Design context

Open publication - Free publishing - More dc

I firstly printed my design context onto thin matt card in digital print but found it too hard to fold when i came to put it together. I therefore re printed it onto different stock to make it easier to fold. I ended up using fireproof paper which gave a really nice finish and folded much better. 

Design context

Layout of design context

Design context

Thermography

Thermography, or relief printing, is normally the preserve of high-quality stationery products. Its raised effect adds another dimension to the item, in a similar way to foil blocking or die stamping.

Design context

Embossing and desbossing

An emboss or deboss is a design that is stamped into a substrate with ink or foil, which results in a three-dimensional, raised, decorative or textured surface to provide emphasis to certain elements of a design. Generally, a paper stock with a thicker caliper holds an emboss (or deboss) much better than thinner stocks.

Design context

Folding

Different folding methods will produce different creative effects and offer different functionality and means of organisation.

Design context

Varnishes

A varnish is a colourless coating that is often applied to a printed piece to protect the substrate from scuffing, wear or smudging. Varnish can also be used to enhance the visual appearance of a design, or elements within it. Varnish can produce three finishes - gloss, dull and satin - and, while not strictly a varnish, UV coating can also be used to add decorative touches to a design.


UV Varnish
UV varnish is a clear liquid that is applied like ink and cured instantly with ultraviolet light. It can provide either a gloss or matt coating. Increasingly, UV varnish as a spot covering to highlight a particular image because it provides more shine than varnish.

Design context

Foils can be applied in a thin layer to a material through the use of heat and pressure. Foil blocking operates as an addition to other printing methods, allowing metallic finishes to be applied to a surface.
There is a huge range of foils, including metallic, colour and clear, and some more unusual holographic or decorative foils, which are made up with 'shim lines'. These lines are created when the edge of a foil is butted up against the edge of the same pattern, like wallpaper. Some of the foil suppliers have managed to minimise this phenomenon but you should still watch out for it. Obviously, solid colours do not present this problem.

Design context

Die cutting

Die cutting is a process that uses a steel die to cut away specified section of a design. It is mainly used for decorative purposes and to enhance the visual performance of a piece.


Die cutting is a common process used to cut a range of sheet materials, including paper, cardboard, rubber and plastic. Most standard cardboard boxes or packages are made using this relatively straightforward technique. In addition to cutting out shapes, this method of cutting can be used to create creases, perforations and slits.
 The die is produced by a die or cutting-forme maker out of a flat base or substrate that is usually made out of high-density plywood. The die maker uses a band saw or laser cutter to cut precisely positioned slits into the wood. The die maker then cuts and bends a steel rule, essentially an elongated razor blade made out of hardened steel, and positions it into the slits in the substrate to form the cutting edge. Finally, rubber pads, known as ejection rubber, are adhered to the substrate to help eject the material after it has been cut. The wood, steel rule and ejection rubber combine together to create what is commonly referred to as a cutting forme. Once the die maker has completed the cutting forme, it is immediately ready for production. The die is attached to the top surface or platen of a die cutting press, which will provide the force required for the job. The material to be cut is positioned below the die and then the press is put into action. If registration is an issue, the material is positioned against a stop or in a locating nest. The cutting edges of the steel rule penetrate through the material until they come into contact with the bottom platen; then the press reverses and the cut part is exposed. In some applications, a softer material is placed below the material to accept the cutting surfaces of the steel rule.

Design context

Disc and string closures

This type of closure originated with the legal profession. It is used principally on envelopes and folders housing documents that need to be securely fastened and accessed quickly. It consists of discs riveted onto the opening parts. The machinery that is needed to achieve this is quite specialised, as both discs have to be riveted. One disc has a length of string attached to it that ties around the other disc in a figure-of-eight configuration.

The discs themselves tend to be made from a pressed cardboard and the string from cotton. It is possible to have these discs made from the same material as the item you are producing; however, they will not then be as strong as pressed cardboard and can buckle when tied with the string.

