Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Quick Note
Just to let you know the date that is displayed on the entry is accurate however the time is somehow stuffed up.
Final Entry
Will the physical book continue to exist into the future?
Yes, to a certain extent. Most of the publication will turn into digital format for easy access and as well for learning online.
For example in this subject, we can't physically go from museum to museum to look at all the manuscripts that still exists however we can now access them from the comfort of the classroom or home. In future I would assume most organisations will want to publish their collections of knowledge in digital access for easy and wider access.
After completing all the topics in this subject, it makes me think of more possibilities and lots more ways to look at any subject matter(in art/graphic design/things that happen in daily life).
This subject has opened up new ways in looking at books- its forms and content, author and illustrator, material used, printing, binding and how the whole book was presented. It has made me appreciate children books and picture books in many new different ways.
Experiencing different techniques of the traditional ways of sewing and binding books. I would never dream of making my own book before this!
Stitching on tapes, is one of the traditional method that I found really interesting. It has so much possibility to explore in terms of the design of the book.
At the end of every topic there are lots of questions that require further thoughts/investigation which makes the subject extend past uni session and into personal research and satisfaction.
Here's are some areas I would be attempted to look and research further: artist's book and children's book.
Final conclusion would be: not an easy subject, but I am glad I took it!
Yes, to a certain extent. Most of the publication will turn into digital format for easy access and as well for learning online.
For example in this subject, we can't physically go from museum to museum to look at all the manuscripts that still exists however we can now access them from the comfort of the classroom or home. In future I would assume most organisations will want to publish their collections of knowledge in digital access for easy and wider access.
After completing all the topics in this subject, it makes me think of more possibilities and lots more ways to look at any subject matter(in art/graphic design/things that happen in daily life).
This subject has opened up new ways in looking at books- its forms and content, author and illustrator, material used, printing, binding and how the whole book was presented. It has made me appreciate children books and picture books in many new different ways.
Experiencing different techniques of the traditional ways of sewing and binding books. I would never dream of making my own book before this!
Stitching on tapes, is one of the traditional method that I found really interesting. It has so much possibility to explore in terms of the design of the book.
At the end of every topic there are lots of questions that require further thoughts/investigation which makes the subject extend past uni session and into personal research and satisfaction.
Here's are some areas I would be attempted to look and research further: artist's book and children's book.
Final conclusion would be: not an easy subject, but I am glad I took it!
Topic 4: The Fine Printing Tradition
Fine printing
- Movable type were used
- Picture with woodblock/picture by engraving
- Pages were laid out
This book was examined in class:
Title: Orbis Pictus
Author: John Amos Comenius
Observed the following:
- picture were printed/using engraving
- page layout is different on every page
- the mix of typeface on one page
- picture were printed seperately
- spelling replaced by "s -> f"
- the illustration (perspective view not quite right)
- page number (catchword - used for the same section)
- found tipping in on page
- found mistake on the catchword as well as section code
William Morris and Kelmscott Press
The book "Kelmscott Chaucer" was produced by William Morris and is about the collection of the pilgrimage of the Canterbury Tales. He was concerned about the design of the book from the cover, content and finish, which includes design typeface, decorative elements and page layout.
- Movable type were used
- Picture with woodblock/picture by engraving
- Pages were laid out
This book was examined in class:
Title: Orbis Pictus
Author: John Amos Comenius
Observed the following:
- picture were printed/using engraving
- page layout is different on every page
- the mix of typeface on one page
- picture were printed seperately
- spelling replaced by "s -> f"
- the illustration (perspective view not quite right)
- page number (catchword - used for the same section)
- found tipping in on page
- found mistake on the catchword as well as section code
William Morris and Kelmscott Press
The book "Kelmscott Chaucer" was produced by William Morris and is about the collection of the pilgrimage of the Canterbury Tales. He was concerned about the design of the book from the cover, content and finish, which includes design typeface, decorative elements and page layout.
Printing - Movable Type
What is movable type?
