What is ...Creep?

What is ...Number 23
Regular followers of this blog will know that in the middle of the month, I publish a "What is ....? post. The article covers various aspects of paper, printing and finishing in greater depth. However, many of these subjects are complex, so these posts are only intended to be a brief introduction to the topic.

What is ...Creep?

Because most bound publications are produced by folding large sheets down to a smaller size and forming multiples of 4pp sections, the number of printed pages of any document will start to affect the physical properties and the position of the printed matter. The inner sections will start to protrude beyond the outer pages - see diagram below.



If adjustment is not made, printed matter will get too close to the trimmed edge. To demonstrate, here is a 32pp saddle stitched, self cover brochure, which I wrote about last year: http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/breaking-down-barriers.html



If I hold the booklet open in the middle, you can see with the image below the difference in the width of the page size, which has effectively become staggered because of the straight cut edge.

To demonstrate further I've taken the book apart. With the spines in the same position I've laid the centre spread underneath the cover (below image). The finished size of the book is 235x165mm. The total width of the double page spread of the cover is 331mm, the total width of the centre spread is 327mm, so the difference pictured below is 2mm:

Click on images to enlarge

Creep Allowance is also known as "feathering" or "shingling" and unless an allowance is made for creep it can have a major impact on the margins and page layout.

There are three methods of creep allowance:

• Manual Adjustment
• Page Offsetting
• Page Scaling

All the methods depend on the number of pages and the thickness of the material. Manual Adjustment is a very arduous procedure which involves a mathematical formula which calculates by how much the design elements are moved away from the foredge in tiny increments and the artwork is then adjusted manually. Creep Allowance by Page Offsetting is where a program has been written which moves page elements inwards progressively but can result with problems in the spine.

Creep Allowance by Page Scaling is the preferred method by printers. It works by having a program which reduces the page elements in size horizontally. It is a scaling program which inevitably is a distortion of the original but is the most effective automatic system.

As mentioned earlier, if the project is section sewn or even perfect bound the same issues are a factor as they are all made using folded sheets of paper. It may be less of an issue if a project is made using 16pp sections but with a bulky material, for instance, it could be a real issue.

MASSIVE PROBLEM!
In my experience, the first time people come across the term 'creep' (in printing) is when there is a production problem. Generally, a job has been printed and finished, then someone spots the issue (usually type or images getting to close to the foredge) and then someone will start talking about creep ...this is not helpful if you have never heard of it! Typically the event I've just described is usually followed with finger pointing and people looking for someone to blame.

Creep Allowance is something that should be discussed rather than ignored until there is a problem. Responsibility must be assumed and agreement should be reached at the start of a project about who (designer or printer) will make the adjustments. My advice is: Talk about it!

Posted by Justin Hobson 17.11.2015

Are you a parent ...?

Here's an interesting project which I thought you might like to see...

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of some of the projects which I have featured which have been funded by Kickstarter. Lorna and Daniel Freytag contacted me about this fun project which is on Kickstarter right now.

In their words:
We're a mum and dad team called HeyWow! working from the small seaside town of Oban on the north-west coast of Scotland with our two little highland monsters (aged 2 and 4). Twelve months ago we had the crazy idea of creating our own personalised children's books, to bring a bit more WOW to kids lives. Our aim was to create something vibrant, well designed and exciting that parents could enjoy too! How hard can that be??? Ha! Nearly one year later (in between caring for the kids) and after lots of brain storming, cups of tea, sketching, tea, emails, business plans, photo shoots, more tea, Skype calls and many many late nights, we're now ready to reveal our first picture book... 'In the City'.

Here are some HeyWow links

Our Kickstarter campaign
www.heywow.co
www.twitter.com/HeyWowBooks
www.facebook.com/heywow

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.11.2015

Wrangler S|S 2015

This is the season's promotional literature for Wrangler’s new S|S 2015 collection. Kimi Räikkönen is the face of Wrangler’s Denim Performance line and is the first male spokesperson for Wrangler Europe.