Design context

Perfect binding-

Perfect binding, or adhesive binding, is a common binding method when there is a great number of pages to be bound together. All magazines and paperback books are bound in this way. The binding process involves first collating together the inside pages of the item, then notching or shaving off a small portion of the pages on this bound edge. A flexible adhesive is applied and the cover is attached.

Design context

Binding

Binding is one of the elements of the finishing process of any printed book or pamphlet. There are many binding methods, some of which are automated and some of which can only be completed by hand.

Saddle stitching- Saddle or wire stitching is the most common, and one of the cheapest, binding techniques. Printed sheets are bound by passing one or more metal wires, or staples, through the pages and covers. The two most frequent methods of saddle stitching are spine stitching or flat stitching.

Design context

Paper

Three basic properties of paper- grammage, thickness and bulk. Grammage is usually given in weight per square metre and is a fundamental concept when choosing a paper. Grammage is often used to refer to a papers thickness. This is misleading as thickness actually depends on a papers bulk.
Thickness is measured in micrometres- thousandths of a millimetre- and is the distance between the papers two surfaces. The thickness of the paper will effect the stability and feel of the final printed product.
Bulk, sometimes referred to as volume, defines the relationship between a papers thickness and its grammage. A paper with a low bulk will be more compact and will contain less air than one with a high bulk.  a low-bulk paper is thus thin and heavy, while a high-bulk paper is comparatively light, airy and thick. Because of the lower proportion of air, a low-bulk paper will often be smoother than one with a high bulk, and vice versa.
Roughness is another characteristic of paper to be considered. In general, uncoated papers have a lighter roughness than coated papers. To reduce roughness the paper is compressed and smoothed in a calender or smoothing machine. There is a link between bulk and roughness, since a smooth, compressed paper will have a lower bulk. To achieve a higher bulk, the evenness of the paper surface will have to be compromised to some degree, and the paper will be rougher. Surface roughness may also affect the printing process, where more irregular, rougher papers can be difficult to print.
Opacity or not translucency is another property of paper to consider. The higher a papers opacity, the less translucent it is. A paper of 100 percent opacity is therefore completely non-translucent, while on with a low opacity, such as tracing paper, is more translucent and lets a much higher proportion of light through. During printing, ink penetrates the paper and reduces the opacity, which can result in print being visible through the sheet. This is referred to as ink print opacity. This is an especially important consideration when double-sided printing, particularly on low grammage paper, and you need to be aware of the placement of text and graphics on both sides of the sheets.
The grain direction of a paper describes the orientation of the fibres that make up that sheet. This effects the stiffness of the paper and makes the paper harder to bend along that axis. Grain direction is also revealed by your paper supplier's measurements, as the figure given first refers to the length of the side that runs across the fibre direction.

Design context

Newsprint

Newsprint paper has to be strong and have a high opacity in its principal use for newspapers and comics. Traditionally it is used in web printing, where the paper is supplied and printed from a reel. Therefore it has to be able to run and print at high speed without tearing and marking.
 Consequently the availability and specification of newsprint is very much geared towards these industries and its supply in sheet form is limited. In sheet form only one weight is supplied and this is usually found at most printers as an interleaving or packing material. Some screen printers print on sheet newsprint to dry out the ink in their screens. This can create some interesting, if uncontrolled, results on the work that is being produced.
Because of its lightness and tenancy to absorb ink, newsprint can be difficult to print conventionally. The surface of newsprint is highly irregular because of its content- this comes predominantly from recycled sources, making it similar to grey board, and it performs like bible paper by curling and cockling when printed. Newsprint can be supplied in a variety of weights, particularly at the lighter end of the scale, thanks to the demands of the market for the production of thinner substrates that will make newspaper publications lighter and thus more cost-effective to produce and ship. This requirement from the market for ever-lighter weights is making the heavier stocks harder to find.
 Some designers may wish to produce a newspaper- style brochure. However, it may not be possible to use a conventional newspaper printer as production runs of newspapers are very high. It may be better to resort to a white or off-white thin uncoated paper to replicate the effect, and any four-colour work will also retain a level of sharpness and detail as a result.
Newsprint is still a valid material to consider in the arsenal of paper-based substrates that have an unusual handle and printed result without having to fall back on conventional coated and uncoated stocks. With adequate care and patience in printing and finishing, results can be achieved that make for idiosyncratic and desirable printed items.

