Indesign Workshop

InDesign Tips & Tricks

> File > Print Booklet > Choose Binding Method

This will allow me to specify how I want my pages printed in relation to how I will eventually bind them together. As I am using a multi section perfect bind, I would select '2-up Perfect Bound'.

> Print Settings > Print Blank Pages

As I have 5 blank pages, located at the start of each chapter, I will need to check the 'print blank pages box' is ticked so that I keep my pages in the right order.

Remember to Landscape orientate and centre the book onto the page so that the front and back of each is aligned properly.

> Marks > Bleed > Crop Marks (tick) & Bleed Marks (tick)

I am printing 80 pages in total which will print onto 20 A3 pages double sided.

- Multi Section bind helps to prevent creep.

> Setup > Click range > then specify number of pages in section.

> Colour swatches > create new > choose suitable swatches

- Always check photoshop files / images for resolution, size etc

> Fitting > Fill Frame with content / proportionally etc

> Edit image... in photoshop > change to percentage etc.

> window > output > separations preview > select separations

- Allows you to see where each colour can be found and where they'll be printed

Reflective Practice

A Reflection on Level 4

What I think went wrong: my struggles and difficulties of getting through first year.


From the start of level 4, I realised that I had a lot of learning to do if I wanted to succeed on the course and progress to level 5 comfortably. I was relatively new to the discipline and so every brief that was sent my way, I had to come up with a totally new way of working and thinking in order to approach it in an appropriate way.

The first major difficulty I had to overcome was time planning and management. This was something that I hadn't really had to deal with in the past apart from my foundation year. But even that didn't prepare me for the amount of things I had to juggle all at once. I was quickly overwhelmed and didn't see how I could get it all done in the time given. However, through PPP sessions and my own experiences, I slowly but surely found my own way of working that allowed me to complete all the tasks. This took time and a lot of the time I would rush tasks just to get them done which meant I didn't get as much from them as I could have. However, as time went on this happened less and less until I was getting a lot more out of tasks, briefs and sessions.

Another major difficulty I had last year was my lack of ability when it came to Adobe softwares. I hadn't had much experience at all and in some cases close to none. This meant that I took a lot longer to complete some tasks such as the font design brief. Through experience and practice, I started to formulate appropriate skills towards the end of the year but I was still slower than most and also had less skills and knowledge of the software and so was capable of less when it came to the final product. Despite this, it was a major learning curve for me that I benefitted hugely from and can now comfortably complete tasks on inDesign and Illustrator. 

As I hadn't practiced a lot of graphic design before I enrolled, the way I worked wasn't very suitable to the discipline. I hadn't used my mac book much in the past as I preferred to do things by hand. However, I came to realise that it would benefit my practice to get better at using my laptop. This ended up speeding up my learning hugely as I was able to complete tasks more confidently.

Hakone Sculpture Park - Japan

Outdoor Sculpture Park

Hakone, Japan

Along my travels through Japan, we came across a small town in a natural park just outside of Tokyo. There wasn't a lot to do there apart from admire the scenery and eat amazing food. However, after some research into the town we found out that there was a sculpture park only a short train ride away. Not only was it outdoors but it also included a pavilion dedicated to the work of Picasso. As well as this, the park was brimming with hugely famous sculptors.

Henry Moore

Family Group 

1948 - 1949

Two Piece Reclining Figure : Points

1969 - 1970















Reclining Figure : Angles

1979

what I like most about Henry Moore's sculptures are the positions in which they are set. This piece in particular has adopted a very unique and interesting position. The other aspect I enjoy is the suitability of the positioning. It is as though the sculpture is admiring the beautiful settings around it, something I also found myself doing.







Atom Piece ( Working Model for Nucleus )

1964 - 1965

Lynn Chadwick

Two Seated Figures II

1973

Jean Arp

Pépin Géant

1937

One of my favourite pieces of the whole park was this chromatic, gold form in the middle of a patch of perfectly cut green grass. The way the surroundings and weather bounced off the smooth and rounded form gave for a bright and eye catching sculpture.  

Antony Gormley

Close

1950

The more humorous piece featured in the exhibition that put a smile on my face was this naked bronze man faced down in the grass. The form and position of the sculpture was very relatable, especially by a student such as myself.

François Morellet

Sphère - Trames

1926

Another one of my favourites, this hanging sculpture was made up of layers of hatched metal rods that slowly spun underneath some trees catching the trickling of sunlight. The photo doesn't do it any justice as you can't experience the illusion.

Picasso

Situated as the far end of the park behind a man-made mound was a large, two story pavilion filled with the work of Picasso. What caught my attention more than the work inside was the typography on the side of the building. As you can see from the image on the left, the setting of the park was absolutely stunning. The flowing lines of the mountains behind combined with a blue sky and the green, healthy grass resulted in a truly unique setting. However, I noticed that the huge black type on the side of the building was a lot more harsh and bold than anything surrounding it which made it stick out like a sore thumb. I thought it was a little too contrasting from the rest of the park.

Giuliano Vangi

Grande Racconto

2004