This 10pp concertina brochure is 190x135mm, expanding to 190x675mm. It is printed in CMYK offset litho on our Omnia, White FSC 320gsm and is printed and finished beautifully. Birds eye view below:

Click on images to enlarge

Although this is a simple publication, it's often the simple jobs which don't get the attention to detail. This is well creased and folded square which is just perfect

Omnia was chosen because it would work with the rich detail that is present in the images but that would still give a natural look and tactile feel. As you can see from images, some of the photography is quite dark, but there is no loss of detail, which is what can often happen printing on an uncoated paper.

Art direction and design is by JJ Marshall Associates. Creative Director is Jethro Marshall and thanks to Jethro for sending file copies and a note...

Excellent print and finishing is by Principal Colour based in Paddock Wood, Kent.

 

http://www.wrangler.co.uk/mens-jeans

http://jjmarshallassociates.com/

www.principalcolour.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson .12.11.2015

John Eskenazi Invitations

John Eskenazi is one of the most internationally respected dealers in Indian, Gandharan, Himalayan and South-east Asian works of art. He is also a specialist in collectors' carpets and textiles.

This is the invitation to view the latest acquisitions.

Click on images to enlarge

The invitations are A5, portrait and are particularly thick and prestigious having been mounted onto our Construction Blackstone 1500microns, making the total thickness nearly 2mm.

The invitations have been printed on an HP Indigo digital press and this is interesting as it's the first time that I have seen a genuine duotone (just two colours) printed on an HP Indigo, rather than out of four colours

Design and Art Direction is by Ornan Rotem at Sylph Editions.

Printing and the terrific finishing - which was all achieved in house is by Zone Graphics, based in Paddock Wood in Kent.

www.john-eskenazi.net
http://www.sylpheditions.com/
www.zonegraphics.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 10.11.2015

Stranger

This project is an entire book printed on transparent paper! Stranger is a beautiful book of photographs by Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur.

Here are the words about the project, from the publisher, Fishbar:
On 8th April 1961 the MV Dara, a ship carrying passengers between India, Pakistan and the Gulf, sank just off the port of Dubai. An estimated 238 people lost their lives.

Some bodies were never found and relatives of the missing continue to this day to search for their loved ones. Stranger, a new project by photographer Olivia Arthur, imagines a survivor returning to Dubai fifty years later, and what they would see. Through photographs and small anecdotes, the viewer is taken on a journey through a city that is both awe-inspiring and alienating. A city which has grown at breath-taking pace from a population of 90,0000 in the 1960s to over 2 million in the current day, and continues to draw people from all over the world with its promise of riches.

The backbone of the project is the story of the shipwreck, transporting the viewer back and forth in history and acting as a reminder of the fragility and skin-deep nature of Dubai.

Reflecting this fragility and suggesting the feelings of loneliness and disorientation often experienced by residents of Dubai, the book is printed on transparent paper. The result is that the layered images fade in and out of view, interspersed with quotes, memories, and images of the shipwreck itself.

Click on images to enlarge

This is the second published book for Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur and is the result of a residency of the artist in Dubai in 2014.

Concept and book design is by London based designer, Melanie Mues. In her words: "The book is printed entirely on transparent paper, juxtaposing images directly with the help of the show-through. The viewing experience is more like a film or a slide show, supporting the sense of loosing orientation and chronology of events." The book is printed offset litho in CMYK and is section sewn and casebound with a hard cover.

The paper chosen is ZANDERS Spectral White, 100gsm which is from the Reflex Paper Mill in Germany, who also make the ZANDERS Zeta range. Spectral  was chosen for it's uniformity of translucency and high whiteness.

 

The project was recently reviewed on the Grafik site:  http://www.grafik.net/category/case-study/unbroken-view

 

Stranger is printed by Belgian printer, Die Keure, based in Bruges. They are one of the most renowned book printers in Europe and print for many of the high end publishers in Europe.

