Includes two main types of work: direct design and pre-press preparation for any type of printing (offset, rapid printing, flexography, large-format printing, silk-screen printing, etc.)
Printed products can also be very diverse: booklets, multi-page publications, calendars of various types and designs, packaging and labels, postcards, leaflets, posters and posters, “banners”, banners and much more.
Design
This is the development of a form and its design, that is, the creation of a visual part and the development of the design of its carrier. But, in practice, you often have to work on only one of these components.
I. A creative approach to the visual part has as its ultimate goal the creation of the so-called “Universal image image” (the quality of universality implies the adaptability of the image to any formats and media).
The cost of such a development includes, in addition to the creative solution (idea), all stages of creation: professional photography, retouching and graphic editing, if necessary, 3D modeling, prototyping, collaging, etc. - amounts to about 30,000 rubles.
II. The price for an original or non-standard design solution of the form (in this case, packaging can also be included here) is negotiable, depends on the tasks set, technical requirements, material used, volume, functionality and other things, and ranges from 5,000 to 50,000 rubles.
III. The price of the generally accepted design of layout of printed products, including layout, pre-press preparation of images and production of the original layout, depends on the size of the media and the requirements for the ideological and artistic level of execution. Conventionally, the format can be divided into two categories:
- up to A3 format (single-fold, double-fold booklet, pocket calendar, tent calendar, package, postcard, flyer, etc.) - from 1,300 to 2,500 rubles.
- A2 format and more (dust jacket, poster, wall calendar, roadside billboard, banner, etc.) - from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles.
IV. The design and layout of multi-page publications is an independent type of publishing activity, and therefore the price for such a service is formed differently. Layout of printed materials includes the process of arranging illustrative and (or) text material in a given format according to an approved module. The price for this type of service depends on the complexity of the module, on the availability of illustrative material and its quality, on the availability of text material in digital form, on the format of the publication, etc.
The cost of layout of one page ranges from 400 to 1200 rubles. including technical editing and pre-press preparation of illustrative material.
Design concept involves the development of a modular publishing system (each page must correspond to the overall stylistic decision and be consistent with each other).
The cost of the concept of the general solution (module) of the publication, including the cover, is 10,000 rubles.
Good design of any printed product largely depends on understanding the design features. Design of printed materials for advertising purposes is a number of techniques and rules, the mastery of which is necessary to obtain a good publication. The main purpose of design in book printing is to ensure that the author's material is located conveniently for the reader and looks beautiful and attractive. The goal of a book designer is to achieve maximum convenience and pleasure for the reader, and not to demonstrate the art of printing.
There are two systems of typographic measurements: the Anglo-American system, or Pica system, and the Didot system. The Peak system is used in Great Britain, America and in most countries of the world, except continental Europe and Russia. In both systems the basic unit of measurement is typographic paragraph (point); but in the Anglo-American system it is approximately equal to 0.351 mm, and in the Didot system it is slightly larger - approximately 0.376 mm.
The size of the font in the set is expressed in skittles . The size of the point is determined in points. Since these concepts developed during the times of metal typesetting, the size of the area on which the letter (sign) is placed is considered the size of the point. For example, point 10 is 10×0.376=3.76 mm (3.51 mm in the Pick system).
Professional names for pins of various sizes are still widely used in printing:
· Point size 3 – diamond;
· 4 point font – diamond;
· Point size 6 points – non-pareil;
· 7 point font – minion;
· 8 point font size – petite;
· Point size 9 points – Borges;
· Point size 10 points – body;
· Size 12 points – cicero;
· Point size 14 points – mittel.
