Design and Printing Books


I know. We can read PDF files onscreen. But there is still no substitute for the tactile joys of ink on paper. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I still feel that books are the most portable, shareable, tangible way to store information. Besides, how could you fill all those bookshelves with the impressive, leather-bound spines of ... PDFs?

Desktop Publishing

  • Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story by Pam Pfiffner (Adobe Press, 2002)

    This book is a rousing account of the huge upheavals in design and printing that have sprung from Adobe Systems. It introduces you to Adobe co-founders John Warnock and Charles Geschke and many of the inspired Adobe minds, and provides a fascinating timeline for the developments in software and technology that made desktop publishing possible.

  • The Non-Designer's Scan and Print Book by Sandee Cohen and Robin Williams (Peachpit Press, 1999)

This concise and very readable book is not just about scanning. It's full of tips about prepress and print production, with many examples to explain the concepts.

General Design

While there are hundreds of books on all aspects of design from color to type to visual concepts, three books stand out for capturing important basics. No fluff, just concise and illuminating concepts to make you think differently about aspects of design that are easily taken for granted.

  • Before and After by John McWade (Peachpit Press, 2003)

    John McWade makes design and production look so easy. Along with his examples of great design solutions, he explains printing requirements and suggests design approaches that allow you to deal with printing limitations.

  • Before and After Graphics for Business by John McWade (Peachpit Press, 2005)

  • The Mac is Not a Typewriter, Second Edition by Robin Williams (Peachpit Press, 2003)

One of the classic guides for desktop publishing, this book helps you learn the rules for creating professional-looking type. Topics range from avoiding amateur mistakes such as double spaces and straight quotes, to typographic niceties such as kerning and hanging punctuation.

General Printing

Some of these printing tomes are encyclopedic and can be measured by the pound as well as page count. Some are more instructional in nature. It's difficult to single out any of the books in this listthey're all quite good. But I've earmarked several as being essential guides for designers wanting to deepen their understanding of printing.

  • The Basics of Print Production by Mary Hardesty (Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, 2002)

  • The Complete Guide to Digital Color: Creative Use of Color in the Digital Arts by Chris Linford (Collins Design, 2004)

  • Desktop Publishing Primer by Hal Hinderliter (Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, 2004)

  • Forms, Folds, and Sizes: All the Details Graphic Designers Need to Know But Can Never Find by Poppy Evans (Rockport Press, 2004)

    The title says it all: This is a great guide to important printing issues, and an essential reference for designers.

  • The GATF Guide to Desktop Publishing by Hal Hinderliter and Jim Cavuoto (Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, 2000)

  • Getting It Printed, Fourth Edition by Eric Kenly, Mark Beach (HOW Design Books, 2004)

  • Getting it Right in Print: Digital Prepress for Graphic Designers by Mark Gatter (Harry N. Abrams, 2005)

  • A Guide to Graphic Print Production by Kaj Johansson, Peter Lundberg, Robert Ryberg (John Wiley and Sons, 2002)

  • Handbook of Digital Publishing, Volume I and II by Michael L. Kleper (Prentice Hall, 2001)

  • Makeready: A Prepress Resource by Dan Margulis (Henry Holt and Company, 1996). This book is out of print, but it is worth searching for on used-book sites.

  • Official Adobe Print Publishing Guide, Second Edition by Brian P. Lawler (Adobe Press, 2005)

    This book covers print processes from offset to digital, with excellent examples explaining such concepts as duotones, trapping, and proofing.

  • PocketPal, 19th Edition by Michael Bruno, Frank Romano, Michael Riordan (Signet, 2003)

    The PocketPal was first published by International Paper Company, and it is updated every few years. It's small but mighty and includes a glossary and great, short explanations of printing processes. You should have a copy in your backpack at all times.

  • Printing Technology by J. Michael Adams, Penny Ann Dolin (Thomson Delmar Learning, 2001)

Typography

Desktop publishing put typesetting into the hands of many eager typists who often lacked the instincts or training for typographic finesse. But enhancements to design software and the enticing possibilities afforded by OpenType fonts have inspired a return to the art and craft of typography. If you love beautiful typography, or you want to learn more about how typography works as part of designing and printing, here are some books that are part reference, part inspiration.

  • The Complete Manual of Typography by James Felici (Adobe Press, 2002)

  • The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst (Hartley and Marks Publishers, 2004)

  • Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students by Ellen Lupton (Princeton Arch, 2004)

  • U&lc: Influencing Design and Typography by John D. Berry, editor (Mark Batty, 2005)




Real World(c) Print Production
Real World Print Production
ISBN: 0321410181
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 132
Authors: Claudia McCue

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