 

http://fishbar.ph/shop/stranger

http://www.oliviaarthur.com/

www.muesdesign.com

http://www.diekeure.be/nl-be

http://www.reflex-paper.com/en/

Posted by Justin Hobson 06.11.2015

RE Masters Exhibition

The Masters is a series of annual exhibitions established by the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers focusing on a particular branch of printmaking and this year's exhibition, curated by Angie Lewin RE, is devoted to works that employ any relief printmaking techniques. The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE) was founded as the Society of Painter Etchers and Engravers in 1880. It was established to counter the Royal Academy’s then refusal to recognise printmaking as a creative rather than a merely reproductive art. All Members are elected on merit, based on the quality of their work alone, in a tradition reaching back over a hundred years

I was pleased to be invited to the opening and private view of the exhibition, yesterday evening, at Bankside Gallery (next door to Tate Modern). I've not been to Bankside Gallery before but it is a lovely space and is also home to the Royal Watercolour Society.

The exhibition (which is free) runs from 3rd -15th  November 2015 and the relief printmaking techniques utilised includes: woodcuts, metalcuts, linocuts, wood engraving, relief etching, block press, and even potato prints. Any print that has a relief printmaking technique as a primary technique is eligible.

All sorts of relief printing are eligible for entry including this pair of shoes (below). This work is titled 'Gender is a Social Construct' and is a laser cut linoprint by Clare Harding.

Fenner Paper sponsored one of the prizes awarded on the evening. The prize was awarded to Charles Shearer for Edgelands, pictured below, printed as a relief card print.

I would thoroughly recomend a visit to this charming gallery to see this amazingly diverse range of work - many works are also available to purchase at very reasonable prices. The exhibition runs from 3rd -15th November 2015.

http://www.re-printmakers.com/
http://www.banksidegallery.com/
http://charlesshearer.artistsathome.net/

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.11.2015

Jobs from the past - Number 73

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by...

Unless you are a hermit without contact with people or media, it could not have escaped your attention that last week the new James Bond adventure SPECTRE hit the big screen. So, I thought what better time than to review the invitations from the last James Bond film, Skyfall.

SKYFALL 2012
The James Bond franchise is a global phenomenon and one which over the years has made those involved in the production and marketing a lot of money. However many people may not remember that due to the recession, Bond film number 23 (as Skyfall was then known) was put on hold in 2010 due to lack of cash. Having originally meant to be released in 2011, it was eventually released in October 2012.

Film Premieres of this scale demand lavish and expensive invitations and collateral. In quality terms they must live up to and possibly exceed, the expectations of the forthcoming film.

Below is a small 4pp wallet (with pocket) which is 180mmx107mm, printed offset litho in CMYK plus a gold special colour on Omnia 280gsm with the ticket printed CMYK and hot foil blocked in metallic gold foil on Omnia 280gsm duplexed to 560gsm.  

Click on images to enlarge

The ticket is also hot foil blocked on the reverse.

The launch of this type of film requires several events and these represent tickets for the screenings at The Royal Albert Hall, the Odeon Leicester Square and the after show party at the Tate. As you will notice from the reverse of the wallet (below) the litho printed gold actually looks gold! ..this is a feature of Omnia and where is scores over ordinary uncoated papers.

Below is the ticket for the Odeon Leicester Square which is 99x210mm, Landscape.

The ticket is printed in CMYK plus gloss black foil, which you can hopefully see in the picture below.

This ticket which is also printed on Omnia 280gsm is mounted on our Vale Board 2000microns which makes the invitation 2.5mm thick!

Printing is by Identity, based in Paddock Wood, Kent and they made a superb job of it - colour reproduction and solids are superb - the hot foil blocking is perfectly executed (Identity are one of the few printers to have hot foil blocking facilities 'in-house')



SPECTRE invitation

...and what of the invitations for the new Bond film, Spectre? Well I can't say too much about them just now, although Identity Print have produced them (pictured right) and there's also a generous amount of fine hot foil blocking - it will have to wait for another post...



http://www.identityprint.co.uk/
http://www.007.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 02.11.2015