To facilitate further calculations, you can use the following conversion table.
| Size in points | Anglo-American system (Pica) | Didot system | ||
| Millimeters | Inches | Millimeters | Inches | |
| 0,351 | 0,013837 | 0,376 | 0,0148 | |
| 1,054 | 0,041511 | 1,128 | 0,0444 | |
| 2,109 | 0,083022 | 2,256 | 0,0888 | |
| 2,460 | 0,096859 | 2,631 | 0,1036 | |
| 2,812 | 0,110696 | 3,007 | 0,1184 | |
| 3,163 | 0,124533 | 3,383 | 0,1332 | |
| 3,515 | 0,13837 | 3,759 | 0,1480 | |
| 3,866 | 0,152207 | 4,135 | 0,1628 | |
| 4,218 | 0,166044 | 4,511 | 0,1776 | |
| 4,920 | 0,193718 | 5,263 | 0,2072 | |
| 6,326 | 0,249066 | 6,767 | 0,2664 | |
| 8,435 | 0,332088 | 9,022 | 0,3552 |
In the days of metal typesetting, lines were separated from one another physically by inserting a white space element 2 points wide (the so-called veneer). Accordingly, the characteristics of the set had to contain the name of the typeface (for example, Times), the size of the point (for example, 10 points) and the number of veneers to indicate leading (for example, 2 veneers, or 10 by 12). In modern technology there is no need to set dimensions in this traditional way, since phototypesetting does not have the limitations of metal typesetting: the image can be precisely placed in any location, but the traditional method is still used, even in phototypesetting systems, because it allows flexibility to change between units measurements to others: millimeters, inches, points.
Any letter, number or symbol of the typesetting alphabet is called symbol or letter. The size of a symbol in points is measured according to the unit type defined for it, and is measured from the top of the extension that extends above the symbol to the end of the bottom extension. The width of a character in different fonts of the same size can vary significantly. Font manufacturers use different ways to specify the width for each of the characters in a font: most often they use the lowercase "m" as a fraction of the width measurement unit.
Half of the width "m", called "n", is used as the width unit for typefaces. For a font size of 11 points, the width unit “n” will be 5 points, or 1.75 mm, i.e. A little more than 14 characters will fit on 1 inch. For comparison: typewriters have 10 or 12 characters per inch. Let's look at some characteristics that describe printed characters.
1. Anatomy of a letter and its elements.
The smallest unit of the family of different types of character representation is font : A complete set of characters of the same size and style. The font includes an alphabet of capital letters, small caps (small caps), an alphabet of lowercase letters and all necessary ligatures, numbers, punctuation marks and other symbols.
Numbers are usually justified (they are the same height as capital letters); but numbers of different heights can also be used (the height of the number is equal to the height of the lowercase letter with an upper descender), which is better combined with lowercase letters.
There are many more punctuation marks used in printing than there are on typewriters. Thus, hyphens and dashes are different in appearance and have different purposes. A hyphen is a short stroke about one-quarter the width of an "m" and is used to connect parts of compound words and to break words at the end of a line. The dash symbol is thinner and longer, half the width of an "m" (twice as wide as a hyphen), and is used to write dates, when displaying lists as a bullet, and is also used for the same purpose as parentheses.
2. Main components of a standard font set:
· Capital letters: ABC
Small caps (capitals)
· Lowercase:shchyeyeyya
· Numbers: 1234567890
· Punctuation marks: , ; ! ? : -(hyphen) – (dash) " (apostrophe)
· Special characters: ¶ (end of paragraph), † (date of death), § (paragraph), & (ampersend) № (number), etc.
· Mathematical signs: = (equals), + (plus), ≠ (inequality), " (minutes of angle), " (seconds of angle), ° (degree of angle), etc.
· Signs used in documentation: $ (dollar), ₤ (pound sterling), € (euro), ¥ (Japanese yen), % (percentage), etc.
Headsets describe a complete set of fonts that have characters of similar design but different sizes (8 Helvetica Medium, 9 Helvetica Medium, 10 Helvetica Medium, etc.).
Families are called a series of fonts that are similar to each other in design, but differ in individual elements: slant, weight or width of characters. The main components of the family can be italic (italic) and bold (bold). By weight, fonts can be extra-light, light, normal, medium, bold, bold and extra-bold; by character width – extra-narrow, narrow, normal, wide and extra-wide.
