Publishing Design

24/09/2025 – 06/05/2025 (Week 1 – Week 3)

Valerius Ethan Wirawan / 0372774

Publishing Design / Creative Media / School of Design

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3. Process Work

4. Final Outcome

5. Feedback

6. Reflection

7. Further Reading

1. LECTURES

All pre-lecture materials are the intellectual property of Mr. Vinod Nair.

1.1. Lecture 1 (Publishing Design: Formats)

Designing a book requires a comprehensive understanding of typography, space, details, and publishing softwares.

Factors influencing the format of a book include:

Size of the target audience: For example, designing smaller books for children, with considerations for age and handling.
Content type: Visual-heavy books like maps or diagrams require larger formats to accommodate images and details.
Content volume: Large directories or extensive texts necessitate thicker, lighter pages to manage weight and cost.
Format components: Includes paper type, binding, size, and material, all tailored to the purpose and content.

Fig. 1.1.1. Lecture 1

Historical formats across civilizations:

Mesopotamia (Iraq & Iran): Record-keeping originated from accounting technology, with early tablets from 7000–8000 BC used for bookkeeping, evolving to include written records on clay tablets with cuneiform (~2600 BC).

Fig. 1.1.2. Mesopotamia Clay Tablets

Indus Valley (India-Pakistan-Afganistan): Used clay tablets and later cuneiform on soft clay for government, religion, and trade records (~2600 BC). Palm leaf manuscripts appeared around 800–900 BC, carved with stylus and soot, surviving in dry climates.

Fig. 1.1.3. Indus Valley Soft Clay Tablets

Ancient Egypt: Oldest civilization with hieroglyphics written on papyrus, a plant-based material, often on walls or papyrus scrolls. Scribes were the only ones who could read/write hieroglyphics, and writing was painstaking, often in cursive hieratic script (~3000 BC).

Fig. 1.1.4. Egyptians Hieroglyphics on Papyrus Paper

China: Early writing on bamboo strips in vertical columns, with the modern character evolving from pictograms (~105 BC). The earliest printed book is the Diamond Sutra (868 AD), printed on scrolls using woodblock printing which were labor-intensive but revolutionary. Movable type was pioneered later, with significant development in Korea (~1400s), where they created their own script and used brass characters.

Fig. 1.1.5. Chinese Bamboo Book and Wood Block Printing

European printing history:

The printing press was developed by Gutenberg, but similar presses existed in China and Korea earlier.
European books were expensive due to laborious production, especially with parchment made from animal hides, which involved extensive processing and was costly.
Parchment was invented in Turkey (~159 BC), made from animal skins, and used for books. It was heavy and expensive, often reserved for wealthy individuals.

Fig. 1.1.6. Parchment

The process involved stretching and scraping animal skins, which was labor-intensive. The use of parchment persisted until the 15th century when paper became widespread.
Paper arrived in Europe around the 14th–15th centuries, initially from China via Persia and the Arab world. The earliest European paper was made from rags, and the first printed European book using paper was produced in the late 1400s.

1.2. Lecture 2 (Publishing Design: History of Print)

The history of print began in East Asia, especially in Korea and China. The earliest known printed documents appeared around 750 CE, when Korea produced a Sutra on a single sheet of paper about 750 years after the death of Christ. Printing first used woodblock carving, which was labor-intensive but achieved remarkable results. For example, Buddhist prayer scrolls in Japan around AD 768 took six years to complete and were distributed to pilgrims.

Fig. 1.2.1. Document Printed on Sutra

Chinese printing later advanced with movable type. Clay type was first used but was fragile and difficult because of the 10,000 characters needed. Korea developed bronze movable type around AD 1380, which was stronger and reusable. The creation of the Hangul alphabet in 1443 simplified printing compared to Chinese characters.

Fig. 1.2.2. World's First Printed Ilustration

Woodblock printing was also used for Buddhist texts in China, producing many scrolls and images. A famous example is the Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest dated printed book from 868 CE, with both text and illustrations. Printing methods spread to Korea and Japan, where they created large works, including the world’s largest stone-engraved book in Myanmar with 729 slabs stored in stupas.

