Substrates & Finish: Article 3 of 3: Seven Sumptuous Substrates

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One of the most rewarding aspects of being a graphic designer is the sheer scale of gorgeous and tactile materials to work with and print on. There are dozens at your disposal, some in common usage and others waiting to be discovered and put to graphical use by future pioneers. Because of their widely diverse nature, substrates can be used to suggest all kinds of meanings and signify all kinds of signs, from luxury and good taste right through to anarchy and roughness. Substrates help to reinforce the messages you wish to communicate. I’ve hand-picked seven of them for the last in our unashamedly image-teeming short series of articles on substrates and finish. So without further ado…

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Substrates & Finish, Article 2 of 3: Gorgeous Print Finishes

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As varied as they are exciting, print finishes encompass a wide range of processes for designers to investigate and use. A finish may be applied once a substrate has been printed, to provide the finishing touch to a graphic object. They can be used to add a decorative aspect to a piece, or a textural quality. In some cases a finish might aid graphical function, or even represent an integral component of a piece’s form. Seven print finishes have been chosen for this article based on their powers to captivate, dazzle and add weight to ideas. Read on, take notes, and choose one for your next project to turn a mere good response into a graphical tour-de-force…

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SUBSTRATES & FINISH, ARTICLE 1 OF 3: Diverse Binding Methods

SUBSTRATES & FINISH: 7 DIVERSE BINDING METHODS

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Binding, the collective term given for the range of processes which hold and fasten a publication’s pages together, is essential for, well, holding and fastening your publications’ pages together. Whilst on the surface not as compelling a design component as, say, print finishes, a little closer inspection reveals a range of distinct processes which exist for different uses. These binding methods aid function; decisions on binding necessarily affect a printed piece’s robustness, longevity and form. Used creatively, they can even add an aesthetic finishing touch to a piece and help amplify messages and intentions. The closer inspection I mention above, and which binding merits, is what this article’s all about.

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Putting Together an Effective Portfolio

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Save perhaps his personality, the freelance graphic designer’s portfolio is, undoubtedly, the most valuable asset in his professional life. I have written elsewhere that the portfolio is the freelancer’s shop window, an intimate glimpse into his or her being for all who view it. We have to love our portfolios, agonise over what goes into them, and tend and nurture them as we would a sapling we’d once planted. Nothing should be left to chance, not even tiny details, as it’s these, at times, that we may be judged on. So let us not delay any longer, but instead plunge into the sober, matte black folds of the portfolio…

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26 Logos & Their Design Evolution

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Our top 26 logo revamps for better or worse you decide.It’s hard to argue with the Art Paul’s and the Paul Rand’s of the design world. Some of the greatest logos have stood the test of time, below are the ones that obviously no longer represented the modern day image of the associated brand.

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LOGO DESIGN LOVE

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David Airey, super blogger and notorious designer has released a book called Logo Love Design. He offers a free to download chapter of his book, that illustrates perfectly a graphic design process that endorses the wonderful process of design, from Pencil to PDF. A recommended read and investment for all design students.

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Printing Pre Press Dos and Don’ts

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The Graphic Design School have found a great list of Do’s and Don’ts relating to PRE press/printing, created by Deborah Roberti of espressographics.com which should help you avoid one of these frustrating and embarrassing (not forgetting to mention expensive) mistakes when evaluating your pre print project before it goes to press and some useful tips on image formatting.

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Logo Trends and Galleries

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Here are our fav logo galleries and trend articles. The for and against trends, the good, the better and the darn beautiful logos of 2009.

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Print

Apr 2009, in European Trends, Print.
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Prints can be anything from digital art to advertising, to layouts for magazines, posters, flyers newspapers you name it. We have scoured the four corners of Europe to find you the best of Print Designs.

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