Computer typesetting programs can use these effects to create slant, shrink, expand, or shadow any character in text.
The characters in a line are located within a given line, and the lines themselves can be aligned left, right, or centered (justified left, right, centered). Typically, when typing, the line is aligned across the entire width of the block (by format); when typing with left alignment, the line does not occupy the entire width allocated for it, leaving free space on the right.
Interword spaces in a line can be either fixed, in the case when width alignment is not applied, or variable, in the case of format justification (width alignment). The amount of fixed spaces is set in proportion to the width of “m” for a given font (usually half).
In format justification, where word spacing varies to ensure lines are of equal length, the minimum spacing corresponds to a "small gap" or 20% of "m", and can be as large as "m" or more, making the line appear sparse.
a) general characteristics of the font
1. Proportions. The weight and saturation of a font are the main features that catch the reader’s eye. The font can vary from thin and elegant to bold and rough, with all other shades in between.
The next distinguishing feature is “fullness”. It can vary from loose and sparse to dense and compact.
Of no small importance is the general relationship between the height of a lowercase letter and the length of the upper and lower protruding element, as well as between the height of lowercase and capital letters. Types that have a small point size (for example, 10 point fonts that look smaller than other fonts at the same point size) often look that way because of this. That I have a small size of the body of the letter, but large sizes of the upper and lower protruding elements. For other fonts, the opposite effect occurs: large letter body sizes and compact callouts.
3. influx. In strokes that form the rounded shapes of a character, the thickest part is called a dissolve. This term is used to describe the position of the axis of an oval element. The axis can be inclined or vertical. Letters with an oblique axis of an oval element appear more handwritten and less "mechanical" than letters with a vertical axis.
The relationship between the thicknesses of the main and connecting strokes that make up the symbol is called the degree of contrast and is characteristic of each style, as well as of the typeface as a whole. Low contrast letters look softer; highly contrasting letters look correct and uniform.
3. Serifs. The font may or may not have serifs. The size of the serifs in relation to the main stroke of the letter can be different. At the same time, for letters with an inclined axis, the serifs also turn out to be inclined; For letters with a vertical axis, the serifs are horizontal.
b) font classification
By convention, most typefaces are grouped together, often according to the history of their creation. The Russian standard GOST - 71 “Typographic fonts” defines 6 main groups of fonts:
· Chopped– low-contrast, without serifs;
· Fonts with subtle serifs – medium contrast, with slightly thickened ends of the vertical strokes;
· Medieval– with moderate contrast and small serifs, similar in shape to a triangle; axes of rounded letters with a slight slope;
· Ordinary fonts - with contrasting strokes and thin long serifs connecting with vertical strokes at right angles; the axes of rounded letters are vertical;
· Bar fonts are low-contrast, with long, thick serifs that have rounded ends and are connected to the main strokes at right angles with slight roundings.
· New low contrast fonts - with long, thick serifs that have rounded ends and are connected to the main strokes at right angles with slight curves.
British Standard BS – 67 defines eight groups of fonts. But quite often the “traditional” nomenclature used before the appearance of the standard is also used (will be indicated in brackets).
Gothic fonts were used in the production of the first books (1450s, Germany). The first Romanesque fonts (roman) were obtained 20 years later in Italy by copying from Italian manuscripts of the 15th century.
1. Antique Venetian fonts (Humanist Venetian). Antique fonts are a group of fonts that have serifs. The typical representative and ancestor of this group were the Humanist fonts, which looked like elegant handwritten ones and had an oblique pressure, giving them a calligraphic style. Their distinctive feature is the slash of the letter “e”, reproducing the corresponding letter from the manuscripts of that time. Examples include the fonts Centaur, Cloister Old Style, Horley Old Style, Kennerley, Veronese, which were all based on printing patterns from the 1470s-80s.
