Publishing Design - Task 1: Exercises
20.04.2026 - 13.05.2026 ( Week 1 & Week 4)
Deadline : Week 4
Taylor's University
Shubashini a/p Subramaniam / 0367697 / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Publishing Design (GCD61404)
Task 1
Table of Content :
1. Module Information Booklet
2. Lectures
3. Task
4. Task Compilation
5. Feedback
6. Reflection
Lectures
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| Figure 1, Week 1 Handmade Notes, 20.04.26 |
History of Print Notes
1. Early Printing in China
Printing began very early in China. In AD 175, the Chinese emperor ordered the six main Confucian classics to be carved onto stone. Scholars who wanted copies placed paper over the stone and rubbed charcoal or graphite on it. This created a copy of the text with white writing on a black background.
2. Printing in Korea and Japan
Around AD 750, Korea produced one of the earliest known printed documents, which was a Buddhist sutra printed on one sheet of paper. Later, in AD 768, Japan created the Hyakumantō Darani, one of the earliest examples of mass printing. These printed scrolls were placed inside small pagoda-shaped packaging.
3. First Printed Book
In AD 868, the first known printed book was made in China. It was called the Diamond Sutra. It was a long scroll from the Tang dynasty and also included one of the earliest known printed illustrations.
4. Movable Type
Movable type started in China around the 11th century. This method used separate characters that could be arranged to form text and reused again. However, it was not very practical because Chinese writing had too many characters. The clay characters were also fragile and could break easily.
5. Type Foundry in Korea
Around 1380, Korea created a type foundry that used bronze movable type. Bronze was stronger than clay, so it could be reused many times. Since Korea was still using Chinese script, they also had the problem of too many characters. This later led to the creation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet.
6. Woodblock Printing in Europe
Around AD 1400, woodblock printing appeared in Europe. Images were carved into wooden blocks, covered with ink, and then rubbed or pressed onto paper. Religious images and playing cards were some of the earliest printed items in Europe.
7. Gutenberg and Western Printing
Between AD 1439 and 1457, Gutenberg made a major change in Western printing. He developed a printing press that could apply steady pressure and created strong metal movable type. He also made moulds and used a suitable metal alloy to cast letters. His famous Gutenberg Bible was completed by 1456. The Mainz Psalter, printed in 1457, became the first dated printed book and showed early colour printing.
8. Printing During the Industrial Revolution
During the Industrial Revolution, printing improved because of better machines and precision engineering. Printing became faster, more accurate, and more efficient.
9. Desktop Publishing
Later, the desktop publishing revolution changed printing again. People could now design and prepare printed materials using computers, making the process easier and more accessible.
10. The World’s Largest Book
The world’s largest book is located in Mandalay, Burma. It is made from 729 stone tablets. Each tablet is placed inside its own small stupa, and all the stupas are arranged around a central golden pagoda.
11. Importance of Paper
Paper was invented in China and became one of the most important materials in the development of printing. Without paper, printing would not have spread as widely or become as useful.
Typo Redux Notes
1. What is Typography
Typography is very important for graphic designers. It can be seen as the “oxygen” of graphic design because text is used in almost every design work.
Typography is the art of arranging and composing text in a clear and visually pleasing way. It helps make information readable, organized, and attractive.
2. Role of Typography in Design
Typography plays a major role in design because it affects how people read and understand a message. Good typography can make a design look professional, while poor typography can make the design confusing or messy.
3. Characters in a Typeface
A typeface is not only made up of normal letters. It can also include many other characters such as:
Small caps
Numerals
Fractions
Ligatures
Punctuation
marks
Mathematical signs
Symbols
Non-aligning figures
These elements help designers create more complete and flexible text designs.
4. Decorative Typography
Capital swashes can be used to make a design look more decorative. For example, it can be used at the beginning of a person’s name to make it more elegant.
However, it should not be used for the whole name because it can become too decorative and harder to read. It is better to use swashes carefully and only where needed.
Task 1
Throughout the beginning and the middle of the semester, exercises will be prescribed at various phases of the module. These exercises will aid and benefit you in your quest to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in book design that will inform you whilst completing various phases of the module’s tasks.
