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Mhairi Flett

  2. Mhairi Flett

Marian Bantjes – Eclectic Graphic Brilliance

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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...

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How to Use Pantone Spot Colours in Print…

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The unexpected combination of design, colour & print finish, and choice of paper for the front cover of GSM10 created a result with a difference. Sometimes a little experimentation can create surprising results... For the cover of GSM10 we used a textured uncoated paper, BJ Ball Advocate Linen, on which we printed two spot colours - Pantone 876 (Metallic Bronze) and Pantone 804 (Neon Orange). Combining fluoros and metallics on an uncoated paper is usually a big "No No" but pushing the boundaries can create something special.. Replicating the Cover of GSM10 Advocate Linen is an uncoated textured paper from...

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Print requiring an eye for detail – Take a Look…

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Let's Take A Walk cover

Some print jobs are far from straight forward. This children's pop-up book, ‘Let’s Take A Walk’, was one of those jobs. The extra effort won them Supreme Runner-Up in the 2017 Pride in Print Awards. The judging panel described it as ‘…an excellent job with lots of tricky finishing requiring an eye for detail…’. GSM takes a look… The Concept This particular print job initially began life as a menu revamp conceived by Sam Crofskey, owner of Christchurch café C1 Espresso. The concept of the menu was to use illustrations by Hannah Beehre, of local buildings pre- and post- the...

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Offset Printing – What happens to your Artwork File?

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Offset printing

Offset printing is more than a touch of a button. It takes skilled trades people, with years of experience, to transform an artwork file into a finished printed job. GSM takes a tour of Spectrum Print, in Christchurch, to see how it is done... So, what actually happens when you send an artwork file to an offset print house? We sent designer and photographer, Marty Anderson, along to Spectrum Print in Christchurch to find out. Marty shadowed a number of projects going through the printery so we could see the various stages of offset printing. The first thing that can...

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Incorporating Te Ao Maori in our Creative Work…

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GSM13

Ma Te Mohio Ka Marama - Through Awareness Comes Understanding For graphic designers in New Zealand, when a client requests a ‘kiwi theme’, it’s only natural to reference Te Ao Māori, the Māori world. But, what if, without realising it, we misappropriate the culture? To feel more confident about incorporating Te Ao Māori into our creative work and to better understand the cultural significance of what we do, GSM13 talks to three Māori who specialise in bringing their culture into the world of design. JOHNSON WITIHERA Johnson has a Ph.D in Māori Art & Design and is co-founder of Indigenous...

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Alan Fletcher Leading A Life of Graphic Design…

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Alan Fletcher

‘Design is not a thing you do. It’s a way of life.’ Alan Fletcher lived and breathed design. Upon his death in 2006, obituaries appeared in newspapers around the world including The Independent, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The New York Times and The Times. Described as "the most highly regarded graphic designer of his generation, and probably one of the most prolific", GSM15 takes a look at co-founder of Pentagram and one of the most influential figures in British graphic design, Alan Fletcher... Early Years Born in the 1930s in Kenya, Alan Fletcher rose to prominence in the 1960's &...

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BJ Ball Swatch Books – Paper Glorious Paper!

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paper selector

Recently, BJ Ball launched brand new swatch books to replace the older fan-apart system. No simple task when you need to accommodate and showcase more than 360 individual paper stock/weight combinations. In GSM14, we talk to Alf Walker, Creative Director at Zoo Creative, about the unique challenges and nuances of this complex project. The team at Zoo produced the original fan-apart swatches for BJ Ball back in 2014. It was an enormous project in itself, but we always felt there was room for improvement. Having the opportunity to design the BJ Ball swatch books a second time was very exciting....

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Intellectual Property – What does it mean?

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Intellectual Property

Intellectual property, Copyright and all that legal stuff... What does it mean to you as a graphic designer? What should you know?... As designers, we love to create. In fact, we get so engrossed with creating, we sometimes forget the importance of establishing who owns the work we create. So, who does own the work? And why should you care? GSM Re-Edit delved into the legal world of Intellectual Property... Intellectual Property Let's start with a brief overview of Intellectual Property (IP) Law as it applies in New Zealand. IP Law is covered by the Copyright Act (1994). At it’s...

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How to Create Off-the-Shelf Impact with your Label

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Wausau Self Adhesive Labelling

Self adhesive labels are often used in the beverage market - a highly competitive environment. To make your product stand out on the shelf, BJ Ball have recently introduced Wausau's innovative self adhesive labels. GSM15 takes a look... Recently, BJ Ball announced the sole distributorship of Wausau self-adhesive labels in New Zealand. This follows on from Ball & Doggetts, who have carried this range for a number of years in Australia. These new products, manufactured in the USA by Wausau Coated, open a whole new world of creative possibilities when it comes to ‘off-the-shelf’ impact. Based on Wausau’s long history...

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Digital Print Embellishments – Look what you can create…

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GSM13

Digital print technology has evolved rapidly over the last five years. To the point that you can now create embellishment effects that, previously, could only be produced with offset or letterpress. This opens a whole new world of possibilities for designers when working on short-run print projects. In GSM13, we took a look at some of the latest finishes and print effects that can be achieved using digital print systems. Specialty Toners & Varnishes Some digital print systems have the capacity to use toners beyond standard CMYK. Depending on the system, these can include other supplementary colours such as white...

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