Publishing Design - Task 1 Exercises

September 23, 2025

Publishing Design - Task 1 Exercises

23 / 09 / 2025 — 05 / 11 / 2025 (Week 01 — Week 07)

Jing Keyao / 0370732
GCD 61404 / Publishing Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 1 / Exercises

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3. Exercises

· Text Formatting

· Mock-up Making

· Signature Folding Systems (8 + 8 = 16)

· Classical Grid Structure

· Determining Grids

· Form & Movement Exercises

4. Reflection

LECTURES

Format

Key elements of the format:

1. Type of binding

2. Type of paper

3. Size

Iran - Iraq = Mesopotamian civilization

· First writing systems evolved from accounting tools.

· Used clay tokens and tablets (~8000–2400 BCE).

· Early examples show organization and spatial divisions.

Egypt = Ancient Egyptian civilization

· Scribes used hieroglyphics written on walls, papyrus (layered paper from papyrus plant)

· Due to the dry climate, some papyrus documents survived.

· Two writing styles: Hieroglyphics (slow, pictorial), Hieratic script (faster, cursive resembles early Arabic)

India - Paskitan - Afghanistan = Indus Valley civilization

· Used cuneiform on clay tablets (~2600–1500 BCE).

· Later formats included palm leaf manuscripts:

- Scratched text into leaf, then rubbed with soot for visibility.

- Degradation due to humid climate = poor preservation.

- Relied heavily on oral traditions due to ephemeral formats.

China = Han Chinese civilization

· Material used: Early use of bamboo strips tied with strings to form books; later development of paper from mulberry bark and other plant fibers by Cai Lun around 105 CE.

· Writing system: Chinese script was well established and often used in official records and scholarly works.

· Format innovation: Scrolls were common before books.

· The invention of paper revolutionized record-keeping and book-making.

· Technological impact: Chinese invention of woodblock printing led to mass production of texts long before Europe.

Europe (Turkey & beyond) = European civilization

Early writing materials:

- Parchment and vellum (animal skins) used widely before paper.

- Scrolls, then codices (book format) became the norm.

Medieval period:

- Monks in monasteries responsible for copying texts by hand.

- Books were rare, labor-intensive to make.

- Decorative elements: Illuminated manuscripts with gold, colored inks.

Printing revolution:

- Gutenberg press (1440 CE) introduced movable type printing in Germany.

- Allowed for mass production of books – major turning point in publishing history.

- Led to increased literacy, spread of scientific and religious texts (e.g., Bible, Martin Luther’s writings).

Content & Format:

- Standardized layouts emerged.

- Format adapted to include indexes, chapters, margins, page numbers.

- Emphasis on legibility, organization.

Innovation follow technology

· New technology opens doors to new formats and creativity.

· Example: Apple Macintosh led to the development of digital typefaces.

· Staying updated with tech = more opportunities for innovation in design.

INSTRUCTION

111

Module Information Booklet

EXERCISES

Ex.1: Text Formatting

For the first exercise, Ms.Vitiyaa taught us how to set up a document for text formatting. We were also instructed to format the texts from the 3,000-word write-ups generated by the content.

Ex.2: Mock-up Making