OUGD504 - What is design for print? Workshop part 2

After each bringing in a collection of printed ephemera, we explored the six elements of designing for print and more by attempting to arrange these objects into different piles within our tables.

Firstly we arranged it into different piles of format:
(top to bottom of image)

• Books
• Magazines
• Packaging
• Labels
• Flyers
• Product
• Receipts/ tickets

 Then we categorized them by use of colour:
(top to bottom of image)

• Mono tone
• 2-4 colour
• full colour

 Then in order of size of print run.
(from top of image to bottom)

• Mass produced
• Smaller run
• Bespoke print run

We then categorised them by print process.

(image top to bottom)

• digital print
• screen print
• foiling
• embossing/ debossing
• letterpress

 We then put them in order of how much we think that each item would cost per unit. We considered the rarity/ size of the print run, cost of materials, cost of inks etc and any expensive processes such as embossing/ debossing and letterpress.

(ordered from top of image to bottom)

• cheapest
• most expensive

Then we ordered them into their design purpose.

(from image top to bottom)

• Branding and identity
• Packaging and promotion
• Publishing and editorial
• Information and way-finding

This session helped us explore and try to determine what each of these categories were and how they interlinked and overlapped with one another. I found it particularly useful in determining a way of managing my time throughout a project by using each category as a point in time on a to-do list.

After this session I was asking myself a lot of questions...

What do I want to find out?

• How do you print onto a 3D object? (the stress ball, the hair clay tin)
• How do you add spot varnish / gloss to something?
• How do you print onto credit cards?
• How can you mass print neon colours (ie digitally, how is it possible?)
• How much does it cost to emboss something? to foil something? to gloss something?
• How can you achieve foiling more professionally?
• How do you print onto napkins?
• How do you print white onto black stock?

I want to broaden my general knowledge of print so I will attempt to find out the answers to my questions throughout the week.