OUGD504 Design For Print Screen Printing Booklet

Initially I intended to replicate the layout in all the booklets, but found that some of the illustrations I wanted to use didn't fit in every format, so I decided to vary them.

Screen Printing booklet:

I tried to maintain a similar format here, but again, with the incorporation of imagery I had planned it is likely to be altered once all the other elements are added.

At this stage I had already prepared the digital print booklet to the point at which I wanted to receive feedback, and since I had used both the diagrams and the background imagery for it, I decided to go in a slightly different direction with this booklet, to show the viewer the two different options I was considering.

I used the outline of some of the photographs I had taken in the print room, simple filling in the silhouettes with a mix of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. I put these together to create a collage that in my opinion replicated the quality a screen print gives over other printing methods.

Again, this was a way to show the advantages of screen printing over other printing methods and to exhibit where it's strengths lie.

OUGD504 Design For Print Task 3

Branding and Identity:

Embossing

Embossing is the process of creating a raised image or design on paper or some other materials. Debossing pushes the image in so it falls below the surface of the paper. Both these process can be costly depending on stock used (those which require more time to be embossed are more expensive eg copper plate).

Embossing gives an expensive looking finish and often works best when kept fairly simple. It is often most used for business cards and other branding ephemera.

Embossing is most effective on an uncoated stock, as with many print processes, because uncoated stocks absorb the ink more than coated stocks, which allow the ink to sit on the surface.

Die Cutting

Die cutting is a process that allows the designer to cut out a feature of their design, giving it more interesting and innovative detail. It is a similar process to laser cutting and removes part of the surface, either to show something beneath or to just have a cut in the design.

This design used die cutting to reveal the metallic stock underneath, showing that the die cut is being used for functionality.

Stop Varnish

Spot varnishes are very varied and are used often within the field of branding and identity. A UV spot varnish adds a very shiny finish, especially on coated stocks. As a process, it allows the designer to exaggerate an element of their design or highlight it if it is a point of interest.

Lamination

Stocks can be either gloss or matt laminated, both of which add a protective casing to the stock and preserve the design, but gloss gives a much shinier finish than matt.

Matt laminated

Gloss laminated

OUGD504 Design For Print Packaging and Prototypes

It was my intention throughout this brief for the booklets to be easy to use while in the print room. In order for this to be realistic, they needed to be small to fit inside a pocket, and after some consideration I concluded that they would need some form of packaging, to avoid any damage being done to the booklets if they were to be carried in a pocket.

Before brainstorming a few ideas, I did some research into what packaging would be both innovative and appropriate to the format.

I brainstormed a few ideas of my own and concluded that a 'pouch' like form of packaging would best suit the format. It's simple and protective and could be used to emulate the design of the booklets.

I made a simple prototype of both a booklet and the accompanying pouch to assess how these would work in conjunction with one another:

With the right dimensions, the booklet slotted perfectly into the prototype packaging, and likewise slipped out just as easily. I carried the prototype back from college loose in my bag and the packaging stopped any damage being done to the booklet inside.

OUGD504 Design for Print Digital Print Booklet

In order to maintain a consistency in the booklets to show that they were part of a set, I decided to exhibit that in the layout, so that I could alter the visuals depending on what the topic of each booklet is. I wanted the visuals of each booklet to reflect the theme, therefore I felt i couldn't keep that the same way throughout.

After giving some consideration to the size, I initially started designing the booklets in an A5 format.

Digital printing booklet:

I used a basic grid layout following the rule of thirds, as I thought this would be most applicable to a small format of the booklets.

To begin with I allowed for the points to take a really basic form, and when I started to include some visuals I would alter the text to work in conjunction with it. To begin with I just wanted to get all the required information into the booklets and allow the form to follow the importance of the text.

Since the booklets are not designed to be instructional, simply to offer extra help and pointers, it made sense for them to be in a bullet point format. However, as some areas require more concentration or tips, numbering them allows the reader to identify with the importance that lies in some aspects over others.

At this point I started rethinking the size. While these pages had been designed in an A5 format, my intention is for the booklets to be easy to carry around in your pocket, in which case A5 might be a bit too big. I narrowed it down, making the booklets a slightly larger size than that of a passport, with the dimensions 160mmx120mm.

I wanted to incorporate some slightly diagrammatic images to accompany the text, allowing it to appear more light-hearted and giving it a casual approach while subtly instructing the viewer on some aspects of this print process.

I did this by using some photographs I had taken, placing them onto illustrator and outlining the basic shapes in quite a loose manner, making them appear more hand rendered. I used only black as the outline and in some cases incorporated C, M and Y in too.

On top of these illustrations I gave some consideration to the stock in terms of how the content would transfer, and since I had previously decided on a light, uncoated white stock, I had concerns that for the subject matter, this illustrative approach may be too simple.

I wanted to find a way to exhibit what is a plus about digital printing, and so thought about capitalising on it's ability to produce a sharp image and to replicate colours appropriately.

After giving this some thought, I produced a few images that consisted simple of different coloured inks being splattered onto a page:

I digitally enhanced and adapted these two images and incorporated them into some aspects of the design of the booklets. However, I personally found that there was then a bit too much happening for the pages, especially considering the change in size of the booklets. However, I wanted some other peoples opinions on this, so I kept the booklet in this format for the final crit.