Tuesday 25 October 2016

OUGD504- Final Stock Selection

GF Smith Order:

Colourplan Vellum White, 175gsm (1)
Strathmore Cambric, Midnight Black- 216gsm (2)
Colourplan Embossing- Wire, 175gsm (3)
Accent Smooth, Natural, 160gsm  (1)
Crane's Lettra, Pearl White, 120gsm (3)

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Rationalle:

When looking at the cost of stock there was a balance between what was desired- and what was affordable. When considering the benefits of each test print, I wanted to place emphasis on the purpose of the publication. This is intended as a collectors edition, marked at a higher value (with the intention of) a beautifully crafted finish. Double sided Satin 150gsm is the preferable option for this, yet when considering the cost of A3 vs A4- a decision had to be made. Either, I change the stock finish to gloss or matte- compromising the user experience achieved from the sheen of satin.

After creating a few prototypes, I realised if I scaled down the publication by 1" diameter, it was possible to print on A4 stock to save heavily on cost.

After investing in a mid-grade home printer, I decided to do this brief within budget, with the intention of contacting professional printers later. I have already made contact with Precession Print and Hollingworth & Moss Ltd who have both said they would be able to print it, also Hollingworth seemed really excited about the binding so that could be a further route to experiment once the brief is over and I can assess demand. Both printers said it would be a smaller costing job as only Key ink is used, reducing the need for the other colours to be 'turned on'.

A3 Double Sided Photo-paper


Another alternative when considering stock was the college library. Their range of tones allowed for further comparison. As it was stated that pages should never be bright white, I oped for a slightly off shade to take off the vivid glare.



For the inside lining, to contrast from the darkness of the black, a vivid Colourplan Mandarin stock is intended to lighten the overall tone of the publication. As the exact Harley colour wasn't really attainable, this GF Smith alternative with a subtle grain is a close alternative. I also investigated a slightly more textured stock, almost mimicking the effect of leather. I thought this may be slightly too much with the outer grain as well.

As Satin was not a possible option, I opted for matte stock over gloss to further relate to the images. It would be preferable to have a slight sheen on the images but perhaps this could be generate through a thicker level of black ink being transferred when printing. If the publication was to be manufactured on a larger level, discussions and stock optimisations would be made to highlight the photographic elements, yet never full gloss. The target audience, book content and concept of the publication is the opposite to gloss, period. However, if an off white stock was incorporated, the overall effect may heighten in terms of an aged aesthetic and darkness.

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