2. Old style fonts (Garald (Old Face)). The passion for Humanist fonts turned out to be very short-lived. Aldus Manutius proposed a new series of typefaces that allowed for significant savings in typesetting without sacrificing legibility, and the letters were more regular and solid. The new development dominated printing for the next two centuries.
The Garald fonts are less calligraphic in appearance than the Humanist fonts and bring back the horizontal crossbar in the "e". They also have an inclined oval axis and are quite economical. They have a small point of lowercase characters. But very elegant design. These are classic book fonts. Garald fonts come in many varieties, reflecting various national and cultural characteristics acquired after their initial appearance. Modern designs were created by machine in the early 1930s. These include the fonts Bembo (1490, Italy), Garamond (1530, France), Ehrhardt (1680 Germany), Caslon (1720, England), Old Style (1852, Scotland), Imprint (1912, England).
Paper is a material in the form of a thin sheet (thickness 4 - 400 microns), consisting mainly of pre-ground plant fibers, randomly intertwined and bound together. Depending on the manufacturing method and subsequent finishing, there are a huge number of grades of paper. 1. Self-adhesive paper - paper that has glue on the back side, which until gluing is covered with special paper that can be easily separated from the base. The paper is suitable for printing using offset, screen and other methods. It comes in different colors, as well as matte and glossy. There are several types (depending on the area of application) - matte, semi-gloss, glossy (designed for printing images with many details), fluorescent (has a fluorescent coating), etc. A special type of self-adhesive paper stands out - daikata. These are already cut stickers of various sizes and shapes, pasted onto a single base covering the adhesive layer. 2. Self-copying paper is a special type of paper that allows you to copy the original without the help of carbon paper. The copy is created under the pressure of the letter, as a result of which the microcapsules on the reverse side of the sheet are opened. The released liquid causes a coloring reaction on the subsequent sheet with a kaolin layer, resulting in a copy. The paper set consists of three parts: the first sheet (on the reverse side there is a layer with dye microcapsules), the last sheet (on the front side there is a layer with coalin to fix the dye) and middle sheets (their number in one copy can be up to 10). Designed for printing invoices, invoices and other forms. Suitable for offset printing, but full color printing is rarely used. 3. Embossed paper - paper (or cardboard) on which a relief pattern is machine-embossed over the entire surface of the sheet. There are several types (depending on the embossing pattern) - “linen”, “cloud”, “canvas”, “hammer”, “frost”, “eggshell”, etc. 4. Label paper - laminated paper, sometimes coated, with limited deformation after getting wet, designed for label printing.
My print uses high-density white paper, and there are also types of self-adhesive glossy paper for printing images. Embossed paper is used for the cover and case.
Every day, when checking their mailbox, people are faced with the results of printing houses - a variety of booklets, advertising brochures, catalogs and magazines. Print advertising is one of the oldest and most economical types of advertising; it has not lost its relevance even despite the widespread use of television and the Internet. Various printing materials are used by companies to promote their products and services on the market. The activities of any company are rarely complete without booklets, posters, calendars, brochures and catalogs.
The heart of printing is design, the main purpose of which is to ensure that printing materials can attract the attention of consumers and retain their interest. A variety of printing products gives wide scope for the designer’s imagination, but at the same time, design in this area has a number of specific aspects that specialists have to take into account in their work.
Technical requirements for printing design
Print design covers the entire range of products that are printed on paper or their derivatives. The image of any company greatly depends on the quality of printed products. Booklets, leaflets, calendars, magazines and prospectuses produced by a printing house can distinguish a company from competitors, present its products or services in a more favorable light and convey the required information to potential consumers.
Naturally, when creating printing materials, much attention is paid to design. After all, an overly modest, dull and standard design of printed products simply will not be able to interest people and will definitely not remain in their memory. Print design is a combination of the art of creating images and text information. Print design today is used in many areas - from printing advertising materials to designing encyclopedias, newspapers and magazines.
