GSM

Mhairi Flett

  2. Mhairi Flett

Case Binding – how are hard-backed books made?

Posted by under , ,
case binding

At GSM, we've written a few articles on the various methods of binding. In this article we look specifically at the craft of case binding... Case binding is the method of binding ‘hardback’ books or documents. Unlike ‘softback’ binding methods, such as Perfect / PUR / Burst or saddle stitching, Case binding involves a significant amount of manual work. This extra work reflects the higher cost of this binding method. There are, however, many advantages with Case binding over the softback methods. Hardback documents can often be opened flat—which is not possible with a large Perfect / PUR or Burst...

Continue Reading →

Compostable Courier Bags – Send Plastic Packing

Posted by under ,
HCF courier bag

We all know that we need to reduce our consumption of single use plastics. But what are viable alternatives? Here's a new product that will send plastic packing! Here at BJ Ball, we send out a significant number of courier parcels per year. Like many businesses, smaller sized parcels make up the bulk of our outgoing deliveries. Historically, these went out using custom printed plastic courier bags - something we were not overly thrilled about. Wanting a greener solution, we put our feelers out through our global supply network to source an alternative. Here it is! The new BJ Ball...

Continue Reading →

The BJ Ball Student Design Contest – From Brief to Print

Posted by under ,
Student Design Contest

The BJ BALL Student Design Contest is back - and better than ever! Designing for print is an essential skill for graphic designers in the commercial world. For design students, however, the complexities and costs involved mean that gaining real world experience is often prohibitive. Cue BJ Ball, who last year resurrected their Calendar Design Competition. For those of you too young to know, this was a staple event within the extended Vis Com curriculum many years ago. Their aim was to give design students an opportunity to have their creations brought to life using real world print. From Brief...

Continue Reading →

Stefan Sagmeister – Design with no Boundaries

Posted by under
Stefan Sagmeister

Award winning designer, Stefan Sagmeister, is one of the most imaginative and original creative thinkers around today. Known particularly for his type and handwriting-inspired designs, Sagmeister has created some of the boldest, most innovative, engaging work around. None more so than his use of the human body as a canvas. He makes type come alive, literally! His Background Sagmeister was born in Austria but now lives and works in New York. He began his career path studying graphic design at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. From there, he received a scholarship to study at the Pratt Institute in New...

Continue Reading →

Understanding Onscreen Colour vs Printed Colour

Posted by under

Working with printed colour requires not only creative flair, but also some technical knowledge about how colour is produced in print. In this article GSM takes a look at getting the most from CMYK colour. In the world of offset print, CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black). It is also known as process colour. What is important to understand with offset print is the difference between onscreen colour and printed colour. There is nothing worse than seeing that the colours of a freshly printed piece don’t look anything like they did on-screen. This is not the fault...

Continue Reading →

Erik Marinovich – Lettering Artist

Posted by under
Eric Marinovich

In this issue of GSM INSPIRATION we take a look at the work of San Francisco based lettering artist and designer Erik Marinovich. Erik Marinovich has drawn letters, type and logos for the likes of Nike, Target, Google, Hilton, Facebook, Sonos, Sharpie, The Criterion Collection, Air Canada, Gap, Ford Motor Company..., to name just a few. His passion is type and is a co-founder of Friends of Type. Erik is also co-founder of Title Case, a creative work space that conducts workshops and lectures. Between client work, teaching and side-projects, you’ll find him on the road promoting Keep Fresh Stay Rad and Let’s Go Letter Hunting....

Continue Reading →

Pro Bono Design for Charity – to do or not to do?…

Posted by under
Pro bono

In GSM10 we caught up with Mandy Nelson from G&A Creative Agency to discuss the Pros and Cons of Pro Bono work for charity. Our question - Does providing free design to non-profits devalue design services, or add value to a good cause? I often ask myself if working for nix is worth it. The only possible answer is a definite ‘maybe’! It depends on your viewpoint - I want to unbundle that question. Pro Bono Work for a Charity I am settlor of the Full Colour Trust as well as joint owner of G&A Creative Agency (G&A), provider of design...

Continue Reading →

Coloured Text – How to get it Right…

Posted by under ,
coloured print

Using coloured text in printed magazines and documents is certainly more vibrant than stock standard black text on white stock. However, it can present some potential challenges at the printing stage. In this article, GSM looks at using coloured body text in print documents and how to avoid potential pitfalls... The use of coloured text is quite likely a knock-on influence from its popularity in digital design. Using colour when designing for screens is easy, as what you see is what you get. But, in the world of offset print, the print process itself adds technical challenges that the designer...

Continue Reading →

Large Format Print – How Big is too Big?

Posted by under

Large format print is a specialist area within the print industry which can cause inexperienced designers more than just a few headaches. The term 'large format print' (also called 'outdoor' in the advertising media world), is used to refer to types of printed material that is output at very large sizes. Think billboards, tradeshow displays, bus-back advertising and printed mural or building signage. A lot of this material is digital printed on substrates such as synthetic paper, adhesive paper, canvas, fabric and aluminium composite board (ACM). When it comes to designing for large format print—creativity aside— understanding some of the...

Continue Reading →

Marian Bantjes – Eclectic Graphic Brilliance

Posted by under
Marian Bantjes

A studio on a small island off the west coast of Canada seems like an unusual place to find an internationally renowned designer, typographer, published writer, illustrator and mixed media superstar. But this is exactly where you'll find Marian Bantjes. This is where she crafts her own brand of eclectic graphic brilliance. GSM takes a look into the unorthodox world of Marian Bantjes… It's almost an understatement to say that the work of Marian Bantjes crosses many boundaries. Known for her detailed and precise vector art and her obsessive hand work, Marian has a love of patterns, ornamentation and fluid...

Continue Reading →