Designing for Print: An In–Depth Guide to Planning, Creating, and Producing Successful Design Projects

A highly visual guide to designing for print media –– from project inception to final production –– now in full color Packed with hundreds of informative, illustrated examples, Designing for Print , Second Edition demonstrates methods and techniques for creating top–quality print media projects. Carefully chosen real–world design exercises and problem–solving projects offer hands–on practice to help readers achieve strong designs. Now presented in a stunning full–color format, this easy–to–use guide has been fully revised and updated for applications in the Adobe Creative Suite. It presents software tricks and tips, along with discussions on scanning, output, and other issues related to digital design for print and electronic media. Up–to–date coverage includes useful skills for getting the most out of the latest technologies. Dozens of sidebars and step–by–step descriptions walk readers through the design process in the same order actual projects are implemented. These steps include: Planning your design Designing with type Designing with photographs Advanced typography Preparing images Illustrating effectively Pre–press production Filled with content that progresses from planning through execution, Designing for Print , Second Edition gives a peerless introduction to designing all types of print projects.

Chapter One: Planning Your Design Layout Variations: Standard and Custom Formats 2 Building Mechanicals 4 Developing a Working Grid 6 Placing Elements within the Grid 8 Getting Ideas and Gathering Imagery 10 Sketching Out a Game Plan: Thumbnailing 12 Exhaust the Possibilities: Creating Design Variations 14 Cutting to the Chase: Designing with Die Cuts 16 Chapter Two: Designing with Type Type Fundamentals 20 Understanding Tracking and Kerning 22 Distorting Type and Scaling in Proportion 24 Getting Type to Fit without Distorting It 25 Widows, Orphans, Ladders, and Rivers 26 Treating Type with Consistency 27 Many Faces, Many Moods 28 Classic Typefaces 29 Selecting Effective Typefaces 30 Choosing Typefaces: Form and Function 32 Working with Text Boxes and Columns 34 Small Caps and All Caps 36 Type and Drop Shadows 37 Creating Baseline Grids 38 Understanding Baseline Grids 40 Letting the Baseline Grid Serve as a Guide 41 Using Baseline Grids to Cross–Align 42 Type Readability 44 Chapter Three: Designing with Photographs Image Types: One Color, Two Color 62 Maintaining Image Integrity 64 Formatting Images for Print 66 Understanding Linked Images 67 Manipulating Images and Picture Boxes 68 Image Types: Monotones, Duotones 70 Type, Image, and Readability 72 Type and Image: Composing Page Layouts 74 Type and Image: Page Composition 76 Perfect Imbalance: Asymmetrical Design 78 Using Holding Rules 79 Focusing In: Cropping Techniques 80 Picture Box Shapes 82 Editing Picture Box Shapes 84 Custom Shapes: Using Pathfinder 86 The Big Picture 88 Complex Shapes: Advanced Techniques 89 Image Grids: Step and Repeat 90 Complex Shapes: Align and Distribute 91 Placing Images into Text 92 Organizing Annotated Photo Layouts 94 Styling Pointers and Annotations 96 Creating Legends for Photographs 98 Chapter Four: Advanced Typography Using the Character and Paragraph Palettes 102 Vertical Type: Cheap Motels and Drive–ins 104 Curves Ahead: Create Outlines 105 Controlling Type Outlines 106 Keepin′ It Real: Staying True to the Original Typeface 108 Creating Custom Ligatures 109 Applying Effects: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly 110 Shattering Type 112 Offset Path: Inlines, Outlines, and Shadows 113 Creating Stylized Drop Shadows 114 Creating the Illusion of Transparency 116 Separating Stroke and Fills 117 3D Type: Beveling Type Outlines 118 Extruding and Creating Perspective 120 Metallic Type and Gradients 122 Type on a Path: Curves, Spirals, and Circles 123 Receding Type into the Distance 124 Inlaid Text: Cropping Objects into Type 126 Filling Shapes with Body Copy 128 Bubbles and Balls: Warp Effects 130 Creating Logotypes: 3D Effects 132 Distressed Type and Alternative Techniques 134 Using Envelopes to Warp Type 136 Masking Images into Type 137 Chapter Five: Preparing Your Images Destination Please? Formatting Images 140 Sizing, Scaling, and Setting Resolution 142 Image Prep: Cropping Images 144 Spot Remover: The Clone Stamp Tool 145 Getting Results: Basic Scanning Techniques 146 Focusing In: Sharpening Images 147 True Colors: Color–Correcting Images 148 Color–Correction 101: A Primer 150 Dodge and Burn: Tonal Correction 152 Scanning Large–Scale Artwork 153 Ghosting Images 154 Silhouetted Images: Clipping Paths 156 Silhouetting Images: The Quick Selection Tool 158 Soft Edges: Feathering Images 159 Creating Natural Shadows 160 The Cutting Edge: Torn Paper Effects 162 3D Objects and Textures 164 Smart Objects and Silhouetted Images 166 Fade Away: Creating Vignetted Images 168 Manipulating Imagery Using Filters 170 Silhouetted Images: Clipping Paths 156 Silhouetting Images: The Quick Selection Tool 158 Soft Edges: Feathering Images 159 Creating Natural Shadows 160 The Cutting Edge: Torn Paper Effects 162 3D Objects and Textures 164 Smart Objects and Silhouetted Images 166 Fade Away: Creating Vignetted Images 168 Manipulating Imagery Using Filters 170 Chapter Six: Illustrating Effectively Simple Illustration Approaches 174 Visual References: Tracing and Live Paint 176 Combining Primary Shapes 178 Mirror, Mirror: Building Symmetrical Shapes 180 From Line to Shape: Outline Stroke 181 Refining and Styling Line Quality 182 Between the Lines: The Live Paint Tools 183 Styling Illustrations: Linear Techniques 184 Creating Linear Patterns 186 Keeping Perspective: Cylindrical Shapes 188 Building Interlaced Shapes 190 Coiled Objects: Chain Links and Slinkys 192 Nuts and Bolts: Building and Styling Technical Shapes 194 Vanishing Points and Two–Point Perspective 196 Using Blends to Build Shapes and Create Volume 198 Creating Banners and Ribbons 200 The Final Touch: Backgrounds and Shadows 202 Using Custom Brushes 204 Warp Effects and Custom Brushes 206 Designing Charts and Graphs 208 Creating Variations and Using Artboards 210 Gradient Mesh: Smooth Surfaces 211 Chapter Seven: Putting It All Together Prepping Images 214 Why Doesn′t the Print Match the Screen? 214 Mechanicals 215 Building Prototypes 215 Creating Acrobat PDF Files 215 Preparing Files for Final Output 216 Color Proofing 217 Collecting for Output: InDesign Packages 218 Fifth Colors 219 Paper Stocks 219 PDF Formats 219 Decimal Conversion Chart 223 Design Resources 225 Bibliography 229 Photography and Illustration Credits 229 Index 231

Charles Conover is Director of the Digital Arts and Design Program at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, and former designer and associate art director of PC Magazine at Ziff–Davis Publishing.