Fig. 1.2.3. Johannes Gutenberg & His Printing

In Europe, woodblock printing started around AD 1400. The breakthrough came with Johannes Gutenberg’s metal movable type between 1440 and 1450 in Strasbourg. This method allowed rapid, repeated printing by arranging reusable metal letters, reducing labor and cost. Gutenberg’s press used steady downward pressure and durable metal alloys. His Gutenberg Bible, printed in the mid-1450s, featured colored initials and gilding.

1.3. Lecture 3 (Publishing Design: Typo Redux)

Type Families & Typefaces

Each family has multiple typefaces (small caps, numerals, ligatures, symbols).
Includes fractions, mathematical symbols, and glyphs.
Accessible in Illustrator and InDesign.

Character Variations

Fig. 1.3.1. Characters in a Typeface

Small capitals match x-height, better for acronyms (e.g., TDS).
More elegant than full caps in body text.
Swashes add decorative flair for invites/headlines, but not for all caps.

Ligatures & Glyphs

Fig. 1.3.2. Swashed Characters, Ligatures, Glyphs

Ligatures (fi, fl) prevent clashing strokes; InDesign auto-substitutes them.
Glyph variations (finials, leakages) improve aesthetics and fix clashes (e.g., F + i).

Numeral Styles

Old-style numerals (non-aligned) fit running text, common in historical/math texts.
Lining numerals (uppercase) look modern, good for headlines.
Choice depends on context.

Readability

Fig. 1.3.3. Typeface Anatomy (Legibility)

Recommended well-proportioned fonts: Garamond, Minion, Caslon, Times, Frutiger, Univers, Futura, Helvetica.
Legibility depends on spacing: baseline (characters sit), cap line, descender line.

Capitals

All caps are good for headlines/subheads, but poor for long text.
Small caps preferred for acronyms/emphasis in body text.

Formatting & Effects

Fig. 1.3.4. Special Styles on Typefaces

Outlines/shadows/strokes over 1 pt reduce readability.
Stretching/squeezing fonts distorts design; avoid except for rare artistic cases.

1.4. Lecture 4 (Publishing Design: The Grid)

The grid is a practical and historical tool in publishing design, essential for creating order, coherence, and clarity in visual communication. It functions as a modular, constructive framework that reflects the designer’s mental attitude, beliefs, and values.

Historically, the grid emerged during the modernist period, influenced by rationalism and designers like El Lissitzky and Moholy-Nagy, who used it to organize space systematically. The Futura typeface, for example, was designed on geometric grid principles, showing how grids shaped modern design aesthetics.

Fig. 1.4.1. Raster Systeme: Grid

Practically, grids arrange text, images, diagrams, and captions in a clear and logical manner, enhancing readability and comprehension. They ensure body text, subtext, and images remain visually distinct yet cohesive, while margins, gutters, and hang lines contribute to balance and overall aesthetic appeal.

"The grid is modular in nature." -Mr. Vinod

The modular structure of grids allows for flexibility and variation, keeping layouts engaging across multiple pages without losing coherence. Designers may combine different grid formulas, but excessive variation risks creating confusion.

Importantly, the grid is not a constraint but an expression of rational, functional, and aesthetic design principles. It works subtly in the background, supporting the content and letting information take center stage. Mastery of the grid lies in understanding its flexibility, using it as a hidden framework that opens new possibilities for creative, innovative, and engaging layouts.

1.5. Lecture 5 (Publishing Design: Elements)

In publishing design, the main elements are text, visuals, and color, all working within a grid system to create effective layouts. Text involves choosing typefaces and maintaining consistency, often by using a single type family. Visual elements include images, graphics, and pictorial components, which bring balance and interest. Color is used either as a focal point or a subtle support, adding variation and emphasis in text-heavy pages.

"Don't fall into the trap of predictability" -Mr. Vinod

Design principles stress balancing variation and consistency: variation keeps layouts engaging, while consistency ensures cohesiveness. The grid system organizes elements logically and attractively, allowing modular layouts that can be rotated for surprise without losing harmony. Variations may include large images with captions, side-by-side text and visuals, or full-page visuals with text.

Practical steps include planning with thumbnail sketches, setting margins, and selecting typefaces early. Designers should create variation within the grid while maintaining overall harmony, avoiding monotony. Color use must be deliberate, either to highlight or to provide subtle shifts in dense text pages.

