THE EXPLORATION OF PAPER WITHIN GRAPHIC DESIGN
JULIA HICKS
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PAPER THE EXPLORATION OF PAPER WITHIN GRAPHIC DESIGN..
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PAPER THE EXPLORATION OF PAPER WITHIN GRAPHIC DESIGN.
JULIA HICKS
Published and Written by Julia Hicks Copyright Julia Hicks 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retieval system or transmitted in anyform by any means, electronic, mechanica, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the copyright holder. Special thank you to friends, family and tutors for their contribution to the project.
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INTRODUCTION TO PAPER
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CHAPTER 1: EXAMPLES OF PAPER IN DESIGN
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CHAPTER 2: PROFILES OF DESIGNERS THAT USE PAPER
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CHAPTER 3: CUTTING INTO PAPER
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CHAPTER 4: FOLDING PAPER
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CHAPTER 5: WHAT MESSAGE DOES PAPER GIVE
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CONTENTS CHAPTER 6: FINAL THOUGHTS
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USEFUL TERMS
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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INTRODUCTION TO PAPER.
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THE DEFINITION OF PAPER The word paper derives from the Greek term for the ancient Egyptian writing material called papyrus, which was formed from beaten strips of papyrus plants. The immediate predecessor to modern paper is believed to have originated in China in approximately the 2nd century AD, although there is some evidence for it being used before this date. Papermaking is considered to be one of the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China, since the first pulp papermaking process was developed in China during the early 2nd century AD by the Han court eunuch Cai Lun. China used paper as an effective and cheap alternative to silk, letting them sell more silk, leading to a Golden Age.
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Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets. Paper is a versatile material with many uses. Whilst the most common is for writing and printing upon, it is also widely used as a packaging material, in many cleaning products, in a number of industrial and construction processes, and occasionally as a food ingredient, particularly in Asian cultures. The use of paper spread from China through the Islamic world and entered production in medieval Europe in the 13th century, where the first water-powered paper mills were built and mechanization of papermaking began.
The industrial production of paper in the early 19th century caused significant cultural changes worldwide, allowing for relatively cheap exchange of information in the form of letters, newspapers and books for the first time. In 1844, both Canadian inventor Charles Fenerty and German inventor F.G. Keller had invented the machine and process for pulping wood for the use in paper making. This would end the nearly 2000-year use of pulped rags and start a new era for the production of newsprint and eventually all paper out of pulped wood.
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STANDARD SHEET SIZES
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A series A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6
mm 841 x 1189 594 x 841 420 x 594 297 x 420 210 x 297 148 x 210 105 x 148
B series B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
mm 1000 x 1414 707 x 1000 500 x 707 353 x 500 250 x 353 176 x 250 125 x 176
RA series RA0 RA1 RA2 RA3 RA4
mm 860 x 11220 610 x 860 430 x 610 305 x 430 215 x 305
SRA series SRA0 SRA1 SRA2 SRA3 SRA4
mm 900 x 11280 640 x 900 450 x 640 320 x 450 225 x 320
Standard US 8” x 11” 17” x 22” 23” x 29” 23” x 35” 24” x 36” 25” x 38” 35” x 45”
mm 216 x 280 445 x 572 483 x 635 584 x 889 610 x 914 635 x 965 889 x 1143
THE ISO SYSTEM ISO paper sizes, illustrated above, are derived from an A) size rectangle which has the area of one square metre. There are a number of different paper ‘series’ which use the ISO system for determining sizes. 1. ‘A’ sizes are intended to be the finished job sizes. 2. ‘RA’ sizes are to allow grip on the printing press. 3. ‘SRA’ sizes allow for both grip and bleed. 4. ‘B’ sizes allow for oversize formats
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B series considerations Unlike the other metric sizes above, there are many derivatives of the B series. B stock sizes differ from the theoretical Bsizes listed above. For example B1 can be 720 x 1020mm, 720 x 1010mm or 700 x 1000mm - all are regarded as B1 size.
The production of printed literature necessitates that peper must alwasys be looked at as part of the design and ideally should be considered at the beginning of a project. Think about these questions: Is paper going to add anything to the design? By selecting the right type of paper will I help answer the brief any better? Have I considered the damage that can be done by selecting or accepting an inferior paper for the job? Either when choosing a paper or when the job is ready to be talked through with the printer, it is a very good idea to have a ‘dummy’ made. This can either be done by you, the printer or paper merchant.