All exercises prescribed are to be completed and documented (labelled, clean, clear & concise) in your e-portfolio. Please note that Task 1 will run concurrently with Task 2
The exercises are as follows:
1) Text formatting
2) Mock-up making
3) Signature folding systems (8+8=16)
4) Classical Grid structure
For text formatting, use the 3000 words in Task 2 and format it as shown in the example pdf provided. Students will use the time in class for the first 5 weeks to watch the exercise demos and complete Task 1 exercise in class. You are to focus on Task 2 at home.
1. Text Formatting
Sir told us that we have you have 3 possible options to generate the 3000-3500 words of text:
- 1. Write the text yourself.
- 2. Write the text with the help of AI
We created our mock-ups by folding an A3 paper in half, since sir mentioned to us that our book had to be in between A4 size and A5 size. This way we could visualize the size of the book we wanted in person and physically.
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Figure 3, Finding the Right Size for My Book, 22.04.26 |
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| Figure 4, Finding the Right Size for My Book- Vertical POV, 22.04.26 |
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| Figure 5, Contemplation of my Book Sizing, 22.04.26 |
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| Figure 6, Book Mock-up, 24.04.26 |
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| Figure 7, Inside Book Mock-up, 24.04.26 |
3. Signature Folding System
Then, we numbered each page of the folded paper.
It unraveled to show just how actual book are printed out with its pages in its designated places.
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Figure 10, Folding Exercises, 20.04.26 |
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| Figure 11, Signature Folding Exercise, 20.04.26 |
Next, we once again folded the paper in the same way, but this time we stapled the center binder part of the mock-up book.
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| Figure 12, Book Binding Exercise, 20.04.26 |
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| Figure 13, Book Binding Exercise Full POV, 20.04.26 |
4. Classical Grid Structure
Since, we still had some more time before class ended, sir wanted to show us the beginning part of this exercise.
I used a dummy text for this exercise as I did not have my own book content :
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| Figure 14, Indesign Exercises, 28.04.26 |
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| Figure 15, Indesign Exercises, 28.04.26 |
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| Figure 16, Indesign Exercises, 28.04.26 |
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| Figure 17, Indesign Exercises, 28.04.26 |
Task Compilation :
Exercise 1 : Text Formatting
Figure 18, Full Text Formation, 28.04.26
Exercise 2 : Mock-up Making
Figure 19, Official Mock-Up, 28.04.26
Exercise 3 : Signature Folding System
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Figure 20, Signature Folding System, 28.04.26 |
Exercise 4 : Classical Grid Structure
Feedback
Week 4 : Absent due to Medical Reasons
Week 3 : Sir assessed our models and visual materials. He urged us to not just gather visual ideas, but also to explore layout examples. We were encouraged to begin considering colour palettes and fonts to create a more defined visual style for the book. Following an examination of my visual and layout examples, sir told me I need to work on it more and fins something that makes my work more unique to myself.
Week 2 : Sir told us to make our mock-up books at home and to update it in our blog. He taught us how to use Indesign using a grid system in creating a book layout. We were given time to experiment on it as he taught us step by step. Sir told us to come up with a somewhat moodboard of our content creation. He also checked on all of our 3,000 word content.
Week 1: Sir proceeded with going a few of the exercise planned in class. He briefed us on our module assignments and showed examples of previous students work.
Reflection
Experience:
For Task 1, I completed several publishing design exercises such as text formatting, mock-up making, signature folding system, and classical grid structure. Through these exercises, I was able to physically test my book size, understand how pages are arranged in a book, and begin learning how to use grids in InDesign for book layout. I also received feedback from sir to explore more layout references, colour palettes, and typography choices so my book can have a stronger and more unique visual direction.
I observed that book design involves more than just placing text and images on pages. The size of the book, folding method, page order, margins, grids, typography, and layout all affect how the book feels and functions. I also noticed that making a physical mock-up helped me understand the book better compared to only planning it digitally. The signature folding exercise showed me how important page arrangement is in the printing process.
Findings:I found that planning and testing are very important in publishing design. Mock-ups helped me make better decisions about the book size, while the grid structure helped me understand how to create a cleaner and more organised layout. I also realised that my visual direction still needs improvement, especially in terms of layout style, colour palette, and font choices. Moving forward, I need to develop a clearer design identity so my book can feel more polished, personal, and professional.
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