Design Process - Creating the Prototype
I first wanted to concentrate on my front cover because I would have to adjust it slightly by making it a centimetre wider. This was easily done as all I had to do was use the 'transform' too an made it larger to fit into the wider gap.
Then it was time to get my other pages done. Unlike my saddle stitch design I hadn't created a digital document for this so I created a new one in InDesign, making sure that I added an extra centimetre to the width of it to allow space for the "fold".
I then put this document to the side and created a new one with the old dimensions. The reason for this was because once everything is arranged in it's place I could simply copy and paste it to the new document... This will help me a lot, especially if I chose the "paste in place" option, as it should leave 1cm space on the edge more accurately than it would be if I were placing them onto it firsthand.
This arrangement was very different to what I had done for the double-sided design. Each design was technically "together" here, and it's very confusing to explain but they were basically next to each other. More so than the previous design anyway.
Once everything was done I simply copied and then "paste in place" my designs. Because I did the paste-in-place option it pasted them exactly how they would do if they were at their normal size, and so they were placed around the centre of the two pages rather than being central on their own pages (meaning that there would be gaps either side).
I then went to Staples to print everything out!
First Prototype
I first wanted to concentrate on my front cover because I would have to adjust it slightly by making it a centimetre wider. This was easily done as all I had to do was use the 'transform' too an made it larger to fit into the wider gap.
Then it was time to get my other pages done. Unlike my saddle stitch design I hadn't created a digital document for this so I created a new one in InDesign, making sure that I added an extra centimetre to the width of it to allow space for the "fold".
I then put this document to the side and created a new one with the old dimensions. The reason for this was because once everything is arranged in it's place I could simply copy and paste it to the new document... This will help me a lot, especially if I chose the "paste in place" option, as it should leave 1cm space on the edge more accurately than it would be if I were placing them onto it firsthand.
This arrangement was very different to what I had done for the double-sided design. Each design was technically "together" here, and it's very confusing to explain but they were basically next to each other. More so than the previous design anyway.
Once everything was done I simply copied and then "paste in place" my designs. Because I did the paste-in-place option it pasted them exactly how they would do if they were at their normal size, and so they were placed around the centre of the two pages rather than being central on their own pages (meaning that there would be gaps either side).
I then went to Staples to print everything out!
First Prototype
I gathered all of the designs I had printed off at Staples and used the scalpel to cut them to size. Luckily I had made some marks before I printed it out so that I could gain a level of accuracy when it came to the cutting-out stage.
This was when I realised that there might be a problem when it comes to threading as the thread would go over the type! I thus put this all to one side to focus on the saddle stitch binding version.
Second Prototype
I printed out my French Fold document on my printer at home to reduce printing costs after my discovery with the Staples version and the fact that the front cover might need tweaking. I think that because I wouldn't have to do double-sided printing I shall just continue to print at the university printers or at home until I get my design right and use the Staples printers at the last resort.
Once everything was dry I then cut everything out, folded them, and then arranged the pages in their correct order. I then clipped everything to keep in place and on a separate piece of paper I drew out some marks so that I knew exactly where to sew.
I used these marks as reference and kept them beside my design when I lightly drew out some marks on it.
I then sew my document, and this time I only used one gold thread because two were too thick from what I had learnt when I saddle stitched on my previous prototype.
This was what my prototype looked like!
Problems I faced:
- Sewing the document - The holes I made were slightly off so I had to "make" them again with the needle I'm using. Next time I'll just use the plucker/awl just to mark everything and then maybe the needle to do the rest.
When I did make the holes the other side (the back) looked a bit messy. This could be avoided by just making the holes with the holes on all of the other pages and then use the needle for the back? - Thread - I need to ensure that my thread is taunt so that there isn't a loop like shown on the back. I tried pulling the thread but it didn't fix it.
- Front & back cover - they weren't the same size as the other pages which is a bit strange... I need to ensure that they are correct when it comes to the final piece.
- Folds - Cover all of the white gaps, maybe I could try and bend them so that they fold out a bit more?
Reflective and Critical Thinking
The French Fold and Japanese stab binding technique seems to be a more reliable form of bookbinding for my project because it avoids the mistakes made with double-sided print, even from professional printing companies as their printers can't avoid this either. It also has that degree of elegance which I had mentioned in a previous post, and I think that the visible gold thread is actually a nice feature because it matches the colour of the swirls.
My only concern is the front cover design. I have talked to my lecturers about it and one suggested to have the front cover glued over the spine so that it would cover the sewn part, however I quite like that the thread is showing.
My options are therefore to leave it as it is or edit it slightly and make the type smaller and shift it more to the right so that the thread doesn't overlap it. I might try and experiment with gluing my cover over it anyway just so that I have more options to choose from.
Third Prototype - Gluing Over
I printed everything out again and went through the same process with binding, but this time I left out the front and back cover and didn't cut them in half like I did last time. For some reason the colours on the front cover went... A bit wrong. Luckily it's just a prototype!
Once I had done the binding I place my cover design flat - not cutting it down the middle like all of the other times - and placed some double-sided tape on the inside beside the binding. I did the same on the back. Then it was just a case of peeling the tape cover off and carefully folding the cover over it.
I noticed that there was an overlap in some areas where I wasn't able to size it accurately, so I went back a couple of steps and reduced the opacity of the additional line art and erased the areas I didn't need. I then reverted it to the right opacity and merged the layers again.
