Homework for December 7

There are a couple of things to be done in the next week.

1. Send it to Press! It is crunch time and this should be done in the next couple of days. But make sure you dot every i and cross every t before you send it out. If you haven’t done so already, your group should print out every page with text on it (even if it is not formatted to match) and proofread.

Plan on sending your finished product out before the weekend is over. (Blurb’s estimated delivery with standard shipping is December 14 for files submitted today!)

And BRING YOUR FINAL PDF TO CLASS NEXT FRIDAY! This is the first half of your final grade.

2. After sending your project, write the equivalent of one typed page describing the aspects of your project that you are least confident about. Think about this question from both the design perspective and from a technical perspective.

Did you need to compromise design ideas to create something that would work for your group? Or to fit into the available sizes? Did you have any ambitious plans that you realized you would not be able to finish in the available time?

Where do you anticipate your printed product to differ from your digital files? Are there any bright colors that might shift? Any images that sit close to the bleed? Text that might appear to large? Have you seen examples of materials produced by the printer you’re using? What sort of quality do you expect? Will there be any degradation in your final images? Did any flags come up when you ran your preflight check?

Post your response to the site as per usual.

Homework for November 30

Keep going!!! (And start proofing)

The only assignment for our next class is to continue to work on your final project. But, once again, I expect that to be a lot of work.

I am hoping to see some phenomenal work from everyone, and that is going to require some serious time and energy over the next couple of weeks. The pressing issues are probably slightly different for each group, but there are some things that everyone can do.

It is probably a very good idea to get together with your group at least once before class on November 30. You should make every effort possible to do this in person, but at very least keep in touch with everyone via gchat, Skype, FaceTime, or whatever else kids these days are using.

And start proofing your work. Using an inkjet printer to match colors is ideal (especially with the correct ICC profile). If that is not possible, use a laser printer to run off some tests for proof-reading. Again, it will be best for the group to get together so everyone can inspect the hard copies.

You do not have to run page proofs for the entire book, but bring hard copies of at least a few pages and/or spreads to class on November 30.

Homework for November 16

Design! Design! Design! Design!

It’s been a surreal couple of weeks, and we need to get back on track. So no written assignments this week. But that does not mean you can take it easy for the next few days. If anything, you probably have more work to do this week than any previous week.

I would like to see a ROUGH draft of your finished project from every group by the end of class next week. For most of you that will probably still be quite a bit of work, and a lot of coordination.

Here are some objectives to aim for:

1. A working title.

2. A complete sketch of your layout. (It can be composed largely of dummy text and sketches, but it should be a rough design for the entire publication. If you are planning for 32 pages, it should be 32 pages.)

3. At least half of your art. (If you are planning on using photos, you should have a good number of them shot by next week. If you are using illustrations, break out the Wacom! It would be ideal to start working these into the layout.

4. All of your copy. (However much text there will be, make sure you get it down. I want to read over it, and offer suggestions. If nothing else, I promise you that there will be typos and grammar errors.)

5. A revised brief, outlining idea, dimensions, budget, and company you will use for printing. (You do not need to submit this – not yet at least – but make sure you have a document circulating within your group, so you are all on the same page.)

Be ready to address all of these points in class next week.

For Class on November 9

It was nice to see those of you who were able to make it last Friday. For anyone who could not, don’t worry – you didn’t miss too much. And I’m sure many of you still have bigger things on your mind. The college is doing what it can to make sure we can accommodate ongoing issues brought upon by the storm, and I will certainly do whatever in terms of this class.

There are no new homework assignments for next week. Please do what you can to make sure you are all caught up on previous assignments – especially the one from last week. (That one was a very practical assignment that will help your group to finish your project.)

We will also spend a little bit of time at the end of class reviewing where you are with your group project. I will give you some time in class to work and discuss your current status. But please make sure you organize amongst yourselves, and bring any necessary materials or images to class.

As Friday comes closer, please let me and your group know if you will have any further issues arriving to class.

November 2 Class Update

First of all, I hope that everyone is safe and secure. It’s been nice to see a little bit of sun these past couple of days, but it will probably be a slow process getting back to our daily lives.

That said, CUNY is making every effort to get back on track, and you may have already seen that classes are scheduled to resume tomorrow. I typically bike over anyhow, so I will be there and ready to hold class. But I also understand that many of you will have a far more difficult time getting to campus.

Please (if and when you see this post) email me at mlange@citytech.cuny.edu to let me know what your status for tomorrow will be. I understand that you may not even have power back, and that it may be impossible for you to get there tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting life back on track, and if you are in a position to do so, I hope we can get the ball rolling tomorrow afternoon.

Your safety and well-being are the most important thing right now. Please just let me know what you expect your situation to be tomorrow.