Exercise 3: On press

Adrian Pipes’ On Press chapter, from his 2009 Production for Graphic Designers manual, provides a thorough overview of the print process, both historically and practically. Exploring paper, the raw materials that make it, recycled, handmade and manufactured paper, and other stocks; various qualities of inks; various printing processes, including emerging technologies; print finishing and binding; and interviews with a number of book designers.

Chapter Six - On Press (p.165 – 219) in Pipes, A. (2009) Production for Graphic Designers , 5th Edition, London: Laurence King Publishing, is available to you as a resource on the OCA student site.

“There is a long-standing misconception to to learn the craft part of any profession can be a chore. The temptation is to jump right in there and get on with the creative stuff. Print production, in particular, with its many different stages and processes, can seem dull… [however]

Graphic designers are both artists and craftspeople… And when you have learnt all about print production, the creativity will be able to come shining through.”

Alan Pipes, Production for Graphic Designers (5th Edition), 2009. London: Laurence King Publishing. Page 11

Consider which aspects of the print process might feed into your creative decision making process. Where do the connections between artist and craftsperson sit within your work? Use your learning log to reflect on this. Identify your nearest local printer. If possible, introduce yourself with the aim of

arranging a short tour of their production process, from computer through to finished article. Seeing the printers at work helps to put the theory into context and can clarify certain parts of the process you may be unsure of. If the printer you find does print books then so much the better, but any medium-sized printers will no doubt print flyers, brochures and similar material. They will

certainly have machines for reproduction, printing, folding and binding, which would be relevant to your research into printing books. Don’t be shy about getting in touch. When you explain you’re a student, printers often enjoy taking time out of their regular schedule to show people ‘round the works’ – but be aware that they do have busy schedules, so take advantage of any time they

offer you! Take your camera and ask permission to photograph the machinery and production line, as an aide-memoire. Similarly, take your notebook and document the visit – you can incorporate this research later into your learning log.

Alternatively, you may want to concentrate on online options, such as PDFs or print on demand. Investigate these through internet research, documenting your key findings in your learning log.

Any visit may provide valuable research material for you, and of course the printer may prove a good contact for you in the future.

Aspects of the print process that might feed into my creative decision process

I read the chapter on Adrian Pipes’ On Press chapter, from his 2009 Production for Graphic Designers manual, and made notes in a brainstorming layout.

Printing

I looked online to see how the printing process is navigated from book production to printing and binding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw2_evZbkCM

I found this video interesting. Although I knew that much of the process was automated, it was still interesting to see how the paper and books were cut down to size, and the importance of crop and bleed on the document when preparing your project or book for professional print.

I realised there were a lot of calculations and measurements to ensure the books print correctly, and the importance of doing a proof copy to check everything is correct before running a much larger batch.

I also found the lamination section interesting, especially for making the covers and how it all comes together with the rest of the book.

I learnt that deciding on the book's print starts much earlier than when the book is finished, it has to be decided in the planning stages. As a designer, you have to decide at the beginning what the size will be, whether the book will be printed on coated or uncoated paper, the GSM, the binding and the finishing methods. Deciding on all this information before designing helps with the workflow and with the printer. The designer has to understand the process of printing in order to design a book that is most appropriate for the project, the budget and the audience. Working closely with a printer will help produce the best version of the book.

References

Book Production From Start To Finish, Digital Printing and Binding Perfect Bound Books (2021) [Online Video] At:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw2_evZbkCM Accessed:18/03/2026).