The production of a plain paper replica means that you can judge the overall appearance, bulk and weight. It is only at this stage that you can be confident that the choice of material is practical and successful. It is also the time to see the material, the shape and the binding or folding working together. All papers are manufactured to a given specification. Usually this will involve a substance (weight), a thickness (bulk), and a shade or colour. Below are some descriptions of some useful common terms:
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PAPER & IT’S USES. To write or print on: the piece of paper becomes a document; this may be for keeping a record (or in the case of printing from a computer or copying from another paper: an additional record) and for communication; see also reading. Paper can be produced with a wide variety of properties, depending on its intended use. To represent a value: paper money, bank note, cheque, security, voucher and ticketFor storing information: book, notebook, magazine, newspaper, art, zine, letter For personal use: diary, note to remind oneself, etc.; for temporary personal use: scratch paper for communication to someone else:
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If sender and receiver are both present, but use paper for illustration, or if communication by talking is not suitable: because one is mute or the other is deaf To avoid other people hearing it, because it is secret, or in order not to disturb them in a noisy environment. For packaging: corrugated box, paper bag, envelope, wrapping tissue, Charta emporetica and wallpaper For cleaning: toilet paper, handkerchiefs, paper towels, facial tissue and cat litter For construction: papier-mâchÊ, origami, paper planes, quilling, Paper honeycomb, used as a core material in composite materials, paper engineering, construction paper and clothing
There are alot of different colours of paper that need to be looked into within design that tends to be overlooked. Other uses for paper are: emery paper, sandpaper, blotting paper, litmus paper, universal indicator paper, paper chromatography, electrical insulation paper (see also dielectrics and permittivity) and filter paper.
The thickness of paper is often measured by caliper, which is typically given in thousandths of an inch. Paper may be between 0.07 millimetres (0.0028 in) and 0.18 millimetres (0.0071 in) thick. In Europe, and other regions using the ISO 216 paper sizing system, the weight is expressed in grammes per square metre (g/m2 or usually just g) of the paper. Printing paper is generally between 60 g and 120 g. Anything heavier than 160 g is considered card. The weight of a ream therefore depends on the dimensions of the paper and its thickness.
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UNDERSTANTING PAPER. The sizing system in Europe is based on common width to height ratios for different paper sizes. The largest standard size paper is A0 (A zero). Two sheets of A1, placed upright side by side fit exactly into one sheet of A0 laid on its side. Similarly, two sheets of A2 fit into one sheet of A1 and so forth. Common sizes used in the office and the home are A4 and A3 (A3 is the size of two A4 sheets). The density of paper ranges from 250 kg/m3 (16 lb/ ft3) for tissue paper to 1500 kg/m3 (94 lb/ft3) for some speciality paper. Printing paper is about 800 kg/ m3 (50 lb/ft3)
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A typical way of understanding what types of paper to use is to look through a swatch book. Here they have a variety of paper swatches, whether it be different thicknesse, embossing, or colours. These are all elements that need to be considered when designing and it is important to look at a swatch book to help our overall design work. There are so many things to take into consideration, however little details can really make a difference. Different companies have certain budgets so sometimes thicker, embossed, luxurious paper cant be afforded so people tend to stick to more affordable paper. Looking through this book it amazed me to how many different elements of paper that I would never have taken notice of before
These are swatches within the book that I wouldnt have noticed unless looking into this project. It shows you just how many different textures and strengths there are and how important it is to research your paper before printing as there are many possibilities.
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EXAMPLES OF PAPER IN DESIGN.
EXAMPLES OF PAPER IN DESIGN I love the look of all these designs and how it suits/ matches the type of paper that has been used depending on the theme of the design that its trying to sell. All of these designs are organic and give the sense that its home made. This type of paper is usually used for wedding invitations and organic products.
I looked into paper friendly companies and how they look at paper with their designs. All these companies are interested in environmentally friendly paper, or they place emphasis on the face that paper does aid with their design work. Paper should be chosen before the design. Companies such as GFSmith paper, and Fegrigoni, are major paper companies that provide alot of variety and focus on the quality of their papers. All these different types of papers have different uses, whether that be for embossing, cutting, folding, or general printing they each have different ways of appearing when the final design has been produced.
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Different text and illustrations can look totally different depending on the paper being used. It gives off a different feel. If this book was printed on magazine paper then it wouldnt give the same homely feel. The methods that most desingers seem to use is cutting and selecting specific papers when expressing a message within their work. Most of the pieces that I looked into communicated a message successfully and are also tangible and interesting to look at. When using paper people photograph their work to capture the overall look of it.
