Blog Post Title One (Copy)
An Introduction to Print Design
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An Introduction to Print Design ---
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Although internet – based design may sometimes seem to be the only type of design that exists now because of its prominence in today’s world, print design has actually been around for a much longer amount of time than its counterpart. Today, print can be seen in modern society in various forms, including “packaging, signage, books, tickets…”, and a variety of other “…everyday items”, according to the site blog.123rf.com. Although it’s currently debated whether or not print design can actually be traced back to ancient societies, evidence in places like the Chauvet Cave in southern France suggests that people as early as 30,000 B.C. used drawings to represent daily occurrences and events in their lives. The importance of this design method didn’t stop there, though. Print continued to play an important part in the lives of people in places like ancient Mesopotamia and Babylon, where designs had economic and religious uses. Even elements of modern typography like drop caps, margins, leading, and grids can be seen in manuscripts from Medieval Europe.
Following the landmark debut of the printing press, countless unique typefaces were created and applied to different sources of print design. Some of these typefaces, like Roman style, which first gained attention in the 15th and 16th centuries, and the Modern serifs Didot and Bodoni, which were created in France and Italy, remain popular even today. In the mid-to-late 19th century, designers and architects took inspiration from artistic sources and applied the newest typefaces to design.
Further advances in print design took place during the 1920s and 30s, when Bauhaus elements like minimalism, geometric typefaces, and simple color palettes were common in European cultures. Another important shift in print design occurred in the 1950s, when commercial print design went through its primary phase. In this period, brands in America used color printing and photography to attract consumers.
Print design is still an important part of the world today, and can be seen on books, magazines, traditional advertisements, physical pieces of mail, and sources of branding like business cards. It is present in society along with the types of digital design that emerged in the mid 1980s in cohesion with the arrival of computers. Opportunities for print designers have even increased with the growth in computer technology and programs like Photoshop and InDesign. While print design was before limited to a strict group of people, computer programs have widened the number of individuals capable of producing printed matter. Computer design has become the new norm for design creation, replacing the customary process of design creation via the use of a drafting table or drawing board.
While websites like 123rf.com highlight the rising importance of digital and web – based design methods today, it’s undeniable that print design remains a crucial part of our world. As stated earlier, it’s used for targeting consumers in advertising, entertaining viewers and readers in magazines, and spreading awareness about events and products. The website printmag.com goes into depth about countless recognizable movie posters that were produced in the last century in the article “The daily Heller: A Poster Museum where Movies Began in New Jersey”. Even though the examples shown on the page aren’t new designs, each one is important today in that it’s still identifiable, showcases the work of professional designers like Saul Bass, and provides a reminder of modern day movie theater posters and similar advertisements. Print design is still an important part of today’s culture due in part to software like the Adobe Suite, which makes the production of this type of design easier than ever before.
I have always been personally interested in print design, and it has had a positive impact on the way I view the world for as long as I can remember. At the movie theater when I was younger, I always loved looking at the printed posters and 3D promotional displays that advertised new and upcoming movies. The bright colors, intricate typefaces, and exciting characters stood out to me in the way that they were presented, and the ads made me want to create my own posters and displays. As a child, I spent time drawing graphic layouts and designing my own versions of ads and posters for my favorite characters, products, and events like baseball games and concerts. Studying graphic design now, I find it just as intriguing how designers from differing decades have been able to create intriguing posters, advertisements, and materials that draw – in viewers and gain the attention of all who see them. Since print design has existed in some form or another since the beginning of humanity, it’s inspiring to be able to look back at the way that people from different cultures and different time periods have all taken part in design.
From my earliest drawings to my studies today, life has taught me that I can make an impact with print design! I have been given the opportunity to make people notice what I present, and can help to call attention to organizations that have meaning for me like Make-A-Wish and The Education Project. Without having the ability to make posters and ads the way I have in the past, I wouldn’t be able to show my support for those going through struggles like I have. One of the reasons why design in general means so much to me is because of the idea that it gives me the ability to share my voice without being heard. I can cheer on health victims and recognize fighters by continuing the long tradition and deep history of one of the most important forms of design, print.
Resources
https://theinspirationgrid.com/category/print/?p=1&q=
https://www.underconsideration.com/artofthemenu/archives/vivo_kitchen.php
https://www.blog.123rf.com/a-brief-history-of-print-design