This second year university project focused on exploring how texts and images can be combined within a publication, using a grid to achieve a balance between consistency and flexibility. The challenge was to create a layout system that: works for different kinds of information, is visually engaging and appropriate for a contemporary adult audience, and maintains a sense of coherence within the publication, without becoming overly repetitive.
This project was a good lesson in photo-manipulation and producing a print ready file, the book displays a large number of images. As these images came from various sources it couldn’t be ensured they would be optimal. With the copy provided I was able to find a number of the images already existing online, some of which at a more optimal resolution. I also ensured for any images sourced myself, I chose the ones of highest possible quality.
I wanted to ensure the effective PPI of these images in my document was at least 300, this meant where the images were not of the best quality I had to manipulate their image size in Photoshop. Along with which I adjusted their lighting and framing, where necessary. It is also typical that all images for print are JPEGs in a CMYK colour profile, so this too was assured.
