OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Research: Stock Choices

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Research: Stock Choices

Using the right stock is very important to complement the aesthetic of the book overall, therefore exploring all options is essential. Opportunely there was a visit from G F Smith, who supply an extensive range of paper. Along with their catalogue, they brought examples of their paper used within products, such as packaging. This was really useful in researching not only the different stock, but different textures that can be used. In addition how these can be applied and making paper so appealing as the right stock can really make all the difference within a product/publication.

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Binding Methods

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Binding Methods

Thread Sewing: Thread sewn text is recommended for book work where strength durability and a high quality feel are required. Characteristics are a strong bind with good flat qualities.

Burst Binding: Bound using Hot Melt Adhesive with sections burst perforated on the spine to allow additional glue penetration. This binding method is recommended for binding documents where additional strength and instant binding strength is required.

PUR Bound: Bound using Reactive Hot Melt Adhesive , a binding method for frequent use with increased page pull strength and lay flat. Recommended for books with a large number of pages or when heavy heavy weight text materials are used.

Flexi Binding: Rounded and backed Flexi bound book with a 300gsm board cover. Flexi binding has the characteristics of a traditional case bound book with reduced weight and bulk. The book has 2 x 4pp end papers and a thread sewn book block.

Swiss Binding: Swiss binding offers good lay flat and strength and a design opportunity with a range of colours and materials available for the inner spine.

Case Binding: Rounded and backed case bound book with a cloth cover 2500micron board. The cover has been foil blocked and de bossed and includes head and tail bands and a ribbon marker. The book has a 2 x 4pp end papers and a thread sewn book block.

Otabinding: Otabinding is recommended for books that require increased levels of lay flat for example musical scores. They are very durable as the spine of the book is not broken by the opening of the book, as the cover is glued at the front and rear hinge. Otabound books can also be produced using PUR adhesive.

Perfect Binding: Bound using Hot Melt Adhesive, a binding method recommended for binding documents of limited use where instant binding strength is required. 

Case Binding: Square backed case bound book with a gloss laminated printed paper cover over 2500micron board. The book has 2 x 4 end papers and a PUR bound book block.

Pamphlet Stitch 

- Must be an even number of pages, limited to pages and the pagination might be off

Japanese Stitch

- Loose margin 

Concertina Fold

- Has to be an odd number of pages

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Front Cover Designs

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Front Cover Designs

As from the research undertaken of antique books, it was then decided to produce a cover design in the unique style of English Victorian ornamented letter design. Calligraphic traditions were also tapped for more eccentric forms; decorating the surface of letters with striped and arabesque patterns was both common and popular. Therefore different Victorian and arabesque patterns were found in order to create the front cover. Using the 'P' on its own to represent Portobello will work a lot better with the flourishes and orientation, rather than overworking the front cover. It was also decided to include an ornamental border as this was common within book cover design.  

        

Mock up book

OUGD405 Studio Brief 3 - Front Cover Ideas

OUGD405 Studio Brief 3 - Front Cover Ideas

It was necessary to look into the front covers of a variation of books to gain a good understanding of successful front covers. A combination of photography books, antique books and case bound books are all relevant to analyse as these will be used within the publication. Photography books tend to have really clear, high quality front covers which clearly identify themselves as photography publications. A professional, high quality book is pertinent within photography books as it suggests that the content inside is also high quality. Photographers need to stand out and their publications reflect what type of photographer they are as they reveal themselves through these publications in order to be known and regarded amongst others. Therefore high quality, unique books are of the up most importance, along with fluidity to show their work/stories through these books. 
Antique book covers followed the same trend of Victorian designs. William Harry Rogers was one of a number of talented artists who worked on providing illustrations for books in the middle of the nineteenth century.  His designs exhibit a strong, even obsessional, attention to the detail of ornament, and a mastery of the forms of its proportion. Rogers clearly delighted in the intricacy and denseness of ornament. This is as true of his book cover vignettes and spine designs as of his book illustration work. However, his imaginative powers did not extend much into the pictorial. The delineation of human or of animal forms scarcely occurs on his cover designs. He stands alongside other artists of his time for the certainty of his handling of form. On occasions, he shows a combination of opulence and attention to detail that is quite unsurpassed. 

McLean, Ruari. Joseph Cundall: a Victorian Publisher Pinner, Middlesex: Private Libraries Association, 1976. 

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Grids

OUGD504 Studio Brief 3 - Research: Grid Systems

'The Grid mad sit possible to bring all the elements of design, type, characters, photography, drawing and colour into a formal relationship to each other; that is to say, the grid system is a means of introducing order into design. Designers use modernist grids to create unity among elements in multi-page publications. The grid defines possible sizes for images and text, proportional relationship, and alignment that bring harmony to disparate elements in the same visual space. Consistent placement and hierarchy amongst information components maintains continuity for the reader from spread to spread and from issue to issue of the same publication. Throughout design history, designers have based grids on perceptions of optimal proportions-such as the golden section, in which smaller divisions of space are proportionally identical to the dimensions of the larger space. Document-design software programmes, such as Adobe InDesign, are based on the grid, and therefore embed modernist design principles in their features and functions.'

Davis, M. 2012. Graphic Design Theory. London: Thames & Hudson.

Fibonacci 

Fibonacci sequence ratio 8:13 links to Golden & Golden Ratio section. This sequence is not only evident within design but also nature. 

1.62 & 8:13

Forms the basis of paper sizes and its principles can be used as a means of achieving balanced designs. Many ancient cultures from Egyptians to the Greeks used this thinking to gain beautiful designed proportions. *Fibonacci sequence ratio 8:13 links to Golden section 

The human face follows the ratio and we find people whose faces are truer to the ratio more attractive?Classic Renaissance masterpieces, architecture from antiquity, and even human body parts are proportioned based on the ratio down to the fingers themselves. 

Canons Principles of page layout design used to measure and describe proportions, margins and print area. 

Van de Graaf 

 Tschichold - Gold Ratio

Tschichold - Octavo

Book Grids

For additional research, I looked at books and magazine and the grid systems in these. One example was comparing the grid systems in Vogue May 1961 and January 2014, and how the grid, layout and compositions were kept traditional and are quite similar. However I would say that the more recent additions of Vogue have new grid systems that allow more text to compact the article to leave more room for advertisements. In addition I found books specifically on grid systems that gave me more of an insight into different grids and compositions. 

It was decided that the Van de Graaf canon would be used within this publication as it provides a page divide of pleasing proportions. These will be where the photographs will sit on the page, this was felt best as more than one photograph per page would have to much of a contemporary feel to it. One photograph per page could be read through as if it were one paragraph on one page. Providing the audience with a photography book where each photograph is as important as the next, and all share equal sizes and page layout.