Category Archives: Homework

Spring Recess Assignments

magazine pagesI know it’s been awhile, but spring recess is a good time for us to catch up on our journal items. Our next class will be Friday, April 25th. When you return, please have the following journal assignments complete.

For the following assignments, use a magazine (tear the page out or photograph it) and type  out your responses.

  • Text Wrap—Find a magazine page with at least one graphic image on it. Describe the relationship between graphic image and the text on the page. Is the image contained inside a rectangular image box, another shape or did it require a clipping path or mask? How is type reacting to the shape?
  • Your Aesthetic—Look at ads, magazines, books, and other printed pieces that have typography as a main component. Choose something that you are attracted to, and explain why. You only need to write 1 or 2 paragraphs.
  • Look at a print & website combo (a printed magazine and its online counterpart).  In 1 or 2 paragraphs, describe the similarities and the differences.
  • Multi-Page Continuity—Find a magazine or brochure  or booklet that is saddle-stitched. Type a 1-page paper about how the pages flow in terms of typography, imagery, and actual content. What items, if any, seem to be common among the multiple pages?

Final Type Book

It is now time to print and bind your type book project. But first, you must make sure you have all your pages and they are in organized and in order. A handout with all the instructions is available for download here.

There is one last design assignment that you need to complete for this project. It is called Putting It All Together. In essence, you will create a poster that uses all the typographic design elements that you have learned this semester. You can download a file that has samples here.

You get the binding done (and printing) done at Staples or FedEx, but be sure to plan ahead.

DEADLINE: Friday, April 4, 2014

REMINDER: The Mid-Term Exam

Yes, the mid-term exam is Friday, March 28th. So, you ask, “What should I study?” The mid-term will cover everything we have learned since the beginning of the semester—that includes the reading assignments, the handouts, and the lecture information.

There are some definite things you should know in order to pass this course, so here is a list to remind you of some specific things you should include in your review:

 

Review previous postings from our OpenLab site:

 

Some specific typography information to review:

  • Alignment: possibilities, how to use it well
  • Tracking: possibilities, how to use it well
  • Width/Weight/Posture
  • Stress/Contrast/Serifs
  • History of Letterforms
  • History of Typography
  • Typographical Anatomy
  • Kerning, Leading: Kerning Game
  • Five Families of Type
  • Grids: parts, working on them

 

Some specific InDesign information to review:

  • How to export a pdf
  • How to paginate a multi-page document
  • How to work with master pages
  • How to package a file
  • Placing images

Submitting Your Assignments as PDF Files

All of your Type Book assignments are to be submitted as PDF files. This is a requirement, not a suggestion. We covered how to do this several times WEEKS ago. If you have submitted files without converting them to PDF format, (as I have mentioned before) they WILL NOT counted. Being able to follow instructions helps with being able to get a good grade in the end. So, NOW is your last opportunity to get credit for these assignments. The Type Book project is to completed by Fri, March 28. All late submissions will have points deducted and marked as LATE.

If you still have no clue how to create a PDF file, here is a video that can be found on YouTube. You can also do a search to find others if this one is not helpful.

Project: Autobiographical Zine

We began this project in class, but here are the details so that you can make certain you stay on track.

  • Your Zine project will be a 12-page booklet, including the cover.
  • It is autobiographical, which means it all about you or some aspect of your life.
  • All of the content must be original. You will  do the writing and the photos or illustrations or graphic elements–do not use images from the internet. That would be copyright infringement.
  • When you set up your pages in InDesign, the measurements are 5.5″x8.5″ (or 33picas x 51picas).
  • You will determine the number of columns are in your grid.
  • When the design is complete, you will assemble the layout for printing, then staple down the center of the spine (to create saddle-stitching).
  • You may print in black and white to save money,  but your design will be in color.
  • After the print version, you will be taking your design and adding interactive elements (video, music, etc) and producing the Zine for tablets.

Cover layout is due for Monday, March 24, 2014.

Here are a couple videos that help you with this project.