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PAPER & COMMUNICATION. Different people use different ways of manipulating paper to express what they desire whether it be typography, illustrations, sculptures, or an installation, it just proves that you can use just paper to communicate what you want. These pieces are all strong and are more eye catching than a printed book. I like how these are all simple forms of graphic design but they are not obvious ones. They can be seen as conceptual art as people can interpret the message as they wish. The top images can be seen like graphs where the higher the colour is the higher the percentage can be. Its interesting to see how you can still shade and create vivid shapes by manipulating paper.
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It is probably a much slower process than designing on screen and printing, however the outcomes are stronger and more lively. Paper is being increasingly used within videos at the moment to express meanings. In Sias video she uses paper as the scenery around her . B.o.b uses a collage format of layering different images of girls to make them look like one; and in Itv’s programme ‘Married, Single, Other’ They uses a fortune teller unfolding to show different characters within the programme. Paper is often used as an artform and is used often to express meaning. It is such an easy medium to manipulate as well as being very playful. It can be used for 3D formats and 2D formats and still portray a strong meaning in an interesting and visually pleasing way.
Different colour palettes need to be considered when printing on different types of paper. Certain colours work better on different types of paper, so inks and a colour scheme need to be considered when printing as well. People have increasingly started to incorporate paper within websites. This is used visually when they want to give the feel of a handmade design or an organic/ user friendly project/ advert. Paper gives a different experience with touch so they tend to use textured papers on the web so people can visualise the touch as well as seeing the look.
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PAPER & ITS IMPORTANCE. Paper can express a meaning just as well as ink can. You can shade with it you can draw into it without using ink ad you can create images and text. They are all bold pieces and it shows how designers should be focused more on different methods of communication. Dyslexia shows that designers should be more involved in the design process as little things such as the type of paper you use for a book can affect the simpilest of things. 30% of your audience are dyslexic so the type of paper that you use should be thought about. Tinted paper was harder to read than plain a4 paper. When tinted paper was present dyslexic people use tinted see through coloured pesplex to help them focus their eye site.
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Laura Cooperman uses the art of just cutting into paper. She also incorporates the use of a 3D element into her work and lets shadows of the paper become part of the art form. I think they are really strong pieces as they give off the impression of being delicate, but still create eye catching pieces by cutting into the paper. Sculptural pieces made out of paper can also help you can understand the message that they are trying to communicate. IT shows that you can also interact with paper and humanise it by creating different forms of expression, and beautiful and delicate art forms. This would be a disadvantage as if made out of paper it wont last as long, however a photograph lasts a life time.
All these images have used the arts of just paper. When asking people what they thought of these pieces they stated that they were more drawn to them as they are colourful and have a tactile tangible feel to them. The shadows also add character. Photographing paper needs to be done correctly if you do choose paper as your medium. All the previous designers have stated the importance of the lighting and the way you photograph your work when capturing your design. These examples show how strong the images work when captured properly and when designed completely out of paper.
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PROFILES OF DESIGNERS THAT USE PAPER.
ROB RYAN
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Rob Ryan uses the simple form of cutting to create his messages and illustrations. He writes and illustrates by cutting out of paper and then using a laser cutting machine for mass production. I love the fact that no ink is used for this and proves you don’t need ink to communicate or create a beautiful piece of design.
Born in Cyprus in 1962, Rob Ryan studied at Trent Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art. His work is the result of the painstaking hand cutting of delicate papers. These intricate works are either sold in papercut form or developed as limited edition screen-prints.
He uses soley paper in his design work. He designs the illustration and then cuts into paper creating different messages and illustrations. Theres something very beautiful about his work and its something that I would really like to experiment with.
In addition to his own projects, Rob has collaborated with and been commissioned to work alongside many prestigious names such as Paul Smith, Tatty Devine, Liberty and more recently Fortnum & Mason.
The Tate Modern have described his work as, Distinctive, original and touching, Rob Ryan’s designs have an enchanting presence. Specialising in intricate papercuts, he creates a world of romance and magic with simple but heartfelt messages
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YULIA BRODSKAYA Yulia Brodskaya uses the art of ‘Quilling’ and cutting into her work which is simply rolling up different kinds of paper. They make beautiful pieces of work and are very eye catching, however would they be as strong without the different types of coloured paper.
