We really have to thank portfolio alumni Sean Bacon for coming to class and jump-starting the 2010 portfolios. These tips and notes are from our session with Sean.
Printing: Suggest indigo printing at Blend but the maximum format is 11 by 17 [this includes bleeds]. If you want a larger size go with digital printing at Blend.
For your own printer at home: Prixma Pro 9000
Check on the ink costs first [upkeep]
If you are printing at home…start looking for inkjet paper. There is heavy competition for paper so plan ahead.
printmorespendless.com They have good deals on print cartridges.
8 by 18 was Sean’s portfolio. He had that printed on 13 by 19. If you get your book professionally printed [quantity is not the issue but set up]. Sean printed 6 copies.
Go to Kelly or Expedex to talk paper. Sean likes Expedex [Aero Drive] as you need to order your paper ahead of time. You need to know more or less the size you want it to be. Do you want it coated, glossy, matte-they will talk you through it. Don’t make the vendors an afterthought. Sean charted everything and made lists so he was really organized and it helped him by making a checklist.
Book Covers: Western Bookbinding and Golden Rule
International binding and Custom binding for rings
Pockets: Sean likes Scotch double stick tape for his pockets but you can also use spray mount. He made a custom jig out of cardboard to cut the shape. Desi made her pockets with a folded lip/tab at the bottom to make more space.
Sean likes the dynamic rectangles for layout best
Root 2
Start with a circle and a square. Put the square inside the circle so all the corners touch the circle. Extend the height of the square so that it’s new height is tangent with the top and bottom of the circle.
Root 3
Start with a hexagon and rectangle. All sides are same size, hold down shift when you make it. Put a perfect rectangle inside and this is a root 3.
Root 4
Start with root 3 and get that root 3 shape. Turn it on it’s side and draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Take the line and straighten it out [it is just a tiny bit longer than that rectangle]. Add on that much more so that the width is the same length.
Root 5
Start with a circle and square. Take circle-divide it in half [dash line]. Put the square on center line and then draw the top line where it intersects with circle. This time you add the rectangles on the side. Pathfinder shape together and it becomes root 5.
Draw your dynamic rectangle grid first by hand, make it in illustrator .25 and an 80% gray and then put it on your master page so he is constantly looking at grid. You can right click it in InDesign and make it a non-printing item. Sean puts grid in background but ignores it first but uses the grid to clean up and then uses the grid as tool to make that consistency at the end. Work intuitively first then clean up with the grid.
SELECTING YOUR FONTS
Started with type specimen sheets-looked at it large, small and different orientations. Look for contrast between the two and unity like they belong together. Mixing type-Look at things like the letter a [are they both a double story a-they should be] look at the g [look at structural elements in both]. You might start out with one font you absolutely know you want and then go after the pairing.
You might want to just use Univers for the whole job.
There is body copy and everything else so establish a system [use one font for body copy and the other font for everything else]. Avoid display type in general. You don’t want the type to be more showy than the words-you want them to read your words.
Indices are good place to mix the two fonts. Example: Project description [one font] and name [the other font].
Like the Bauhaus you can put that grid in a smaller area.
The 30 typefaces for a lifetime by Rockport.
Classic fonts like Gil Sans Frutiger, Bembo, Garamond, Bodoni, Univers, Futura, Helvetica etc.
Great font book resources:
Adobe Type Library, ITC Library,
Free Font Index 1 [Buy this book]-they are not the workhorse fonts but great resource for projects.
Sudtipos [Alejandro Paul-a font designer from Argentina] check out this work
Exljbris Foundry [some serious fonts for free!]
FontBook [book of typefaces] expensive but wow.
Example Meta and Meta serif designed by Eric Spiekermann were designed to be put together.
Selecting typography
Sean used Stratum and Egyptienne
Suggest using workhorse fonts-a family with lots of options. You most likely will mix serif and sans serif. Look at the weights, sizes and styles you get, look at the form-purchase the font [it is your identity-invest in the craft-your promo materials everything]. If you don’t buy the font then use something that everyone knows like Universe or use something more obscure that is well drawn-be very careful. Many of the free fonts are not workhorse and are not kerned properly so you set yourself up for failure. Of course if you are mixing two fonts the key rule is contrast.
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