The key difference between print design and other types of design is that the images or text messages created are just the beginning of the printing process. Therefore, the development of a design project for any printed product must meet the requirements of all printing processes. In this regard, a printing designer is presented with a whole set of specific requirements related to knowledge of printing technology and the ability to correctly “present” material on paper. When all the processes for creating printed products exist separately (the design of the printed material is created by a design studio, and the printing house only acts as an ordinary typewriter), then the final result is often obtained that does not meet the customer’s expectations.
In this case, the designer works in a purely applied industry and, accordingly, is, in a certain sense, a participant in the production process, whether he likes it or not. He must take into account seemingly insignificant details, for example, the fact that printing materials created on different technological equipment may differ from each other due to the specifics of the equipment itself or the properties of the consumables used. Therefore, the final printing result and the color content of the finished product must also be controlled by the printing designer.
Professional designers, when receiving an order to develop the design of printed products, always ask the printing house where the materials will be printed for technical requirements for the products being created. Thanks to this, the finished product meets the wishes of the designer and client to the maximum extent possible. Unlike, for example, the design of Internet resources, where the final result cannot be touched, in printing, printing technologies that can be used in the production of certain materials become important. Competent specialists have information about various printing methods, the peculiarities of the printing house, they have a perfect understanding of the entire printing process, and therefore can provide the final result that meets expectations.
The main stages of developing a design project in printing
The work of creating a design for printing materials consists of creating a visual design of a layout that can both satisfy the individual wishes of the client and meet the technical standards determined by the printing house. At the first stage, a general concept of the future printed product is formed. Next, designers select colors, develop a general style and choose fonts, and also create sketches with the approximate location of individual elements. After this, computer modeling is carried out with the elaboration of the smallest details and the creation of a layout of the future printed publication.
The final stage is transferring the layout onto the medium chosen for printing, be it paper, modern plastic or plastic film. However, the work on creating printing materials does not end there. Post-printing processing is carried out, which may include stitching, binding, gluing, laminating and other necessary procedures to achieve the desired result. In post-printing processes, a printing designer can also take an active part, controlling the entire process of creating printing materials until they finally receive a completed look.
When creating a layout for a future printed product, designers use many of the same techniques that are used in other areas of design art. This is, firstly, the choice of product shape. It is known that people prefer rectangular and square shapes, and more in vertical than in horizontal versions. When placing images on a future poster or magazine page, the designer can be guided by the “golden ratio” rule, which is universal and is used in a wide variety of areas of design.
Secondly, much attention is paid to selecting the optimal font for printing materials - it should ensure readability of the text and at the same time “catch” the reader’s eye. In addition, the information itself presented in a catalogue, magazine or advertising brochure must be properly structured.
The next important aspect of creating printed products is the choice of colors. People are more attracted to bright and colorful shades of advertising, but too much color can cause obvious irritation and rejection. Therefore, the chosen colors should be bright, but at the same time harmonious, so as not to strain the eyes of potential consumers. Naturally, printing design also uses a variety of images or photographs that can attract the reader’s attention and arouse much greater confidence, as if confirming the reality of the product or the demand for the service. The work of a professional printing designer requires a creative approach and creativity, because in any case, readers always give their preference to the original design of materials with interesting details and non-standard design solutions.
In addition to these generally accepted techniques, which are characteristic of many other areas of design, specific technologies used in the creation of printed materials are used to create the visual appearance of printing materials. This is, for example, varnishing of printed products, which improves their appearance, appeal to the reader and consumer qualities. Varnishing a printed product involves applying a special solution to the surface of the printed print, creating a transparent, uniform film that gives the pictures a characteristic shine, and also increases contrast and color saturation.
In addition, varnish contributes to greater strength and durability of printing materials. Another design method is foil stamping. In this case, foil is pulled between the cliche and the paper and pressing is carried out. When creating postcards, pocket-sized calendars and other small printed products, designers can also choose the so-called die-cutting technology, which involves cutting out original shaped elements from a sheet of paper.
