book fair product pictures

initial product shots

I tried to take some product shots of my book. I wanted to get some against the window to allow the light to pass through so that the pattern is revealed... I struggled to capture this but these were the best ones. I used thin paper to block out the background (but allow the light to pass through) because I felt that the background through the window distracted from the bunting....

These are just rough shots, I would like to take some with an digital SLR which I will do tomorrow morning. I think shining a light on them may give the same translucent effect.

STICKERS LAID OUT FOR PRINT AND VINYL CUTTER

Stickers

I have also decided to include a set of six small stickers with my book. I was going to create them as an alternative sticking media for the packaging which then gave me this idea to print some as part of the pack. I want them to be the sort of size and format as the kind of stickers that Paperchase make. I think it adds an extra element to the book, another incentive to buy it and is not at all expensive for me to produce. I am able to print them on monday (tomorrow) so I have time to get it done!

Sticker for back of packaging

These are my initial designs for a sticker I want to add to my packaging for my book. I think that it needs some kind of type based graphics to finish it off and offer some king of product identity. I have deliberately not overcomplicated it by choosing a very straight forward name for the book "Owl bunting and stickers" simply because thats the easiest way to comprehend what it actually is, and I think it is important that the audience know that. The only other instruction on how to use the book will be a photograph of the book strung up in its ideal situation on the stall with the books (and potentially packaged with the product). For this reason I think it is necessary to give a name to the product in this way. 

I have included my name on the sticker, but I'm not sure it this is completely necessary and whether it works with the other type very well....

I think that the stickers will be either one flat colour or I will create a muted version of one of the patterns from the stock I have used for the pages.

SCREEN PRINTING FOR BOOK FAIR...

Screen printing went really well. Was probably one of the most hectic printing sessions I've had, trying arrange the stock on the bed as quickly as possible each time to avoid drying out the screen but managed to do it in one go! Most of them were really good prints, with only a couple of weaker ones!

PACKAGING EXPERIMENTS.....

My design involves sandwiching the sheets of paper inbetween two pieces of card and then holding it together using the twine and small pegs. I like the simplicity of this way of binding my book (if you can call it binding!)

I think that this could work slightly better if I were to design something for the front cover. I think that I might use my existing screen to print some glue onto the front and then foil block it. I think that this will finish off the books.

Here I have been experimenting with how I could position the designs...I might use a different owl design for each book...

This is how the book would look without a front cover which I did consider as an option, I think it works in some ways visually, although I think that practically it needs more protection from wear and tear.

I have decided to wrap my books in cellophane, partly for protection and partly for aesthetic purposes as I feel that it makes the books look more professional.

owls for book fair

BOOK WORKS : PATTERN DESIGNS

INITIAL IDEA :

WORKING WITH A SELECTIVE COLOUR PALETTE:

CLOSE UP DETAIL :

ACTION PLAN :

This week :

  1) Design 8-10 owls and turn into vector images

2) Layout for both digital print and for a screen

Monday :

If designs for patterns are finished and I am happy with them, print on fireproof stock on Monday afternoon print session.

If not happy with the designs, book second print session for a few days later (maybe thursday morning?) and instead prepare a screen on Monday afternoon.

The plan will then be to either print on the fireproof stock when the designs are finished/ready, or to screen print onto the Muji paper.

BOOK WORKS : DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

PACKAGING AND COSTS....

I want to print my pages onto fireproof stock because it has the same aesthetic as this origami paper from Muji; textured - you can see the pulp, and slightly translucent when held up to the light. Rather than printing onto this paper which is not designed by me, I would like to make my book completely original and design my own paper/pattern. This is obviously more time consuming however. This week I am at home in Suffolk working full time so unfortunately I am not going to have access to the college and have only the evenings to get this done. 

With regards to printing on fireproof stock, I spoke to James in digital print who says that it doesn't print double sided. This is obviously an issue and means that my only option might be to screen print (which I had previously decided against due to time restrictions). However, I spoke to someone else who said that they printed double sided on fireproof, and that the colour difference is immeasurable, but as I am printing just black, it may work alright. 

STOCK EXPERIMENTS....

Muji origami paper :

design drawn in pen on back of Muji stock :

Light behind stock :

Both sides of the stock :

translucent stock :

BOOK WORKS : BRIEF/FEEDBACK ON IDEAS

This session helped raise some very important issues about my work for this brief. All the planning and ideas I had gathered this week came to a bit of a halt after realising the restriction on my time as a result of me going home for reading week. This is unavoidable as I need to work in Suffolk to earn money for next term, but it doesn't stop it from being incredibly annoying. I had planned to design my own patterns to make my own stock, as well as screen print the designs onto it. I have decided that due to the time restrictions I have given myself, I am going to print digitally, which will save me a bit of time and enable me to design the stock. I really wanted the aesthetic of screen printed work, but I think that preparing a screen as well as allowing the time it would take to get 100 decent pages (only 10 pages per book) will be extremely difficult.

IMAGE : Book Works