Chris Brady- Homework May 19

Overall, I would have to give the book in its current state a “B-“. There were a few pictures that came out to dark, including the flipped over one that you said would come out to dark. There were also some typos that need to be fixed and a few palette layouts that could be improved.  When these changes are made I would be hard pressed not to give the project an “A”.

As far as thee group, we worked together as well as can be expected considering our full schedules and that fact that we live and work no where near each other. In the real world we would be sitting in an office with each other and working on this until we had a perfect product.

Some of the things I liked about the book was the oatmeal colored hardback. It looked very professional and with the white end pages I would expect to see this in a Barnes and Noble near me.

When I did my first book on Blurb, I had to make at four drafts until all the pictures looked how I wanted, and then one more draft to correct spelling and typos. We did pretty on our first shot and I think we will only need a couple more drafts to get it perfect.

Homework for May 19

It should go without saying that your final project is due next Monday. You will need to bring your hard copy of the project to receive a grade for it!

You are also responsible for coordinating a time for your group to meet and examine the final product before class. This will be necessary for the final post assignment! Here’s what you will need to do:

Assess the final product. How does it look? Did the colors print as expected? Are there any pages or areas where the color is muted or compromised? Have you lost any important edges – or discovered any new white spaces – in your margins or bleeds? Are the thickness and weights of the paper what you anticipated? What about the overall design and planning of the book? Are you pleased with the way that your group worked together? Were there any shortcomings or disappointments in the overall project? How would you describe your role in the process? If you could change anything about the final outcome what would it be? If you had to start this process all over, what would you do differently? What worked best? What parts of your project are you most happy with?

This post should be 3-4 really strong paragraphs.

Homework for May 12

Send it to print!

You should have a clear idea of the turnaround time for your selected printer, and everyone should be sending out your final design to be sure that it will successfully be completed for May 19.

As a group, you are also responsible for uploading a PDF of the completed project before class on May 12. It would also be advisable to bring the PDF on a thumb drive, so that we don’t spend too much class time opening files.

As an individual, you are responsible for posting your expectations for the project. How did everything go with the design process? Does your file meet all of the specifications outlined by your printer? What sort of compromises did you have to make along the way? What else would you have added if given more time? What would you change if you had to start the project again? What are the weakest points about your project? How are you expecting the final product to look? What sort of color shifts are you expecting from the file to the final product?

Homework for May 5

Keep Going!

The work you accomplish in the upcoming week will be crucial to the success of your final project. Please make sure your group has a clear idea of what everyone needs to accomplish – and then make sure you follow through with your tasks.

There is no post for next week, but please make sure you are caught up on all previous assignments….particularly the printing facilities brief from last week.

And if you are managing your groups InDesign file – or if you just want to learn more about PreFlight – please take a look at the checklist published by Printing Industries of America:

Click to access PIA-Preflight-Checklist.pdf

This is a fantastic reference for all print jobs.

Deny H HW 4/28

Printing Facility: UPrinting.com

Type of press: Laserjet

Number of colors: CMYK

Size: 5.5″x8.5″

Pages: 24

Cover type: 10pt card stock

Binding: saddle-stitch

Paper finish: glossy

Paper weight: 100 lb

Paper brightness: not listed

Color profile: not listed

Bleed:

Set up cost: N/A

Proof cost: N/A

Minimum Quantity: 10

Total cost: $62.21 before tax and shipping

per unit: $6

Turnaround time: 7-10 business days

Pros: Per unit price is very low

Cons: we can’t do hard cover. fewer printing options.

 

 

Homework for April 28

It may feel like we are just starting the final, but we already need to think about the finished product. The capabilities and limitations of the printing facility that you plan to use will have a major impact on the way that you design your work.

For next week, each member of your group should research a different printing facility. Try to fill in each of the following fields, and consider whether or not the facility you choose is a reasonable option for your group. The goal is to have at least 3 or 4 different options, so you can make an informed decision.

Printing Facility:
Type of press it will be printed on:
Number of colors:
Size:
Pages:
Cover type:
Binding:
Paper finish:
Paper weight:
Paper brightness:
Color profile:
Bleed:
Set up costs:
Proof costs:
Minimum quantity:
Total cost:
Cost per unit:
Turnaround time:
Pros:
Cons:

Homework For April 7

Homework for next week is to start articulating your final project. And you can probably imagine how we’re going to go about that….with a design brief. Please fill in the following fields, but note that some are a little different. Some fields that we’ve used before are not here. But the timeline has become much more specific. Make sure you spend some time mapping out the plan for successfully completing your project over the next 6 weeks.

Project Title:
Concept:

Aesthetic Summary:

Art:

Copy:

References & Inspiration (at least 3-5 sources):

Substrate:
Binding:
Additional Notes:

Timeline and Objectives:

For April 7:

For April 28:

For May 5:

For May 12: Present Digital Files for Final Projects

For May 19: Present Final Projects

 

Homework for March 31

Great work on your mid-term design briefs! I hope everyone agrees that the presentations were interesting, exciting and inspiring.

As mentioned in class, we’ll start work on the final project next week. In the meantime, we want to keep building on the ideas and inspiration that will drive that project.

Your homework is to write a 3-4 paragraph post addressing the following:
– the in-class presentations that were of interest to you. What made them interesting? What were some of the more unique or fascinating ideas? Did you find yourself thinking of new ideas that you would like to try? Was there anything that you just wish you had thought of?
– a printed object that might inspire your own work. This can be something that you have at home, or something that you find in a bookstore, magazine stand, etc. It does not need to be a “book” in the traditional sense, but try to consider the range of publications that we have thought about in class. What is it about this item that inspires you? How was it made? Can you picture yourself creating something similar? What ideas can you draw from the object you’ve selected? How does it feel in your hand? Include a picture of the object in your post.

And if you’re not sure where to find something interesting, try these:

Printed Matter
195 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10011

Strand Book Store
828 Broadway
New York, NY 10003

McNally Jackson Books
52 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012

And if you haven’t posted the PDF of your mid-term, please make sure you do so this week.

Homework for March 24

Finish your mid-term!

At this point, you should know what you need for next week, but just in case there are any questions, here it is:
– A PDF of your finished design brief, uploaded to this site before class.
– At least one printed copy of your design brief to be submitted in class. (A second copy can be helpful for displaying as you present.)
– to be ready to present the brief to the class
– to be ready to ask questions and discuss everyone’s ideas.

The 24th should be an interesting class. Looking forward to seeing the results of this work!

Deny Hernandez HW 3/17

Project Title: Cats v Dogs (which do people prefer)

Concepts: Infographics, pros and cons of both, a beginners guide to both

Aesthetic: vector realistic, negative space, monotone color scheme

Art: infographic examples

 

Copy: statistics of cats and dogs

Color Scheme: Monotone

Typeface: TBD

Visual References: info graphics of cats and dogs

Dimensions: 5.5″x8.5″

Substrate: glossy stock

Binding: gate fold and staple