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“The project demonstrates that paper elements can be combined with hand-drawn illustrations, and there are endless possibilities in doing that,” she begins. “This artwork is my imaginary London. I just wanted to have some fun illustrating the key London attractions and iconic things such as animals or people, like the Big Ben guy. It’s much more interesting to look at the physical thing, as here the hand-drawn elements dominate the image; the photo doesn’t show the eminent parts well, and this is one of the disadvantages of using a combination of the two techniques.” As she points out, photography is critical to the effectiveness of an image when papercrafting is involved, and she often works with professional photographers to get this right.
For anyone who wants to get into making imagery out of paper, an understanding of photographic skills is a definite plus. “Lighting the work can make or break the success of the image. It needn’t necessarily be complex, but the light needs careful control in direction, intensity and the level of softness,” she explains. Another factor that deeply affects her work is the availability of coloured paper. Although an avid paper collector, Brodskaya is never quite satisfied with what’s around and is always on the lookout for a greater range of colours. Unlike working digitally, or even with paints, the colour palette in each piece depends on the range of colours supplied by paper manufacturers. The limited choice – as well as quantities – paper is sold in, are hurdles she constantly battles.
Aside from paper, her main tools are scissors, cutting knifes, tweezers, straws, cocktail sticks and glue – all of which she buys from craft supply stores. Of course, although the work is done by hand, the computer is never far away. In the early stages, she uses her Mac to edit her roughs and drawings, and to email them to clients. “I begin with sketches. This is a very important stage because once I glue a piece of paper I can’t remove it – the glue is an intentionally strong adhesive. Thus there is no room for error, and I need to have a very clear idea about what I’m doing from the beginning.
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MIMMO ROTELLA
WYCINANKI Wycinanki (vee-chee-non-kee) is a Polish version of the art form of papercutting. Wycinanki in Poland originated with sheepherders cutting designs out of tree bark and leather. Paper wycinanki dates from the early to mid 19th century. Colorful wycinanki were pasted on furniture or roof beams as decoration, hung in windows, and given as gifts. Wycinanki vary by region. For example, wycinanki created in the Kurpie region are typically all one color, while wycinanki from the Łowicz region are multicolored. Techniques include cutting, clipping, punching, tearing, and carving of paper as well as nalepianki in which multiple layers are glued together.
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Subject matter includes peacocks, roosters, and other birds, circular or star-shaped medallions (gwiazdy), flowers, and decorative scenes depicting particular yearly events such as Easter, Christmas, and so on. In some towns and villages competitions evolved to create the most beautiful wycinanki. Traditionally done as relaxation in rural areas of Poland, the techniques were passed down from generation to generation, with new themes and ideas developing as the papercuttings became more detailed and intricate.
Domenico “Mimmo” Rotella, (October 7, 1918 – January 8, 2006), was an Italian artist and poet best known for his works of décollage and psychogeographics, made from torn advertising posters. He uses collages to express emotions. He used old billboards originally and took off different layers to reveal older posers which turned them into collages. He also layered up different types of paper and used the same technique to create either more typographic based collages, or plain paper to allow it to speak for itself.
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CUTTING INTO PAPER.
CUTTING PAPER I tried to see how a different variety of papers cut differently. Again the thicker the paper the harder it was to cut into the paper, however the thinner the paper the more likely it was to tear when scoring the paper. I experimented to see if a design can work just as well if it was cut out. I used a design I have created previously and cut into it. On the ink side it made the overall design more interesting to look at and made me want to touch the design more, it could also become a playful design, simply by just cutting into it. I also thought that the plain side worked just as well as it slows the design just with no ink. It does however give off a sense of coldness as its white.
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One way of playing with cutting into paper was to explore into Rob Ryans way of designing. I found that it was easy to cut into but it was quite fiddley and as the paper was thinner it was easier to tear. Overall I think i successfully managed to cut a design into paper and it would look interesting as a card design? Children’s books are commonly known for using paper to communicate a message, whether it be pop outs, cutouts, of flaps. I wanted to take a childrens book that hadn’t used any of these methods, and incorporated it into the book myself. This automatically made the book more interactive.
I initially looked into playing around with tyrpography. These proved to be strong as the 3D element makes them interesting to look at, and when the light shines through the holes it also works well as it still communicates the message using the art of cutting. I also tried to create images by cutting into paper and layering it up, as well as using different materials to incorporate into the cuts. These are methods that children’s books uses as it helps the audience interact with the book and it makes you want to touch it more and see what is beneath the layers.
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PLAIN PAPER VS COLOURED PAPER.
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I wanted to experiment to how I can create an effect by using paper. I decided to attempt a ‘splash’ illustration. I used 4 layers so the further down the hole went the deeper the image looked. The shadows did give a sense of a 2D element looking more realistic and the object was still understandable. It was decided to contrast with the plain paper I would see how the same technique worked with coloured paper. It gave off the same effect but the colours did make the design more interesting to look at. So maybe coloured paper can communicate a stronger message than plain paper? I tried out another way of layering up the shading rather than laying it down. This method seemed to prove more successful as the shading works better and the image stands out of the page a lot better.
I thought it would be interesting to see if a logotype would appear differently. When the colours and ink were taken away and different papers would be used instead to represent that aspect. Using textured and cream coloured papers made these particular logotypes look more sophisticated and do not give off the feel of their original branding. It shows that you can still create a logotype by cutting into paper however colours seem to play an important role as with the make ‘Chanel’ the cream papers work as it presents class, whilst in contrast to the Olympics logo, it looks unusual to see such neutral colours.
I also tried out putting different types of paper underneath the cutout versions, and using the shadow on different types of paper. Different types of paper did give off a different feel. The textured paper appeared more elegant whilst the striped paper changed the overall tone.
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CUTTING SHAPES. From the cutouts that I had used I also tried to place difference colours underneath the cutouts to see what kind of feel they would give off. They work really nicely and the cut outs work really well in contrast to the different colours. They are strong and bold. The thicker the paper you use the better the paper cuts and gives more depth when placing another colour underneath.
Paper- cutting is a many-faceted art from. It involves patience and practise. It is the art of cutting paper designs. The art has evolved uniquely all over the world to adopt to different cultural styles. It is an art form which can involve the entire family; it is easy and enjoyable, it can appear to be magical, but you can do it too!
This was my attempt of using the Polish art of paper cutting to create other forms. I thought that it worked very well and the colours compliment each other. I think paper can create strong images just as well as ink can.
Silhouettes or shadow pictures, cut from paper, have been around for centuries and this style of portraiture has been raised to the level of fine art by the skill of some outstanding artists.
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FOLDING PAPER.
MANIPULATING PAPER. Exploring with different paper techniques was a fun way of creating visuals and information. When you stack things on top of one another it gives you a sense of going up or down. Different cuts and folds can create the effect of looking down or shading. I also tried the old school technique of a paper snowflake which proved unsuccessful. I gathered different types of paper and tested to see which paper would fold/bend easier than others. The thicker the paper, the harder it was to fold or bend it. The thinner the page the easier it was to manipulate or keep in a certain position. I also found that when folding the paper the thicker the paper the more likely it would eventually lose its shape and fold back to its original state.
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Whilst thicker paper would stay in a position for a longer length of time. These are different ways of manipulating paper to express a meaning. The coils show how certain information gathered could be higher in the results. The bigger the swirl, the higher the percentage? I also tried out other methods of blending colours together. I think these are all methods which work successfully.
I started to experiment to how I could create objects using just paper so I used the art of origami. These created objects just my simply folding into the paper, but they are still understandable to what they are and when attempting origami with no colour people could still distinguish what the items were, proving you don’t always need colours to portray a message.
I tried out another way of blending colours together, and the 3D aspect of using paper to show information. I thought these images were strong as they are integrating visuals to look as they have different angles within them. Also folding paper can show a different hierarchy of information.
This was the orange peel technique! These were simply cutout into a spiral format and then stretched to see what different angles and curls it would give. I thought these were really interesting to look at as they can give off a message in a simple/interesting way. The shadows incorporated with the 3D element really work. It looks 2D as well as being 3D.
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PICTURES & QUILLING. I tried to make everyday objects/scenario’s by just using paper. Depending on the way I cut into each of the papers it created a different visual. Coloured paper seemed to be important in this particular task as the different shadings and tones couldn’t be understood with plain paper. I thought that the experiments were successful and can easily be understood to what they are.
Paper weaving is a fun way of creating visuals. It can show shading or be a way of showing how one pieces of information is greater than another piece of information like a bar graph. I also tried neutral colours to see how they contrasted with the bright colours. Whilst the bright colours are eye grabbing and bold, the neutral colours show sophistication.
During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers. I decided to experiment with this art form as it was a simple way of creating a message or image using just paper. There is something beautiful about the overall look of the paper when placed together. You can create different shapes, shades and still make a strong piece of design.
Quilling or paper filignee is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is glued at the top and the coil shapes are then placed into images.
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SHADING & COLOURS.
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I also attempted layering the quils on top of each otheras they gave off an interesting affect. These would be a good form of communicating a message by looking interesting to look at, at the same time. They create different shades and look abstract. It could work as abstract pie charts.
After looking at quilling, it was interesting to see how you could also use coloured paper to blend different colours together. When strips of paper are all placed together and bent in a certain way they create interesting visuals that can represent different forms of information by looking at the amounts of certain colour.
I attempted to use neutral colours within my quilling experiments to see if they affected the overall look and feel of the art of quilling They did not look as exciting and eye catching however they compliment each other well and could be used for less bolder images.
The close ups showed how when different tones where put together that paper can also create shading as well as different inks. It looks more visually pleasing than ink as the paper strands give an interesting look.
I attempted to make an alphabet using just A4 paper. These prove successful as a simple cut or fold would show a letter. I placed the letters on the light box to give them a more realistic feel. I then projected the paper alphabet onto the wall using its shadows and they worked just as well proving that you can create letter forms using just paper. After looking into typography using paper I then attempted to create words and letters out of strips of paper to try and give more of a handwritten feel using the art of bending paper. I thought that these werent very successful and were awkward when trying to bend into shapes and keeping them in that position.
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WHAT MESSAGE DOES PAPER GIVE?
Male: 52% Female: 48%
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WHAT MESSAGE DOES PAPER GIVE? Over the 6 week period I have been gathering different examples of design and looking at the different papers they use. I also got people to categorise to what they thought was good or bad quality paper. These tended to be birthday cards and general thicker paper which had a textured recycled feel to it. IT tends to be used for brands such as Costa/The V&A/ and Luxury hotels such as The Dorchester.
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I looked into what was classified as medium kinds of paper used in the industry. These tended to be handouts from Waitrose/Topshop advertisements and leaflets for museums. People stated that it wasn’t nice paper but it wasn’t bad paper and didn’t give off a feel of cheapness and some thought had been put into it. Lastly there were types of paper which were categorised as bad quality paper. These tended to be takeaway flyers, cheap quick designs and telephone adverts which use shiny matt paper, or is flimsy paper. The paper thickness tended to be looked into when deciding if paper was expensive or not. People thought the thinner the paper the cheaper it was. The worst the design, the more the paper hasn’t been considered.
I sent out a survey to get a general feel on peoples beliefs on paper. These were the results: Male: 52% Female: 48% 92% of people would not like a design because of the paper. 8% didnt think it mattered. 80% of people stated that paper was important when incorporated with a design. 20% didnt. 100% stated that it affects the overall feel and look of a design 76% said that paper was important within their current positions. 24% thought that it wasn’t.
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INK & PAPER. These were the results of the ink soaks. As you can see different papers soaked up different kinds of ink in different amounts. Each piece of paper was left for 3 hours at a time.
I tried an experiment involving looking at how different paper soaks up different inks. Depending on the paper the design would print differently as different papers soaked up more or less inks. Shinier paper wouldn’t soak up as much whilst thinner papers would soak up more. I wanted to look into whether printing different designs on to different papers can affect the overall feel of a design. 80% of people stated that it did as when it was printed on shiny paper it looked tacky, whilst when using textured or cream coloured papers, people then stated that the design then became more sophisticated.
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Daniel Eatock looked into how different papers soaked up different inks, so I was inspired by him to try an experiment of my own and create my own version. I used 4 different pens and alot of different types of paper and observed which papers absorbed more in that others. I drilled 4 holes into a piece of wood and placed 4 different pens in it. Every 3 hours I would swap over the type of paper that was being used and at the end I observed the different patterns on the different papers caused by the different pens.
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SIMPLY PAPER. By cutting out a simple shape out of paper and placing it in everyday situations you can give the paper a personality and make it come alive. By bending it in different ways you can make it look as though its looking into something or relaxing in a chair. By placing it everyday situations and manipulating it slightly it can give the characteristics of a human being as then we relax we slouch backwards and when we look down we bend forwards. This was a playful experiment to see how paper can be given character.
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After looking at the Crystal Goblet theory. I wanted to see if paper can affect the presentation of food. When the food was placed on a newspaper print it brought the class of the object down, however when using luxurious hand made paper it automatically made the object look more elegant. If you were to serve fish and chips on sophisticated hand paper and sushi on newspaper print it would totally switch rolls of class. Sushi is seen as expensive and uses expensive packaging and paper whilst fish and chips is cheap and uses news paper print as it gets thrown away straight away.
A collage (From the French: coller, to glue) is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, bits of colored or hand-made papers, portions of other artwork, photographs, a piece of moss or even a dead mole and other found objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas. The origins of collage can be traced back hundreds of years, but this technique made a dramatic reappearance in the early 20th century as an art form of novelty.
I placed the same type of paper in different ways and layered them either on top of each other or I changed the angle of them. Different results were created with shadows as the different corners and folds created different images. These can be seen as abstract diagrams using paper. The more space there is of one layer the higher the percentage it would be representing in a diagram.
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THE FEELING OF PAPER. A lot of people related back to the feel of paper so a good experiment to try out was to blind fold people and ask them what they think they would see on that type of paper or where they would find it. They tended to feel the weight and texture to help them understand what the object was.
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I gave each person 9 paper samples and each one of them all gave similar answers to what each of the objects were. People would classify a shinier surface as a photgrraph, a textured surface as a wedding invitation or writing paper, and the thicker paper was recognised as business card or a flyer. People also always guessed what the feel of money was. This shows that the touch and feel of a design is important and does go recognised as all the objects given were recognised by the art of touch.
The process of making home made paper was quite simple but the results werent very good. You rip up any kind of paper that you want and leave it to soak in warm water. You then blend the paper together until it makes a thicker mix. You then pour the mixture onto a netted frame to drain the water out and then leave it to dry. This isnt an accurate way to make paper but it is a fun way to recycle old paper.
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FINAL THOUGHTS.
FINAL THOUGHTS. I found this project overall a very big learning curve, as I have got so use to working on screen and designing everything on a computer, I hadn’t used tactile hand made methods in a long time so it was good to explore with different visuals all made my hand. I have learnt alot about paper and the importance of it within the design industry. It does truely change an overall feel of a design and this is proved by all the experiments that have taken place. You can cut into paper, create shading, fold it, curl it and manipulate it in many other ways in order to communicate the message that you want to give across. Alot of people that I have spoken to within this project have stated that paper is an important element within design.
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It can affect the overall quality of a product and have also noticed that maybe they dont pay enough attention to detail when it comes to paper. Different papers need to be considered through the printing process as inks absorb differently in different papers. When using methods such as folding and cutting thicker papers seem to work better for this process as they are easier to manipulate and are durable. I have realised the importance of touch with paper as it is one of the most important appeals to the senses when taking in a design. People are able to recognise what type of paper is used for different things just by feeling it, and they stated that weight and texture were the main reasons behind identifying what type of paper they were feeling.
With the increase of web design amongst us, it is easy to forget to take a step back and communicate a message using other ways that don’t involve technology. Paper can be just as strong in communicating a message, it is just a slower process as it involves being made by hand. Initially the final outcome was going to be a series of posters which would express what I had learnt through my experiments and research, however later on after looking at my research and talking to Darren there was so much information that I had learnt from the project I decided that maybe it was best to highlight what I had learnt through a book format, but I had very little time to do this. What I have submitted is the taster and feel of the book which I will extend for the show.
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GSM This is the abbrieviated term for ‘Grams per Square Metre’. In the metric system, the weight or substance is expressed as gsm or gm2. It is calculated by the physical weight of one sheet of paper measuring 1 x 1 metre. In reality, no one actually folds down a sheet of paper that large to weigh it, so it is generally measured using a scaled down measure of 10 x 10cm. BULK The thickness or caliper of a sheet of paper is often described as ‘bulk’. It is measured using a micrometer and expressed in microns. PAPER AND BOARD Substanced up to 170gsm are generally classified as ‘paper’ weights. Weights above 170 gsm are usually classed as ‘board’. COLOUR/ SHADE. Most paper made is white. Coloured paper is made by adding dies to the pulp and (on some paper machines) later in the papermaking process. When paper is made it is constantly monitored to give a consistent shade and colour.
IVORY BOARDS Were once ivory coloured, but are now often white with a smooth finish, even formation and have been made with an exceptionally smooth surface. MACHINE FINISHED Uncoated paper which is calendered on the end of the paper machine with a stack of metal rolls. Has good bulk, its not particularly smooth but is excellent for bookwork without halftones.
ACID FREE Papers which have a ph value or 7.0 or above and do not contain free acids - which cause premature ageing of paper. An essential quality for books and documents that require a long life span. ART PAPER Highest quality mineral coated paper. The coating results in an exceptionally smooth paper, with high brightness and opacity, and even ink absorption.
