Design for Print / Redefinition of Concept

24 / 11 / 13

DESIGN FOR PRINT / OUGD504

REDEFINITION

AFTER CRITS AND DISCUSSIONS.

After my one on one crit with Sam it was clear that I had to re-direct the feel of my book, taking it from a instruction tool for students to a visual aid that helps to inspire and intrigue those whom wish to try the more hands on methods of print. This means that I can keep the methods that are present with in my book as they are suitable for those that don't have much experience with such processes. 

I want to visualise the basic effects that can be gained from these methods and get the audience excited to try them, however keep the work with in the book within reach of a beginner. 

To start with i did want to keep to the idea of having the kit rely on the 'inside out concept' as I felt that this what my original ideas thrived from. Because i was stuck into thinking that I had committed to this idea, I struggled for a while after this crit also. I realised that by having the methods used to make the kit shown in a step by step visuals, I would just end up with a book of photographs which was not the aesthetic i was imagining and thinking about.

After questioning myself and my initial idea of the 'inside out' concept, I realised I simply had to cut back on the details of the concept and strip it back to the simple basics.

A lot of my ideas simulate the making process with out physical step by step motions. And rather than forcing my self to show these processes through how I have made aspects of the book, I could have a simple blurb in the back of the book indicating to the reader which parts had the book have been made with the processes presented with in the book. This gave me a lot less restrictions on what I could create and also on how I can shown how these methods work.

As well as redefining the content in terms of concept I have also come to the conclusion that Digital print would not be very relevant compared to the rest of the processes I am planning on covering and how I want to cover them.

Because the concept is like and introductory publication on print, having digital print is something that is already very familiar to a lot of people whether they are a creative person or not. Because of this i have decided to take out digital print. As I go on to the making process and start to experiment more with the physical process, there may be chance for me to add in another process such as letter press, however I feel that this kind of print is already covered through the lino cutting process.

I already have a few of my processes sorted in terms of how to present them in my publication such as Lino cutting, and embossing. I know how I would like to present screen printing through a step by step build up of an image, however I am not sure yet on what it is I will actually print. This is the same for locking and foiling. Laser cutting is also something that I have not yet thought about how to display it, so to start back on creating my content I started to sketch up some possibilities.

Laser cut.

I would like to show the different effects you can get with the laser cutting process (kiss cut, engrave, raster and cut out). I like the idea of ueing a mix of materials to show the laser marks and perhaps have a photographic image of the laser head its self. I would like to show these marks and how the look on other, not paper-based, materials such as glass and acrylic, however im not sure how I would be able to incorporate all of this into a publication.

Because this is suppose to be the basics, perhaps there wouldn’t be too much need to show more developed forms of this printing technique, but I may be able to add to add it into the packaging some how.

Screen print.

I drew an informational diagram trying to explain the way in which a screen is cleaned. Because this is quite a complex thing in its self, I tried to depict the cleaning process in the simplest possible way I could.

At first I felt that this could be the image I could screen print as the example of the process.

After a while I Felt that having information on how to clean and prepare a screen would not really be completely necessary as the book is not suppose to act as a guide or instruction manual it is simply a display of what is possible through these process for individuals that are unfamiliar to them.

INITIAL IDEA

(DRAWN  ON THE TRAIN)

IDEA SKETCHED UP PROPERLY

RUFF SKETCH

(DONE ON THE TRAIN)

As an introductory page I thought the title could run along the same lines as ‘Working with screens to print’. This would cover the ink, flock and foil processes as they all use the same type of screen print method.

At first I thought that I could use this as the example for the build up of colours on an image.

RUFF SKETCH

The next idea came to me while I was watching the Rugby World cup as the popular song but Fat bot Slim ‘Eat, sleep, rave, repeat’ came on. Im not sure while but I automatiacllty related this song to the process I was attempting to deptict.

‘Ink, Squeege, Raise, Repeat’. I started to sketch ideas using this concpt t come up with a way in which the screen print process could be shown.

In an almost fit of creative thoughts, after this 'ink, squeege, raise, repeat' idea, I sketched these ideas down frantically so I did not forget my thoughts and ideas.

I think at this one single moment, while watching the rugby all of my ideas that I had been toying with over the past couple of weeks just sort of settled in my head all at once.
This got me excited to get on and start putting this together.

*  *  *  * 

Culminating all my ideas i decided to draw up each page in how I wanted the book to look, this will make it easier for me to visualise and follow what in the making process.

I also made a little mock up book to allow me to see how the pages would merge together and how I could order the book ensuring a flow that was easy to follow.