Before I began using the laser cutter and creating the information, I began sorting the size of the publication and pagination so that I can begin planning how my book will work in relation to pages with holes in, etc.
Here is an example:
Front Cover
Take advantage of the white space by centring the title. A lot of publications have the title centred at the top as you can see:
This is due to the audiences eye naturally focusing on the top of the page and it also helps when it is on the shelf because if a smaller publication is in front of it, the audience can still see the title of the magazine behind it.
However, the composition of my publication is landscape, instead of portrait which means there is a lot of horizontal space. This gives me a lot of freedom to play with typography and potentially imagery.
Content
Having the typography on the left page will allow the laser cut templates to accompany it on the right page.
When the page is turned, the cut out page will be visible on the left hand side. I decided to leave the right hand page blank so that when you look at the previous page there isn't any interference inside the negative space where the laser cutter has been. This creates more pages but it is relevant because now I can write my next point on the other side.
I decided my publication is going to be 17cm x 13cm because a landscape book will make my binding technique easier and also allow me to fit more laser cutting in. The size is also pleasing to hold because of it's medium size.
Creating this rough template of my book has been really beneficial because it has given me a lot more confidence with my concept.
STOCK
I chose different types of stock to see how they coped when laser cut and to see if there was potential to use a mix of stock and colour throughout my publication. Unfortunately I could not find the GSM for each stock because it didn't state it in the shop. However, if I was sending this off to a client or to be manufactured I would make sure I knew the exact stock GSM.
Thick News Stock: Matt on one side and silk on the other creates interesting texture, especially when turning the page which could be aesthetically pleasing. The stock is still very light which means it is easily pliable and suitable for my binding technique.
White Card: Thick stock that is less pliable but can be used to give my publication structure. There is potential for it to be the front cover.
Cartridge Paper: Textured and medium weight gives it a quality finish that is nice to hold and feel. I bought it in white, grey and blue because I want to experiment with creating contrast.
LASER CUTTING
Returned to the laser cutter to cut out potential concepts for each principle and also test out different stock:
Similarity
Used a thick news paper stock that was matt on one side and silk on the other. The laser cutter burnt the matt side, however the silk side coped better. The stock is flexible which will mean it will cope well using the Japanese binding technique. It is an off white colour which could be useful for complimenting other coloured stock.
Chose another thin and flexible stock which is a grey/blue colour. I decided to use colours so that I can create contrast and emphasise the principles visually.
Proximity
I wanted to demonstrate how proximity works so I created two compositions for the principle. The above shows the rule of proximity and the composition below aids the explanation and will therefor impact the audience more.
I have cut the page so that the cut outs are towards the right hand side. This means that when the book is bound, the information doesn't get tucked into the binding. This will avoid forcing the pages apart. This is why creating a mock-up is beneficial because I have been able to avoid a potential mistake that I wouldn't like to make at a later stage.
Figure/Ground
Cut out the circle which will reveal a square that I will print onto the next page that will be a different colour.
Closure
Cut out two different sizes so that when I put my publication together, I can choose how close to the edges the content is.
Continuity
Created my own composition for this principle instead of the cross because I thought this would work better with the laser cutter and I now have a transferrable, geometric theme.
For each principle, I cut out the template on all of the stocks so that I can experiment with stock weight and colour.
At this stage of the project, I want to start thinking about the layout of information and also how I will add it into my publication.
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