Evaluation of Design For Print and Colour For Print Module..

BA (Hons.) GRAPHIC DESIGN – END OF MODULE SELF-EVALUATION

Module Title: DESIGN FOR PRINT/COLOUR FOR PRINT

Level: 02 Semester: 01

1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?

I have learnt a surprising amount throughout this module. I only knew a small amount about colour modes and gamut’s so it has been quite an eye opener as to what possibilities there are with regard to editing an image. There have also been a few rules about designing for on screen that I had never thought about before or taken into consideration. For example, I knew design for on screen had to be produced in RGB however when I designed my poster for the ‘Don’t Panic’ brief I designed it in CMYK with the intention to print out the final resolution. However, I wanted to use the colour overprint effect, which allowed other colours to pass through one another to give a mixed colour effect. So when I tried to upload my poster design it was fine as I had to convert it to RGB to use the effect but when I wanted to print it I couldn’t print the over print effect because it was only visible in the RGB colour mode and the colours were out of gamut for a four colour printer. Little problems like this occurred throughout the module and I really have learnt rather a lot by my errors.
With regard to software, I started the 2nd year with very limited skills in Adobe Illustrator, having spent my whole time shying away from everything but Photoshop in my first year. So I have learnt my way around it reasonably well and well enough to apply those skills in my final product for the ‘What is Good?’ brief. Other skills I have learnt were predominantly in print. For example I knew hardly anything about Letterpress and after having a workshop on it I felt able to do my own work, albeit at a very basic level. I found the workshop interesting but quite laborious and time consuming when in today’s day and age I knew I wasn’t very likely to ever use the process, however I knew it was very beneficial to have the basic understanding about it. The other printing workshop that I had was in screen print. This is a process I have used before and had a basic understanding about, but once there I found I needed to refresh my memory! I wanted to apply my skills in this print process for the Design For Print part of the module but I didn’t feel it was appropriate for the type of resolution that I was trying to produce.

2. What approaches to generating work and solutions to problems have you developed and how have they helped?

Again my problems occurred mainly in print, however I also came across some other problems when trying to edit my images in the Colour For Print part of the module. When trying to transform my images to various colour modes out of the 6 variations I found it difficult to understand the channels and how they affected the final colour resolution. Splitting channels were also challenging for me. By coming across these problems though I learned from my mistakes and over came them. I have generated most of my work through researching into colour modes and print processes, however for the ‘What Is good?’ brief I generated most of my work through trying and testing illustrations or using photography and found images.

3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?

Right now I feel that I am more of an image-maker or illustrator than a typographer. Although I am interested in type I am beginning to feel that it isn’t quite my bag. I have tried to develop my skills in illustration throughout this brief by trying a new way of working. For example I produced all my illustrations by hand, scanned them into illustrator and then pen tooled them all. This wasn’t a process I had used with my illustrations before. By doing this I became a lot more confident in illustrator and grasped a better understanding of layers and grouping. I felt by capitalising on these skills my work took a more comfortable route than it has done in the past. I would like to continue working with image and illustration in future projects and develop my skills as an illustrator.

4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how could you exploit these more fully?

I need to do more in depth research and read into things a lot more and become better informed about y subject areas. I feel that due to my own laziness this lets me down. By making sure I get that done first and steadily throughout a project I feel that my work would be a lot stronger and I will be able to produce better and more exciting resolutions.
Adobe InDesign is also a weakness of mine, I feel in future I need to try and work in the application more often.

5. Identify five things that you will do different next time and what do you expect to gain from doing these?

1. Time management – Not leave things until the last minute and use my common sense to start things earlier.

2. Try out different paper stocks – Not going the easy route and going with the easy accessible.

3. Research better – Looking back I didn’t do nearly enough in depth research. Primary or Secondary.

4. Consider rules when designing for on screen and print – This module has taught me a lot about designing for both so hopefully by taking them into consideration before working will help me to produce better work.

5. Force myself to use InDesign and not just use Illustrator or Photoshop to produce things in!