December 10th, 2018
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Don’t Forget the Book Designer
A potential book printing client of mine is producing a 6” x 9”, 220-page, perfect-bound book. Over the last few weeks we have been discussing her project, and I have been providing prices. What’s intriguing to me is that she had been considering printing her book through an on-line, print-on-demand publisher, but after our discussions, she likes the personal attention of working with a custom printing broker and going to a “brick-and-mortar” printer. She had spoken to a number of friends, and some had not been altogether satisfied with the overall quality of their print-on-demand books. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: Don’t Forget the Book Designer
December 2nd, 2018
Posted in Printing on Glass | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Digital Ceramic Printing on Glass
I read a few articles online this week about custom printing on glass. My interest piqued, I did further research. What interested me the most were the facts that glass is non-porous and that printing on glass needs to be durable (after all, if an architect builds a structure and the printing on the glass panes degrades, it could be extremely expensive to repair or replace). So how can you print on glass in such a way that the image won’t scratch off and degrade? This was my question. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Printing on Glass | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Digital Ceramic Printing on Glass
November 27th, 2018
Posted in Standees | Comments Off on Large Format Printing: A Huge Case-Bound Book
I assembled and installed a large format print standee for the new Deadpool movie yesterday (called Once Upon a Deadpool). Interestingly, based on the title of the film, the standee is made to look exactly like a huge case-bound print book.
I don’t believe I’ve seen a book this large (just over 5 feet by 8 feet) since the 1960s (a huge book on the TV series Batman). What piqued my interest was its size, how closely it resembled a real case-bound print book, and the fact that both the spine and face trim (the pages) were crafted so as to curve. (Another way of saying this is that the faux book had a rounded spine, so the face trim of the pages also curved inward.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Standees | Comments Off on Large Format Printing: A Huge Case-Bound Book
November 19th, 2018
Posted in Packaging | 4 Comments »
I’ve read a lot about flexible package printing recently. It is a vibrant element of a quickly expanding arena of commercial printing (i.e., package printing in general).
Packaging isn’t going anywhere. Newspapers may fold, and magazines may go online. Some people may prefer e-readers to print books. But as long as products in grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retail establishments compete with each other for the consumer’s attention (i.e., their dollars), package printing will thrive. (Think about a store with packages that have no labels or graphics. It’s not going to happen.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Packaging | 4 Comments »
November 12th, 2018
Posted in Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: The Print Job Is Not Over Yet
Three of my clients have print jobs in some stage of production at commercial printing shops. One client just uploaded stationery materials to one printer. Another client has a perfect-bound print book of essays on press. And a third client has a color swatch book at a third printer.
If you are a print broker or designer, you may be in a similar position. It is all too easy to move on to other work and take your eye off the ball. These jobs may be done in terms of your designing and producing press-ready art, but there are still a lot of things you need to attend to in order to ensure success. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: The Print Job Is Not Over Yet
November 4th, 2018
Posted in Digital Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Direct Digital Printing on Bottles
I was reading the trade journals online this week, keeping abreast of trends in commercial printing, and I came upon an article written by Pat Reynolds in Packaging World (www.packworld.com) entitled “Direct Digital Printing on Rigid Containers.” It was published on 4/3/18.
I know this sounds somewhat dry as a subject, but as I read the article, I saw the implications for packaging, marketing, and digital commercial printing in general. Plus, it was interesting to see just how printing can be done on a bottle without using a label. So I did further research. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Digital Printing | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Direct Digital Printing on Bottles
October 30th, 2018
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: High-End, Case-Bound Look-Books
My fiancee found two print books at the thrift store this week that together weighed about twenty pounds. They are perfect-bound art books. One is a “look book” showcasing street art in both New York City and Barcelona (four-color throughout, with bleeds and minimal text).
The other is a catalog of art prints. This one really needs its own table, it’s so heavy. Its contents have been broken down into photography, still life paintings, floral paintings, figures, etc. While it doesn’t cover all art periods, it really does provide a visual survey course in art history. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Printing | Comments Off on Book Printing: High-End, Case-Bound Look-Books
October 21st, 2018
Posted in Folding | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Thoughts on Brochure Folding
I get a lot of promotional mail in the course of a week, and I try to be mindful of which pieces spark my interest and why. Granted, since I get a lot less physical mail than email, I am far more likely to take the time to look closely at the print mail: its design, its format and folding, and the paper. It’s a tactile experience. Internet mail, ads, and anything else on the Internet lack one important quality for me: the sense of touch. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Folding | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Thoughts on Brochure Folding
October 15th, 2018
Posted in Design | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Revising a New Asphalt Paver Logo
A short while ago I wrote a blog posting about a new logo I’ve been designing for a local asphalt paver. I described its genesis as a coroplast sign that morphed into a logo commission and then into cups, hats, and finally a large format print vehicle wrap. With my fiancee’s input, I provided three options a few days ago and then heard nothing back from the client. I started to get nervous. I assumed he had hated them. Then I reviewed the logos again, and I wasn’t so sure anymore either. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Design | Comments Off on Custom Printing: Revising a New Asphalt Paver Logo
October 8th, 2018
Posted in Book Binding | Comments Off on Book Printing: Unique Book Binding/Finishing Formats
My fiancee recently brought home from the thrift store two intriguing books for the grandchildren. The first is The Slant Book, written by Peter Newell, and the second is How Does the Show Go On?, written by Thomas Schumacher.
What makes both of these books particularly interesting to me is their unique binding methods. Both are striking. I’ve never seen anything quite like them before. In addition, the uniqueness of each reinforces the theme of the print book. That is, the special effect is not gratuitous. The form reinforces the meaning. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Book Binding | Comments Off on Book Printing: Unique Book Binding/Finishing Formats