sometimes also wrote information on tomb walls in addition to papyrus.

Han-Chinese Civilzation

A pictograph made of bamboo strips strung together develops into the contemporary Chinese character for a book. It dates from the end of the T'ang dynasty and is also the earliest Chinese book that is known to exist. It is a document with an exact date, having been found in a cave near Dunhuang in 1899.

Turkey & "The West"

When parchment was created between 197 and 159 BC, Turkey was where it first appeared.   Animal hide is used to make parchment. Scrolls could be made from papyrus and bamboo, but the leather was too thick and heavy, making it impossible. Europeans began producing parchment books around the year 50 AD.

Lecture 2: Evolution of Printing

2nd - 8th century AD

In AD 175, the Chinese emperor commands the carving of the six primary classics of Confucianism into stone. Eager Confucian scholars adopt a simple method, laying sheets of paper on engraved slabs and using charcoal or graphite to create white letters on a black background.

Korea and Japan: AD 750-768

Buddhists in East Asia, notably in Korea, achieve a remarkable feat with the invention of printing. Korea leads the way, producing the world's earliest known printed document—a sutra on a single sheet of paper in AD 750. In Japan, a bold experiment in mass circulation takes place in AD 768, where the empress commissions a massive edition of a lucky charm or prayer, known as the Hyakumantō Darani. This woodblock printing becomes one of the earliest recorded uses of woodblock printing in Japan.

The First Printed Book: AD 868

The earliest known printed book, dating back to the end of the T'ang dynasty, is discovered in a cave at Dunhuang in 1899. This precisely dated scroll, 16 feet long and a foot high, features the Diamond Sutra and includes the world's first printed illustration—a depiction of an enthroned Buddha surrounded by holy attendants.

Chinese Publishing: 10th - 11th century

In the 10th and 11th centuries, Chinese printers undertake the laborious process of printing from wood blocks, producing all the Confucian classics and significant Buddhist and Daoist works. The carving of characters in reverse on wood blocks continues until the introduction of movable type, an innovation seemingly pioneered in China but achieved in Korea.

Movable Type: From the 11th Century

Movable type, a crucial step for efficient printing, is experimented with in China as early as the 11th century. However, the complexity of the Chinese script and the fragility of characters cast in clay hinder practical implementation. In Korea, a type foundry is established in the late 14th century, using bronze for movable type and resolving the issue of an unwieldy number of characters by inventing the national alphabet, hangul, in 1443.

Saints and Playing Cards: AD c.1400

Around 1400, the technique of printing from wood blocks makes its way to Europe. Similar to the East, the main market involves holy images for pilgrims, and playing cards become an early part of Western trade. Technical advances in Germany during the 15th century rapidly transform printing from a cottage industry into a cornerstone of Western civilization.

Gutenberg & Western Printing: AD 1439 - 1457

The name Gutenberg first surfaces in connection with printing in a 1439 law case in Strasbourg. By 1450, he is in Mainz, borrowing 800 guilders from Johann Fust with his printing equipment as security. Gutenberg's achievements include developing a printing press capable of applying rapid but steady downward pressure and mastering the complex stages of manufacturing individual pieces of type using metal. The Gutenberg Bible, printed in the mid-1450s, marks a significant milestone, with the Mainz Psalter in 1457 achieving outstanding color printing in its two-color initial letters.

Lecture 3: Typography Reimagined

Typography stands as the lifeblood of graphic design, akin to oxygen for living beings. Mastering typography is paramount for designers to achieve excellence in their craft.

Typography: The Art of Text Composition

Typography, the art of arranging and composing text, serves as both a medium for expression and a crucial element in communication within design work. In the context of book design, the understanding and skills developed in previous semesters play a pivotal role in shaping the final output. This lecture revisits key points in typography to refresh and reinforce these essential aspects.

Key Components of Typography:

• Characters in a Typeface
• Small Caps
• Numerals
• Fractions
• Ligatures
• Punctuations
• Mathematical Signs
• Symbols
• Non-aligning Figures
• Legibility

The importance of adhering to established legibility guidelines cannot be overstated when the goal is to enhance the readability of a body of text. However, experienced designers may deviate from these rules for expressive interpretation when the content allows.

Choosing Typeface Wisely:

The first step towards enhancing legibility is selecting text typefaces that are open and well-proportioned. Classical serif typefaces like Garamond, Bodoni, Bembo, Minion Pro, and sans-serif faces such as Franklin Gothic, Frutiger, Gill Sans, Helvetica, Myriad Pro are recommended choices.

Special Styles:

• Underline
• Small Caps & All Caps
• Special-Purpose Style
• Text Scaling
• Outline & Shadow

Underlining should be done carefully to avoid hindering readability, while small caps and all caps are strategically used for subheads or short headlines. Special-purpose styles for footnotes and references exist within software but may go unnoticed.