Design context

Net for my design context. Each square will be a page divided in half. One half for images and the other for text. The diagonal lines show where the folds will be. The whole thing will fold up to make a square shape. I am going to print it size A1. 

Design context

Grey board

 Grey board is made from recycled waste paper, using a production process that is very energy intensive. Bales of waste paper are placed into a pulper- a steel cauldron filled with water, fitted with a rotor arm.  The soaked waste paper then begins to break up, and the turbulence produced by the rotor arm mixes the fibres with the water, producing slurry.
This slurry is pumped into a head box, from which it is distributed onto and endless screen called a wire. It is in the first few metres of the wire that the board takes shape. The water disperses and the paper fibres remain behind and behind to each other. The wet board is squeezed between two presses where supporting felts soak up and remove more of the water. By this stage the board is becoming more rigid.
Finally the board is then passed over steam-heated cylinders, causing most of the remaining water to evaporate. The resultant grey board is now ready to be used in its raw state or it can be sent off to be laminated, into display board for example.
Grey board has a wide variety of traditional uses. Because of its low cost and rigidity it is principally sold to make covers for hardback books, and forms the core material in high-frequency welded binders, files, diaries and even jigsaws. It is a material that tends not to be seen; a material that serves a purpose.
Despite being very rigid, grey board is still soft enough to be foil blocked, giving a debossed effect. Also, interesting results can be achieved by foil blocking with a clear foil. It can also be screen printed, thought the board may need to be sealed as it is very porous.  Another alternative is to screen print the image twice to ensure a good coverage of ink, though this can cause problems with registration. When it is matt laminated, grey board takes on an unusual appearance, as the lamination takes on all the imperfections in the surface of the board.

Design Context

Book cloth

Book cloth is a woven cotton that is coated in a starch and pigment mixture that has been subjected to live steam before being spread against the cloth. The granules of starch burst open and thicken, causing the material to thicken, giving the starched effect. Drying is usually done by a steam-heated drum, around which the cloth is wrapped during its journey through the spreading machine. The heat dries the starch onto the cloth. When the material is glued, the process is reversed as water in the glue softens the starch granules, making the material pliable and easy to work with. The starch prevents the glue from penetration through the cloth.

Coloured paper
  The majority of, if not all, coloured papers that are of commercially available are supplied uncoated. The choice of colours and weights is fairly broad, but, as so few mills continue its production, one tends to find the same shades and qualities available everywhere- continued research to uncover interesting alternatives is often a fruitless task.
  Coloured paper can also be supplied with a range of embossed textures on one side of the material
These finishes are currently in high demand for use in packaging, report covers and stationery. Commercially available weights if coloured papers range from around 100gsm moving up to 350gsm. For a thicker material, sheets have to be bonded together or duplexed. This is very effective but can make the material prohibitively expensive. You could consider the option of printing a colour on to a boar of the required thickness, though the edges of the board will not be coloured.
Coloured paper lends itself well to all printing processes- screen printing and foiling blocking are particularly effective. With black papers that have high carbon content, there can be an adverse reaction to foil blocking - this can effect the appearance of the foil. Coloured paper die cuts and creases well, and therefore can be a good choice for the construction of cartons if a luxury finish is required.  However, as the material is usually supplied uncoated, it is soft, making the board liable to delaminate on flaps and closures.

