OUGD404: What is a book? Grids & Layout

What is a book?

A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers: a book of selected poems

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/book

 A set of written, printed, or blank pages fastened along one side and encased between protective covers.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/book

So from looking at a few definitions it is clear that a book is simply pages which are bound together is some form. This means they could be glued, stitched, on one sheet of paper (folds) or simply placed into a box as this also holds them together. 

A book doesn't just have to be simple paper either it could be printed onto and made from a variety of different stocks. For example Japanese Stab Binding allows for a variety of different materials and can allow for thicker stock because it is sewn. Examples below from Google Images:

No matter the type of bind or style of book they still all comply to the fundamental principles of Graphic Design in terms of layout, type and grid and therefore a book puts together all the skills which have been explored previously within this module. Even though within this brief it is not expected for us to bind the pages to use pagination, I have/ will be having workshops for these so it will be something I can explore in the future. 

Terminology: 

Individual sheets are called a leaf. Pages have a front and a back side with each side considered as a page. Page spreads are across a double which have a right (recto) and left (verso) side. The gutter is the centre of the double page which is connected to how the book is bound therefore relating to the spine, depending on how many pages are used within the bind this can also affect the overall aesthetic because it can cause what is known as creep when the pages don't lay together properly. The gutter also needs to be considered when designing because any important content such as text should not be placed neat the gutter as this will affect viewing/readability. 

"Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, andsequence of the various components of a book into a coherent whole." (from Fred's presentation)

http://www.thinkingwithtype.com/contents/grid/

Golden Section: 

The formula for the golden section is a : b = b : (a+b). This means that the smaller of two elements (such as the shorter side of a rectangle) relates to the larger element in the same way that the larger element relates to the two parts combined. In other words, side a is to side b as side b is to the sum of both sides. Expressed numerically, the ratio for the golden section is 1 : 1.618.

Along with the golden section there are many ways of measuring paper sizes which include A sizes- A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8: These are formed by folding the paper in half. 

Single Column Grid

Single Column grid's are the most simplistic and common often seen in novels and books that are read with large amounts of text. 

The simplest grid consists of a single column of text surrounded by margins. By asking for page dimensions and margin widths from the outset, layout programs encourage you to design your page from the outside in. (The text column is the space left over when the margins have been subtracted.) 

Double Pages

Books and magazines should be designed as spreads (facing pages). The two-page spread, rather than the individual page, is the main unit of design. Left and right margins become inside and outside margins. 

Multicolumn Grid

Multicolumn grids provide flexible formats for publications that have a complex hierarchy or that integrate text and illustrations. The more columns you create, the more flexible your grid becomes. You can use the grid to articulate the hierarchy of the publication by creating zones for different kinds of content. A text or image can occupy a single column or it can span several. Not all the space has to be filled.

The grids can also be filled with images and also include a hang line.

Modular Grid

A modular grid has consistent horizontal divisions from top to bottom in addition to vertical divisions from left to right. These modules govern the placement and cropping of pictures as well as text. In the 1950s and 1960s, Swiss graphic designers including Gerstner, Ruder, and Müller-Brockmann devised modular grid systems like the one shown here.

Baseline Grid

These grids are created by choosing the type size and leading of your text, such as 10-pt Scala Pro with 12 pts leading (10/12). Avoid auto leading so that you can work with whole numbers that multiply and divide cleanly. Use this line space increment to set the baseline grid in your document preferences.

A column with forty-two lines of text divides neatly into seven horizontal modules with six lines each. If your line count is not neatly divisible, adjust the top and/or bottom page margins to absorb the leftover lines.

To style headlines, captions, and other elements, choose line spacing that works with the baseline grid, such as 18/24 for headlines, 14/18 for subheads, and 8/12 for captions.

Looking at grids within magazines:

Grid One

From previous research into what grid's are and the different types I have decided to conclude that the grid drawn out on here is a multicolumn grid, with two main columns and one which overlays in the centre which includes a photograph and a text grab. Also the use of a hang line allows for the larger text to be placed. The grid to begin with seems quite simple but once I began to draw out the lines I found that the grid itself is rather more complicated. 

I also found that through placing this grid over other pages within the magazine the header at the top of the page seems to stay the same.

Although on this page in particular I found that the body copy didn't flow with the same grid.

Although when I placed this grid onto another page, the same grid fits almost perfectly.

Grid Two

When looking at this grid I found that it also had a hang line and again is also a multicolumn grid, with two on the left and three on the right. This grid isn't a modular grid because there isn't set gaps between body copy. 

I also put this grid onto another page and I found that the grid somewhat fits this page two however the right hand side has two columns and the left has three, one which wraps around the photograph. However the header/ hang line is the same and therefore means there are very little variations in its grid.

Grid Three

This grid again I found the be in a multicolumn format, with this format being quite simple to follow. This is due to the target audience because it has an older viewer (middle aged women) and this therefore means that there is more written content in terms of body copy than the previous two double page spreads I have looked at. The left hand side has three columns with the right only having two, the consistent flow of body copy indicates that this grid is definitely not a modular grid however the top of the page does include a hang line to allow for the header to sit. 

I found from putting this grid onto another two pages that the horizontal lines seem to follow the same grid even though the photographs are placed differently with a slightly different number of columns (three on the right).