Optimizing Type Size, Line Length & Line Spacing:

Harmonizing type size, line length, and line spacing is essential for achieving natural text flow. A column of type usually spans about 50 characters, with leading adjustments contributing to a pleasant reading rhythm.

Kerning, Tracking, and Word Spacing:

Kerning, tracking, and word spacing play crucial roles in enhancing the visual appeal of text. Manual adjustments may be necessary for specific letter combinations, and word spacing considerations depend on the chosen typeface, size, and weight.

Character & Word Space:

Italics and capitals should be used judiciously to avoid hindering readability. Capitals consume more space than lowercase, impacting the reading process. Lowercase letters imbue text with visual cues, enhancing readability.

Alignment Styles:

• Flush Left, Ragged Right
• Flush Right, Ragged Left
• Centered
• Justified

Different alignment styles have distinct merits, with flush left, ragged right being the most legible, centered providing a formal appearance, and justified ensuring readability with consistent spacing between words.

Paragraph Formatting:

• Paragraph Spacing
• Paragraph Indent

Paragraph spacing and indentation contribute to overall design and readability. Widows and orphans, single lines separated from paragraphs, should be minimized.

Special Formatting Techniques:

• Hyphens and Dashes
• Line Breaks
• Drop Caps
• Sidebars

Special formatting techniques, such as hyphens and dashes, line breaks, drop caps, and sidebars, contribute to a visually appealing and well-structured design. Careful attention to these details enhances the overall quality of typography in graphic design.

Lecture 4: Exploring The Grid

Raster Systems

The grid serves as a fundamental structure, dividing either a two-dimensional plane or a three-dimensional space into smaller fields or compartments. These fields can vary in size, providing a flexible foundation for visual composition.

Purpose of The Grid

Typographers, graphic designers, photographers, and exhibition designers utilize the grid to address visual challenges in both two and three dimensions. By organizing surfaces and spaces using a grid, designers can effectively arrange texts, photographs, and diagrams in a cohesive and functional manner. This approach imparts a sense of compact planning, intelligibility, and clarity, suggesting a well-ordered design. Scientifically proven, information presented with clear titles, subtitles, texts, illustrations, and captions is not only read more quickly and easily but is also better understood and retained in memory. This crucial fact should remain at the forefront of the designer's mind.

Modular Nature

The Grid is inherently modular, far from being a constraint or a rigid structure. It allows for flexibility, provided one can perceive the multitude of combinations it offers. However, these variations should have limits when used within a book to maintain a certain level of continuity and coherence in its outlook and navigation. The content of the book plays a significant role, ranging from body text and visuals to charts, diagrams, sub-text, and more. A grid empowers the designer to systematize information for easy reading and understanding.

Lecture 5: Unveiling the Elements

Book

All publications consist of three major elements: Type, Color, and Image. Holding these elements together is the format and grid.

Variation

When incorporating these three elements on a page within a grid system, it is essential to avoid predictability. Strive to create variation within the layout while maintaining consistency across the book. This involves keeping certain elements fixed, such as typeface, color, and image style, while introducing variation in the combination of elements and their arrangement.

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Introduction

Text formatting

Mock-up

Mr. Vinod asks us to prepare these things:

• A3 (16 sheets) Paper**

• Large rubber band & Stapler (large)

• Adhesive Tape (masking, sellotape, scotch)

• Steel Ruler (16" if you have one)

• Cutter

• Pencil, Pens, markers

After that, we were asked to select a size that we wanted to create our own book and the size of the book had to be Larger than A5 but smaller than A3. The size that I selected is 180mm(width) and 240mm(length).

Signature folding system

Fig 1, front folding system

Fig 2, back folding system

Fig 3, text for print (front)

Fig 4, text for print (back)

Fig 5, sample

Van De Graaf

Tutorial in Indesign.

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Reflection

I've learned to value the nuanced skill of striking a balance between creativity and utility thanks to this endeavor. Having things function is just as important as having them look good.  I've grown to recognize the value of revision and criticism in creating polished, expert final products as a result of designing for publishing. This task has also demonstrated to me the intersection of creativity, technical proficiency, and successful communication in the world of publication design. It's a world where form follows function, and I have a greater appreciation for the design experts who thrive in it.

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Further Reading

Fig 6, Universal Principles of Design by Lidwell, Holden, and Butler

"Universal Principles of Design" by Lidwell, Holden, and Butler is a definitive exploration of design fundamentals. From affordance to legibility, each principle is a lens into the essence of effective design. As the book concludes, readers are armed with a profound understanding, guiding them to create impactful, intentional designs.