Movable type is metal moulds, by the use of dies, into which the maker could pour hot liquid metal, in order to produce separate letters as the same shape as those written by hand. These letters were similar, more readable, and more durable than wooden blocks. Such letters could be arranged and rearranged many times as the printer wished to create different pages from the same letters.
Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg was responsible for the creation of movable type. His most reknown work was the Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible), has been acclaimed for its high aesthetic and technical quality.
Here is a digital copy of Gutenberg's bible.
Movable type is metal moulds, by the use of dies, into which the maker could pour hot liquid metal, in order to produce separate letters as the same shape as those written by hand. These letters were similar, more readable, and more durable than wooden blocks. Such letters could be arranged and rearranged many times as the printer wished to create different pages from the same letters.
Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg was responsible for the creation of movable type. His most reknown work was the Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible), has been acclaimed for its high aesthetic and technical quality.
Here is a digital copy of Gutenberg's bible.
...more on printing
Move onto different types of printing
- relief printing (matrix is cut away to leave the image-making part on the original surface)
i)line cut
ii)wood cut
iii)wood engraving
- Intaglio (a damp piece of paper is placed on top and the plate and paper are run through a printing press that, through pressure, transfers the ink from the recesses of the plate to the paper)
i)metal engraving
ii)etching
- Planographic (image rests on the surface of the matrix, which can therefore often be re-used)
i)lithography
ii)offset
- relief printing (matrix is cut away to leave the image-making part on the original surface)
i)line cut
ii)wood cut
iii)wood engraving
- Intaglio (a damp piece of paper is placed on top and the plate and paper are run through a printing press that, through pressure, transfers the ink from the recesses of the plate to the paper)
i)metal engraving
ii)etching
- Planographic (image rests on the surface of the matrix, which can therefore often be re-used)
i)lithography
ii)offset
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Topic 3: The introduction of printing
Printing is now know to have been first developed in the seventh century in Korea and China, where printing from wooden blocks was developed. The Diamond Sutra, dated 868 is one of the most famous of these early printed works, and combines words and pictures. By the 14th century the technique of printing from metal type had been developed in Korea.
Printing is the technique of making an impression on paper (or on other substances such as vellum) from inked type (or as the techniques developed, from plates, blocks, or cylinders). From this type, the most important aspect of printing is that it permits a large number of copies to be made from each setting of type.
During the period from the invention of printing in Europe until 1700, most books were printed on wooden printing presses, using metal type.
Printing in Europe
The techniques of printing were developed in Europe by craftsmen ignorant of these advances in the Far East. As in China, the earliest printing took the form of illustrated sheets printed from carved wooden blocks (known as woodblock printing). These illustrations were largely religious in nature, simple in design, and meant to be coloured by hand, and were made by largely anonymous craftsmen, and very few examples have survived.
The development of printing took a dramatic step forward thanks to the technological advances made by Johan Gutenberg, a Goldsmith working in Mainz, Germany, in the middle of the 15th century.
His revolutionary idea was to use metal to cast each letter individually as a piece of ‘type’, so that a number of individual pieces (or letters) would be fitted together to make up a word, sentence, paragraph, and eventually an entire text or book. Once the printing had been finished, the type could be broken up from its settings, and re-used to print another book. This invention of ‘moveable’ (and re-useable) type enabled printing to become a viable economic alternative to making books by hand (known as manuscripts).
Gutenberg’s invention produced what is regarded as a landmark in the history of printing, and of western civilisation: an edition of the Bible in Latin, known as the Gutenberg Bible (or sometimes as the 42-line Bible, as each page is made up of 42 lines of type). It was made at his workshop in Mainz between 1453 and 1455, and was certainly complete by 1456. It consists of over 1,300 large pages, in two volumes, and although we do not know exactly how many copies were originally produced, we do know that 180 were offered for sale, and that forty-eight copies survive today, about twenty of them complete. The book was printed with two-colours, black and red, and was produced to an exceptionally high standard, even more so considering the experimental processes which must have been required to achieve any kind of result.