After many more slight tweaks, I was done!
I then uploaded it to my InDesign document and printed it out so that I could get on with my next prototype.
Fourth Prototype
I wanted to try out a different binding process and decided to try out another Japanese method which is called the "4-Hole". I once again followed a tutorial by Sea Lemon on YouTube:
This process was easier than I thought although I made the mistake of accidentally threading it through the inside of one of the folded pages, so at the end I had to cut it apart before tying a knot.
However I find that this process wasn't as strong as the Japanese stab binding method and the pages weren't held together very well because my knot wasn't that taunt. Some of the threading came loose as well and I wasn't able to tighten them as I only noticed it right at the last moment.
Reflective & Critical Thinking
I have done quite a number of prototypes and as I repeated most of my steps such as the Japanese stab binding I found myself getting better at it, and the last try was almost perfect. I allowed myself to be open to new ideas although I think I have my mind set on having French folds instead of using a double-sided method.
This is because the French folds adds a certain elegance as well as weight to the book so that it wasn't flimsy. It made it stronger so that it was more robust when being handled so I'm not worried that the book will tear or fall apart.
I think that I will go with the decision of using the Japanese stab binding as I am getting more used to the method, and my thread is kept quite taunt to keep all of the pages together. I would like to try out one more prototype where I have a book cloth to fold over the spine and cover the thread and then compare them all.
This would mean I would have to adjust my design slightly so that the white gaps are smaller to allow the book fold to go over the thread. I would also like to make my cover stronger by sticking it down on black card, so I'll try that out at the same time.
Learning Outcomes:
[5] Developed skills of independent study, resource utilisation, problem-solving and decision-taking.
[9] Developed their ability to work with complex material, analyse problems and identify appropriate solutions.
Once I had done the binding I place my cover design flat - not cutting it down the middle like all of the other times - and placed some double-sided tape on the inside beside the binding. I did the same on the back. Then it was just a case of peeling the tape cover off and carefully folding the cover over it.
Thoughts
This prototypes has worked really well and has solved the problem with the thread overlapping the type. However, I really did like it when the gold thread was showing through so I think I shall adjust my design a little bit to accommodate it.
Adjusting the Design
I went back to Photoshop to edit my original document. I have a feeling that this will be very time consuming because parts of my lineart had been cut off so I would have to integrate my old scan... For now I just concentrated on getting the gap right.
To do this I quickly created a new document with the same height but a width of 1cm, then I copied and pasted this onto my main document. Then I shifted my design to the side slightly so that the little box didn't overlap the type. This box would be where the thread is going to go.
I then played around to see if there was an easier way to overcome this by just reducing the type but that didn't work because then my design wasn't central, and I couldn't get around the missing line art.
Therefore I had to go back to basics; I reduced the size of the whole illustration and then moved it to where I ideally would like it to be. There were some missing spaces in the lineart so I went over to my scan and copied it into my design, placing it as close to where the original lines were.
I erased roughly the areas that I didn't need and placed each section that I did need on different layers. Then it was the case of trying to get this new lineart the same size and place so that it would fit with the old. This in itself was really time consuming and I spent ages continuously adjusting it until I was satisfied.
Once that was done I simply joined the line art layers together, locked them, and then used a soft paintbrush tool to colour everything in.
After many more slight tweaks, I was done!
I then uploaded it to my InDesign document and printed it out so that I could get on with my next prototype.
Fourth Prototype
I wanted to try out a different binding process and decided to try out another Japanese method which is called the "4-Hole". I once again followed a tutorial by Sea Lemon on YouTube:
My "screenshots":
Before I made any marks on the design I tested it out on a scrap piece of paper, following the method Sea Lemon had demonstrated. This time I tried using a pin instead of my plucker tool to create holes. These holes were rounder and neater, so I think I shall just use a pin from now on. It was also much easier to make holes with provided I had some blutac underneath the paper.
Problems I faced:
- Thread - wasn't tight enough - created loops - could get untied
- Thread needed to be a bit thicker and stronger, was a bit too flimsy
- Accidentally threaded through the inside of a French fold
Thoughts
However I find that this process wasn't as strong as the Japanese stab binding method and the pages weren't held together very well because my knot wasn't that taunt. Some of the threading came loose as well and I wasn't able to tighten them as I only noticed it right at the last moment.
Reflective & Critical Thinking
I have done quite a number of prototypes and as I repeated most of my steps such as the Japanese stab binding I found myself getting better at it, and the last try was almost perfect. I allowed myself to be open to new ideas although I think I have my mind set on having French folds instead of using a double-sided method.
This is because the French folds adds a certain elegance as well as weight to the book so that it wasn't flimsy. It made it stronger so that it was more robust when being handled so I'm not worried that the book will tear or fall apart.
I think that I will go with the decision of using the Japanese stab binding as I am getting more used to the method, and my thread is kept quite taunt to keep all of the pages together. I would like to try out one more prototype where I have a book cloth to fold over the spine and cover the thread and then compare them all.
This would mean I would have to adjust my design slightly so that the white gaps are smaller to allow the book fold to go over the thread. I would also like to make my cover stronger by sticking it down on black card, so I'll try that out at the same time.
Learning Outcomes:
[5] Developed skills of independent study, resource utilisation, problem-solving and decision-taking.
[9] Developed their ability to work with complex material, analyse problems and identify appropriate solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment