The process of making a publication

When you want to make something public, ask yourself the following questions about your Publication:

Content

What do you want to make public?

Target audience

Who is going to read it? How do you want to reach them?

Medium

Do you want to publish it digitally or printed, or can it be something else? (This can be related to your target audience)

Digital Publication

Should it be a website? An app? A blog? An ebook? Social media? Read more about Online Platforms

Printed Publication

Do you choose to make a book, a magazine, a poster, a banner?

Conditions/Restrictions

Costs

Is there a budget? Is it limited or bottomless? How should it be spent?

Time

How much time do you have? Is there a strict deadline?

Edition

If printed, how big should the edition you need?

Distribution

If digital, is it a standalone file or should it be hosted at a server.

Technique

If you know the answers to the questions above, you can choose a printing technique. Mind you: this is not only a practical choice, but also a design choice. A publication printed with the Riso printer looks quite different from the Canon printer for instance.

Design

Dummy

Highly recommended: making a dummy. This way you can see the order of your pages, double check typing mistakes, practice the binding, etc.

Handling the content: editorial design

How do you visually tell the story you want to tell? What images do you choose? Do you have photos or illustrations? How much text is in my publication?

Design software

Do you use InDesign? Illustrator? How do you make a printable PDF?

Typography

How do I handle text in a visual way? Should it be read (or not)? How do I choose a typeface?

Paper choice

What kind of paper will you choose? Do you have a bottomless budget that allows you to use the most expensive paper? Does this choice work well with the chosen printing technique? And does this choice work well with the way you want to bind your publication?

Binding choice

How are you going to bind your publication? Are you going to hand bind it? Do you have time for that? This is also related to the number of editions you want to print. Or will you use the glue binding machine? Or maybe a wire-o? And how does this choice affect the way you have to prepare your PDF?

Loose page binding

Glue binding machine

doesn't open 180
with the machine can't do a3 but can do that by hand
it will get loose with time
if paper is very thick it will get loose fast
have to make sure you have enough margins

Wire-o binding

flips 360
you have to keep some margins in your design for the holes
you have to cut the pages to size before the binding
there are different colours at the Print Studio
You can buy your own wire but check which ones work with the machine at the Print Studio

Screw Binding

doesn't open 180
you can add and subtract from it as long as the there is space on the screw

Japanese binding

doesn't open 180
time consuming
can make the pattern yourself
paper can not be to thick
make sure you have enough margins

Multiple pages binding

Hand binding

time consuming
different threat options
no size limit
consider how many pages in one folding, that will change the way you export your pdf

Staple binding

there is a limit to how many pages can be bound this way
opens 180

PRODUCTION AND PLANNING

Planning is key

Start with the publication date and plan backwards.

Extra time

Make sure you have some extra time to work under unforeseen circumstances. Something might not work out, like you cut the edges wrong or you spill a cup of coffee on your freshly printed books!