Source:http://www.britaininprint.net/introtoprint/intro.htm
The best known block book:
Block books
-books were printed in Europe from engrave wooden blocks, one block for 2 pages.
- they were made using the relief matrix (the area to show white will be cut away)
- cut along the grain of the wood
- there were three methods of printing
i)stamping - These were printed by putting the paper/fabric on a table or other flat surface with the block on top, & pressing or hammering the back of the block
ii)rubbing - The block goes face up on a table, with the paper or fabric on top. The back is rubbed with a hard pad, a flat piece of wood, a burnisher, or a leather frotton
iii)printing in a press
I read on further and found out that there are limitations on blockbook printing.
- can only be printed on one side of the page
- two pages per sheet
- time consuming
- curved letters on block are very fragile
- limited life span due to the ink on the block
Printing is the technique of making an impression on paper (or on other substances such as vellum) from inked type (or as the techniques developed, from plates, blocks, or cylinders). From this type, the most important aspect of printing is that it permits a large number of copies to be made from each setting of type.
During the period from the invention of printing in Europe until 1700, most books were printed on wooden printing presses, using metal type.
Printing in Europe
The techniques of printing were developed in Europe by craftsmen ignorant of these advances in the Far East. As in China, the earliest printing took the form of illustrated sheets printed from carved wooden blocks (known as woodblock printing). These illustrations were largely religious in nature, simple in design, and meant to be coloured by hand, and were made by largely anonymous craftsmen, and very few examples have survived.
The development of printing took a dramatic step forward thanks to the technological advances made by Johan Gutenberg, a Goldsmith working in Mainz, Germany, in the middle of the 15th century.
His revolutionary idea was to use metal to cast each letter individually as a piece of ‘type’, so that a number of individual pieces (or letters) would be fitted together to make up a word, sentence, paragraph, and eventually an entire text or book. Once the printing had been finished, the type could be broken up from its settings, and re-used to print another book. This invention of ‘moveable’ (and re-useable) type enabled printing to become a viable economic alternative to making books by hand (known as manuscripts).
Gutenberg’s invention produced what is regarded as a landmark in the history of printing, and of western civilisation: an edition of the Bible in Latin, known as the Gutenberg Bible (or sometimes as the 42-line Bible, as each page is made up of 42 lines of type). It was made at his workshop in Mainz between 1453 and 1455, and was certainly complete by 1456. It consists of over 1,300 large pages, in two volumes, and although we do not know exactly how many copies were originally produced, we do know that 180 were offered for sale, and that forty-eight copies survive today, about twenty of them complete. The book was printed with two-colours, black and red, and was produced to an exceptionally high standard, even more so considering the experimental processes which must have been required to achieve any kind of result.
Source:http://www.britaininprint.net/introtoprint/intro.htm
The best known block book:
Block books
-books were printed in Europe from engrave wooden blocks, one block for 2 pages.
- they were made using the relief matrix (the area to show white will be cut away)
- cut along the grain of the wood
- there were three methods of printing
i)stamping - These were printed by putting the paper/fabric on a table or other flat surface with the block on top, & pressing or hammering the back of the block
ii)rubbing - The block goes face up on a table, with the paper or fabric on top. The back is rubbed with a hard pad, a flat piece of wood, a burnisher, or a leather frotton
iii)printing in a press
I read on further and found out that there are limitations on blockbook printing.
- can only be printed on one side of the page
- two pages per sheet
- time consuming
- curved letters on block are very fragile
- limited life span due to the ink on the block
Coptic binding
Learned about coptic binding in class.
Experience non-adhesive binding for the first time.
Pretty confusing at first, isn't too bad once you get the hang of it.
It took me about an hour to undo a few sections, and put them back correctly!
Just imagine how hard books were made in the past. The great craftsmanship and patience involved!
Experience non-adhesive binding for the first time.
Pretty confusing at first, isn't too bad once you get the hang of it.
It took me about an hour to undo a few sections, and put them back correctly!
Just imagine how hard books were made in the past. The great craftsmanship and patience involved!
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