Technical factors include ensuring page counts are divisible by four, since books are printed in 16-page signatures, and planning varied layouts across spreads to keep the reading dynamic. The grid may be adjusted during the process to fit content and visual direction. Overall, successful book design depends on careful placement of elements, thoughtful variation, and consistency, guided by research and design intent.

2. INSTRUCTIONS

Fig. 2.1. Module Information Booklet (MIB)

3. PROCESS WORK

3.1. Exercise 1: Mock Up - Book Size

Task Brief

Use two A4 sheets of paper and tape them together along the center. Draw squares of various sizes on the combined sheet to visualize different potential book dimensions. Highlight and select the size you prefer for your final book format. Create another sample using this chosen size and cut it out accordingly.

Work Process

The paper was folded into half horizontally, the drawn. The lecturer adds some notes about publishing a book in the left part of the paper.

Fig. 3.1.1. Exercise 1: Mock Up Book Size #1 (JPEG - 06/10/2025)

Then the selected size (178mm x 229mm) was cut out.

Fig. 3.1.2. Exercise 1: Mock Up Book Size #2 (JPEG - 06/10/2025)

3.2. Exercise 2: Signatures

Task Brief

The purpose of this task is to understand the anatomy of signatures in publishing. For the demonstration, a landscaped A4 sheet was folded in half vertically four times, and the pages were numbered. The spine area was then stapled to bind the pages together. Finally, the folded edge was cut so that the sheet formed individual pages.

Work Process

Fig. 3.2.1. Exercise 2: Signatures #1 (JPEG - 06/10/2025)

Fig. 3.2.2. Exercise 2: Signatures #2 (JPEG - 06/10/2025)

3.3. Exercise 3: The Van De Graaf Grid

Task Brief

The purpose of this task is to demonstrate the process of constructing a Van de Graaf grid for visualization or experimental use. For this activity, two A4 sheets were taped together along the middle edge to form an A3-sized paper. Using a ruler and pencil, equally spaced parallel lines were drawn across the surface to generate the grid pattern. This hands-on exercise focuses on precision in measurement and alignment, reinforcing the importance of accuracy and technique in preparing experimental apparatus for scientific demonstrations.

Work Process

Fig. 3.3.1. Exercise 3: The Van de Graaf Grid #1 (JPEG - 06/10/2025)

3.4. Exercise 3A: Digitalization of The Van De Graaf Grid

Task Brief

The purpose of this task is to understand the anatomy of signatures in publishing. For then a landscaped A4 sheet was folded.

Work Process

Fig. 3.4.1. Exercise 3A: Digitalization of Van De Graaf #1 (PDF - 14/10/2025)

Fig. 3.4.2. Exercise 3A: Digitalization of Van De Graaf #1 (PDF - 14/10/2025)

3.5. Exercise 4: Movement

Task Brief

Create a two-page visual narrative using simple forms and limited color, focusing on movement and transitions—not decoration. Use grids to manipulate shape size and position, ensuring clarity and simplicity throughout the sequence.

Work Process

Fig. 3.5.1. Exercise 4: Form & Movement #1 (PDF - 15/10/2025)

Fig. 3.5.2. Exercise 4: Form & Movement #2 (PDF - 15/10/2025)

3.6. Publishing Content

Fig. 3.6.1. Book Content (PDF - 20/10/2025)

4. FINAL OUTCOME

5. FEEDBACK

Week 4

General Feedback

A grid should be used to achieve alignment, balance, focus, and consistency.

Week 3

General Feedback

The explanation for the final publishing task should begin from Task 2, which is the drafting of the storybook itself. Make sure to complete all exercises.

Week 2

General Feedback

Due to our class are faster paced, there are a lot of time to design the book. Do not rush, create the best outcome as possible. Watch the pre-recorded lecture of Mr. Vinod. Finish the exercises and document it on your blog.

Specific Feedback

In publishing a book, you need to choose a book size, the number of page determine the thickness of the spine. Consider inside front cover (IFC), inside back cover (IBC), front cover (FC), back cover (BC).

Week 1

General Feedback

Module briefing and pre-recorded lecture.

6. REFLECTION

Experience

to be finished

Observation

to be finished

Findings

to be finished

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Valerius Ethan Wirawan (0372774)