Design Context

Materials

Acrylic- 

Acrylic can we supplied in a wide range of colours, sizes and thickness, though sometimes not directly from stock. Acrylic usually has a highly glossy surface and can be prone to scratching. This is why it is always supplied with a protective film on both sides of the material. Acrylic can be cut with a saw. Once it has been sawn, the edges can be flame polished, which will leave a gloss finish. However, if you are intending on printing onto the acrylic, you need to be aware that flame polishing the edges can have an effect on the surrounding flat surface, causing any print to crack and craze. Acrylic can also be glued, though only specific adhesives that are highly watery in consistency can be used. The material can also be softened on a wire and heat bent into angles. Heat bending can also cause the acrylic to flare out at the bend. This is difficult to avoid, particularly when the item is being mass produced, and is uneconomical to rectify. In terms of the surface of the acrylic, foil blocking can be applied.  The surface can also be engraved; this can be attractive but but is often costly and time consuming. Screen printing a translucent white has the same effect as engraving and can be a cheaper alternative.
Glow edge acrylic is one of the more unusual materials available. There are chemicals in the sheet that emit a bright glow when light hits the material. The colour palette and thicknesses available are restricted (for example, lime green, yellow, orange and blue), but there is a sheet available in a 0.3mm thickness, which is suitable for business cards and invitations, and which has the additional advantage that it can be guillotined.

Design Context

I have decided i am not going to make a publication for my Design Context brief, instead i am going to make some packaging which will fold out and show different sides of the 'box' which will have different pages of context on.

Jealous sweets

Open publication - Free publishing - More jelous

Vegetarian sweets

At Jealous we believe that indulgence shouldn't be exclusive so we've made sure our sweets are suitable for specific dietary needs, don't ever include anything artificial but never, ever compromise on deliciousness.
 

Nothing Fake!

Many sweets have chemical mixtures that mimic a natural flavour or colour. Some scientific studies have shown that artificial flavours and colours can be linked to hyperactivity in children, cancers and other side effects and disorders. Our bodies are complex things anyway and they don't like to be lied to so our sweets don't lie. If a Jealous sweet says it's cherry flavoured it's because it's flavoured with actual cherries - not some artificial "e" number. And to make the colours we use natural ingredients like; beetroot, spinach and nettle extracts.
 

No Gelatine

Gelatine is a produce that is primarily derived from the collagen inside cows' and pigs' skin and bones (eurgh!). What a lot of people don't know is that gelatine is nearly always used as a setting / gelling agent for sweet jellies which makes an awful lot of sweets unsuitable for vegetarians and anyone who doesn't eat pork, beef or who follows kosher or halal diets. That's not fair. We live in a multicultural, liberal world and at Jealous we want to reflect that in our sweets. None of our sweets have gelatine in them which means vegetarians are free to eat them to their hearts' content! It also means that anyone who doesn't eat specific animal products like pork or beef can also eat our delicious sweets!
 

Vegetarian Society

Here at Jealous HQ, we are proud about the quality of our sweets and the fact that they contain no animal products. So much so that we decided to get every single one of our sweets registered with the UK Vegetarian Society. That means all our sweets are listed on their website - Click Here.
 

Gluten Free

Gluten is a type of protein found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye so it's mostly found in flour-based foods. But gluten hides in a lot of other foods and for those who suffer from gluten intolerance this can make choosing foods a real trial. No Jealous sweets contain gluten which makes them easily and yummily digestible for everyone.
 

Organic Range

Our organic range goes a step further. The ingredients that have gone into creating this delicious range have been grown free of any nasty pesticides or insecticides. The sugar in these sweets is also derived from "Unrefined sugar cane" so it even has a low GI - how cool is that!
 

Sugar-Free Range

We at Jealous HQ believe that sweets should be eaten by everyone including those who have diabetes or diets which restrict sugar. So we've even introduced a range of Sugar-Free hard candy for them with many more products in the pipeline! Jealous uses a natural substance called "Isomalt" to sweeten its Sugar-Free products. Isomalt is a sugar substitute, a type of sugar alcohol, used primarily for its sugar-like physical properties. It has only a small impact on blood sugar levels and does not promote tooth decay. It is also unusual in that it is a natural sugar alcohol that is produced from beets.

 WARNING - Please note that excessive consumption of Isomalt can produce a laxative effect and therefore it is advised not be consumed in quantities larger than about 50g per day for adults and 25g for children.