Unit 04: Publish! Projects 13 14/04/2020 - 11/06/2020
Type In Use Questions for the analysis of a piece of editorial design
What type of typographic system is being used and what is the designer trying to do with it?
This publication seems to me that is is using a grid system with 1 column, 1 row and margins. I believe the designer was trying to make the pages look structured and tidy.
How many typefaces are used and what are they being used to denote? (Find out what they are)
This publication has two typefaces for the body on the inside of the book. From the research I made using WhatTheFont, the typeface the seemed closer to the one in the book, after analysing the glyphs section on some results, is epic normal and epic normal italic.
For the cover of the book I found two different typefaces also. The name of the author is in a typeface named 1848 Barricades; and the title of the book is in PTL Golary Red.
The typeface gives the page comfortable and stylistic feel. Looks structured therefore gives structure to the face.
Is there evidence of a grid being used?
Yes there is evidence of a grid as all lines are spaced equally and the text is structured with the same dimensions through all pages.
What size do you think the type is?
I think the type is set to 12 or 13pt.
Do you think this is the correct size? Is it legible?
Yes and Yes. The size looks perfect to the text and to the dimensions of the page. It is legible and also comfortable to read.
Is the use of typography suitable for the type of publication that you have been given and why?
The typography is suitable for this type of publication. As it is a novel with 240 pages, it is a big extension of words and the typography makes the book not boring or tiresome. Both the typeface; the size it is set; the word-space and leading make the text comfortable.
Is the text justified, range left, range right or centred? How are paragraphs split up?
The text is justified left. The paragraphs are indented.
Do all lines of text align to each other?
Yes all lines align to each other.
What colours are used within the design?
The text is all set in black and the book has no illustrations on the inside.
What type of paper is the publication printed on?
The book is paperback with uncoated paper on the pages.
Overall, how successful do you think the layout is?
I think the layout of the book is very successful. The margins around the pages are the perfect size for a thumb holding the book. Another point I would like to mention that gives the pages a great look of tidy and it has a sense of hierarchy on the flow of the text is the headings where the chapters are presented are also centered and this gives the reader a sort of instruction of how the book is read, from top to bottom, and your eyes fall only in this middle section on the book.
7 Essential Typographic Layout Systems
- Axial ( to just put text on either side of a line. To create an axial design, divide everything by an imaginary line (an axis). To create a bilateral design, put the center of everything on the same line.)
- Radial (To create a radial design, pick a central focal point, and place all the content so that it radiates out from that point.)
- Dilatational (Dilatational designs use type set along circular paths. Basically, rather than radiating out from a point, as in radial designs, the text forms curves around a point.)
- Grid (With a grid, all the text and graphics fit neatly into columns and rows.)
- Transitional (Implementation of movement and direction into your text.)
- Bilateral (Put all your text on the page and center it)
- Modular (Modular layouts use repeating structures to break up the content.)
Initial ideas
I created 3 initial ideas, intended to be for children's books.
The concept it is sort of a sarcastic one, because the text I am using for this is about a very "grown up" theme. It is about death and what happens when the dead get to the purgatory where they will be judged and sent either to heaven or hell. The excerpt I used is a character's line and the character itself is a women that in her lifetime used to sell other women to rich men. So it is a very taboo text that no child is usually exposed to. However, her job aside she is seen in the book as a very powerful women, and being the only female character in the book she has a lot of the reader's attention.
The layout of the text:
First image:
- Spread through two columns each page
- Source Serif Pro Bold
- Size 14pt
- Leading 15pt
- Colour orange (f8bb12 in adobe indesign)
- Aligned left
Second image:
- Spread through the four columns in the right page
- American Typewriter Bold
- Size 15pt
- Leading 17pt
- Colour black
- Aligned left
Third image:
- Spread through the four columns in the left page
- Source Serif Pro Semibold
- Size 14pt
- Leading 16pt
- Colour black
- Aligned left
All illustrations are from an artist called Jac Nguyen ( http://jacsketch.com ).
Slide down for images.
Final design with and without the grid
Final design specifications.
Grid:
- 2 rows x 4 columns
- leading 13
- margins top 65pt; bottom 49pt; inside 52pt; outside 52pt
Typography:
- Spread through the four columns of the left page
- Source Sans Pro Semibold (soft, non invasive typeface)
- Size 15pt
- Leading 17pt
- Colour black
- Aligned in the center
- I joined two designs in my initial ideas to create this
Playwriting design format
This format of writing has a set of standard rules that should be followed for better readability and to be comfortable for actors to act from it.
These rules are:
- Act and Scene headings are centered.
- Character’s names are centered and capitalized.
- Stage directions are indented one tab and italicized.
- Character’s names in stage directions are capitalized.
- Parenthetical stage directions are used for small actions.
Children's book design format
From typing into the google "inside childrens books" and clicking in images i was able to analyse what are the recurring aspects in the format of children's books. These were that things i noted:
- smaller chunks of text;
- type is usually bolder and more letter-spaced for comfortable and easier reading;
- big illustrations;
- type in different colours is more explored;
- text is usually centered and it has movement;
Zine design format
At first I wanted to make a zine so here is the research analysis I made for a zine.
A zine is the most free kind of formats because it is purely up to the designer making it. There are no rules on how to layout a zine or on what to put on one too.
Here is a list of just a few of the things you can do with the zine format:
- Publish sketches, drawings, and mini-comics
- Match recipes with illustrations
- Mix words with images and textures
- Print lines of poetry
- Share a manifesto
- …the list goes on
Basically, what you can include in a zine is only limited by your imagination.
5th May 2020 Tutor Feedback
- linotype (great website for inspiration on typefaces)
- centered type works for this design but try to avoid it; centered type is sometimes hard to read; good for short blocks of text
- illustrations look great; the separation of imagery and text works well
- next time try to generate your own illustrations and imagery
- leading looks a little too loose
- text could be a little bigger
- try highlighting some words or parts on the texts; bring hierarchy in it