Today, printing and post-printing technologies continue to develop, offering a wide variety of opportunities for additional design of printed materials. The main goal of a print designer is only to achieve a harmonious combination of all visual elements. This places a lot of responsibility on him. After all, many of the post-printing processes are expensive, and with large runs of printed materials, any mistake by the designer is fraught with very significant losses.
Based on extensive experience in the field of promoting business projects, we can confidently say that advertising printing is the foundation of the marketing policy of any enterprise, regardless of the nature of its activities. Printed products are the most important tool that allows a company to create a positive image in the minds of consumers. Printing materials will be an excellent assistant in conducting PR campaigns, various promotions, presentations, etc. In addition, they ensure the success of advertising events and are the key to increasing company recognition.
Like any materials related to the company’s activities, printed materials require careful study. Note that the main stages of creating printed products are:
- assessment and approval of prices for printing design development services;
- in fact, the development and approval of the design itself;
- layout and preparation of designs for printing.
Types of advertising printed products
There are several main types of printing products that are used almost everywhere today.
So, printed materials can be informational, identification and advertising. The first type includes various directories, booklets, price lists, stands, brochures, calendars, etc. Identification materials are business cards, branded envelopes and folders, labels, postcards, etc. Advertising printing includes invitations, posters, leaflets, brochures, catalogues, announcements, etc.
Let's take a closer look at each of the above types of printing products.
The most popular types of informational printed materials are:
- leaflets. This is one of the most common types of printed products, which is a one- or two-sided image with text placed on a small format medium. As a rule, leaflets are produced in whole batches or series, and in order to facilitate recognition, a single set of design elements is selected for them.
- posters. They are large-format publications containing laconic and, in most cases, aphoristic slogan texts.
- Euro-brochures. These are folded sheets of high-quality paper with text printed in a special font and high-quality images.
- avenues. They are multi-page publications. Prospects contain detailed information about the company, the goods or services it offers, as well as the benefits of cooperation for partners and clients. This type of printing product is equipped with original illustrations and can stand out with bright design ideas.
- catalogs. Contains a list and brief characteristics of goods and services, as well as price lists for them.
Information materials also include all kinds of posters, programs, newsletters, instructions, handouts for seminars, etc. A separate group of printed products of this type is directly related to the corporate style or image of the company. These are greeting or advertising cards, branded business cards, calendars, etc.
Among the most popular types of identification printing are:
- Business Cards. They also contain company details, as well as information about the nature of the activity or the goods and services provided.
- branded envelopes. They are used primarily for processing mail operated by the company.
- branded folders. Just like the previous type, they are an integral part of the company’s corporate identity and are used to design handouts for seminars, conferences, etc.
- labels. They are found almost everywhere today. Labels contain information of a predominantly graphic nature, depicting certain types of goods or services in a vivid and memorable form.
- postcards. They serve to introduce information about the company in appropriate cases. Used for congratulations, announcing various events, etc.
As for advertising printing, it can be noted that any of the above types of printed products can be classified in this category. It is almost impossible to imagine any presentation or exhibition without numerous flyers, brochures, catalogs, booklets, etc.
This also includes such an original type of printing as commercial linoleum, which can often be seen at metro stations and large shopping centers. Quite popular today are such types of advertising printing as notepads and diaries with company symbols, as well as a wide variety of forms with logos and advertising leaflets.
Advertising printing: visible everywhere and everywhere
Please note that the development of any printed materials is carried out in several stages:
- choosing the type of material for a specific advertising or campaign campaign;
- creating text content;
- development of a computer design model;
- actually, the production of printing materials.
And, of course, the next step is to distribute printed products to consumers.
Special attention is paid to the fact that advertising printing is one of the most financially accessible types of advertising for companies. After all, instead of one very expensive television commercial, you can order a fairly large circulation of printed materials.
Regular distribution of printed materials allows you to significantly increase brand awareness. Every day, each of us involuntarily studies a huge number of its options - these are leaflets posted at transport stops, and advertising brochures at metro stations or in public places.
