Discussion Point - Lecture: Breaking Rules Well

Discussion Point: New technologies and global networks are rapidly transforming publishing models and typographic practices. Does this mean the end of print? Why/Why not? Provide evidence/examples to support your views. Post your response to the Studio Blog..

Printed material as we know it is going to change. There is no doubt that the sheer volume of printed to paper material of newspapers, books, magazines, advertisement  is largely shifting to be digital, accessed on line. However I do not believe that this is the end of print. With the transformations of publishing and typographic practices towards digital means I feel that those with a design perspective have embraced and in many ways encouraged this movement as an easy and cheap platform to launch what would traditionally be printed to a larger more responsive audience. It may not be print at this stage but it encourages so much talent to push themselves to greater places.

Simultaneously with the threat of the loss of print and its tactile associations a fashion/ trend has emerged for the 'handmade' . The tactile beauty of something, in many cases printed, which time and perseverance has gone into. One company where this can be seen is Ork Posters. This is small company situated in Chicago by founder/designer Jenny Beorkrem. Ork make local neighbourhood posters and they come printed in two styles; Silk screen and offset. On their website they talk of the difference visually.  While with offset printing they describe the ink as soaking into the paper to feel as one, silk screen is described as a matt ink that sits on top of the paper, where you can run your hand over the paper and feel the ink on top. It is a very appealing, very tactile image. They have been largely successful.

However their success has been completely a result of new technologies and global networks (the web).  The compony started out on etsy.com an online handmade and vintage forum and since then their main sales platform has been through their website and their success has been a result of postings by admirers on blogs. Their site states that the reason Ork Posters prices can remain low is that they spend $0 on advertising, it was 'blog wildfire' that gave them their start.

This just seems to highlight the love hate relationship between 'handmade' and technology. In today's society it does not seem that one can exist without the other.

Reflection on Advanced Typography and Publication Design

Thankyou! This has been amazing course which I have greatly enjoyed. This term I have looked forward to my Monday escape to COFA and I feel I have learnt much especially in the field of layout which is highly useful to my future. And I hope at some point I will get another chance to do woodblock printing, it was so much fun.