MACHINE GLAZED Paper that has dried on the papermaking machine with a single very large drying cylinder, known as a ‘Yankee drier’. The side of the paper in contact with the drying cylinder, normally the wire side, is given a gloss finish, the reverse side remaining rough. Used for posters and packaging.
BANK A thin and strong paper of between 45 - 60gsm originally used for duplicate typewriter copies.
MATALLIC PAPERS These include metal foil laminated to base paper, coated paper printed with metalic ink, or coated paper with aluminium deposited on it while in a vacuum. These papers are suitable for labels and expensive decorative boxes and can be produced either on sided or two sided.
CALENDERING The smoothing of the paper by passing through a series of roll nips. There are two types: ‘machine calendering’ done on the papermaking machine with metal rolls, and ‘super calendering’ done as a separate operation with alternative metal and soft rolls.
MOULD- MADE PAPER A good imitation of handmade paper. It is made on a cylinder mould and varying sized sheets of paper can be produced with four deckle edges.
CARTRIDGE Originally the term had a precise meaning and was the paper used for making gun cartridge cases. It was a strong paper with a fairly rough surface. Cartridge papers are now understood to be uncoated, reasonably even sided sheets for offset litho printing.
BOND A writing paper similar to bank but of higher grammage, above 60 gsm.
CHROMO PAPER AND BOARD Usually one side is coated, having a heavy coating weight and containing the best types of mineral pigments. Often used for book jackets and labelling applications. DECKLE EDGE This term refers to the feathered edges of sheets of paper made by hand, or in a mould. This can add prestige to the appearance of the job when retained in the format. The Deckle edge produced on a paper machine is also a feathered edge which is trimmed off just before the reel is wound. EQUILIBRIUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY When a paper is in moisture equilibrium with the atmosphere to which it is exposed. In this state the edges of the sheet will not distort. This is particularly important for offset litho printing where there is 100% contact with the paper in the printing nip. It is also important for colour register work. For the UK, printing paper should be delivered in equilibrium with 50-55% relative humidity at 23oC.
USEFUL TERMS OF PAPER. SPECIAL PAPER WEIGHTS There are instances where specified weights have been developed for particular used or economical manufacturing, for example: Tissue paper 17 - 22gsm; Airmail paper 33gsm; Bible paper 28 - 60gsm; Newsprint 45- 48gsm; Bank paper 28 - 44gsm.
OPTICAL BLEACHING AGENT An almost colourless substance used in paper to improve brightness by converting ultra-violet light into visible light. It is not effective in tungsten light and ironically the source that makes it effective, sunlight also destroys it. For this reason, paper end boards that contain large amounts of OBA should not be used in window displays as they will soon yellow.
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CAST COATED Top quality paper and board with excellent smoothness and the glossiest surface. Suitable for prestige work. In spite of its appearance, the surface is quite porous making it necessary for special inks to be used.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY Changed to the dimentions and flatness of paper and board that occur with variations in its moisture content DUPLEX BOARD Board made up of two layers of different paper material or colour FORMATION The manner in which fibres are distrubuted in paper, which can be seen when examined with transmitted light (the look through). The extremes are ‘even’ and ‘wild’ (blotchy). The former is desirable for printing quality but is more difficult to achiece with strong papers.
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BOOKS PAPER- TEAR, FOLD, RIP, CREASE, CUT- PAUL SLOMAN PAPER ENGINEERING- NATALIE AVELLA CHOOSING & USING PAPER FOR GREAT GRAPHIC DESIGNKEITH STEPHENSON PAPERWORK: THE POTENTIAL OF PAPER IN GRAPHIC DESIGN (PHAIDON COLOUR LIBRARY)- NANCY WILLIAMS PAPERCRAFT: DESIGN AND ART WITH PAPER- ROBERT KLANTEN WRECK THIS JOURNAL- KERI SMITH FINGERPRINT: THE ART OF USING HANDMADE ELEMENTS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN - CHEN DESIGN ASSOCIATES CREATIVE HANDMADE PAPER- DAVID WATSON
BIBLIOGRAPHY PAPER + CRAFT: 25 CHARMING GIFTS, ACCENTS, AND ACCESSORIES TO MAKE FROM PAPER- MINHEE CHO EXPERIMENTAL FORMATS: V. 2- ROGER FAWCETT-TANG TANGIBLE: HIGH TOUCH VISUALA- MATTHIAS HUBNER