Online Self Publishing

lulu.com

Lulu templates

More sizes and binding styles.

blurb.com

blurb templates

Easy to use layout software.

I think I'm done too... This is the cover:

Having major trouble printing! I keep getting margins that I don't want... Help!

Spread 1

Spread 2

Spread 3

Back Cover

Here's the cover

I couldn't load the entire piece together for some reason...

I wanted to create a picture book for a short story so I looked around the web and found The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. The story was published in 1948 in the New Yorker and has a small town American Gothic-ish feel (if there is such a literary thing). I wanted to convey that mood as much as I could; hence, the (mostly) black and white pics of vintage Americana, limited color palette and the heavy use of rectangles and dark borders. It needed to feel clean and particularly traditional, almost anti-modern.

You've all very likely read it and it's a quick read. Please tell me if it hit the mark and especially if it didn't. Thx all and enjoy the holiday!

I think it's done...

Well at least my free trial is...

How to print your magazine:

Step by step instructions here:

Booklet Printing

Third Friday Show

If you missed the show on First Friday (see below), you have another chance... it will be shown again for Third Friday. Same place: 610 E McKinley, PHX, 6-9PM. Digital Art and Painted Bark Bustiers (only two left)! Would love to see you!

-Randy

I'm semi-finished with my magazine and I have so many questions... Can't wait 'till class! Just a few details to finish up, but I'm so stuck! I struggled hard to get certain results and, of course, now can't remember how I finally got them... so here's to future struggles with the same items! Ugh!

How is everyone else doing?
-Randy

Changing the page number style...

Anyone know how to change the style of the page numbers in the master???

Posting multiple page doc...

Is there a way to post our finished product onto the blog? I tried exporting it as a jpeg but because it's multiple pages I'm not sure how to do it....

Digital Art - First Friday Show

I hope you all got the invites I sent out from the facebook event. Just in case, here's the link and the info:

http://www.facebook.com/eleventybazillion?ref=pymk#/event.php?eid=159642848785&index=1

Host: Virtual Conceptions (that's me)
Date: Friday, November 6, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: 610 E McKinley, Phoenix

Description
Unlike my themed shows of last season, this will be a very eclectic collection of images. I am choosing pieces from many of the series I've been workin on over the past few years (Autumn, Arizona, Churches, New York, Power Tools, Maui, etc.)... pieces I feel have the most impact. I'll also be showing my paintied bark bustiers... sexy little numbers that I will show for the first time at this event. So c'mon out to The Urban Abode Gallery on November 6th, 2009 and take a look! Hope to see you there.-Randy Zucker

To preview my work, visit www.virtualconceptions.com

Cover for Assignment 2

This is the cover for assignment 2. I want to create a "picture book" of sorts for the short story, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I like the image and I'm OK with the font (limited to trial version selection), but does it look like it's cut-off????

Color Inspiration

www.colourlovers.com

Assignment 2

Magazine Layout: Part 1

This project will allow you to explore the many formatting and styling tools available in InDesign in a multiple page layouts.

Objective: Create an 8 page magazine based upon any topic you wish.

Requirements: Create a letter page size 8 page document. This document must include text, shapes, color and images.

Text requirements:

Title of Magazine

Magazine Content

Image captions

One instance of Drop Caps

Use of columns

Use of text threading

Use of bold, italics, and colored text styling.

Use of 2 types of paragraph alignment

Page numbers

Shape & Image requirements:

Each page must contain at least on shape or image

One page must contain a full bleed shape or image

One image or shape must be less than 100% opacity

Color requirements:

Must contain a minimum 4 colors, including black and white

All text and images can be appropriated. The topic is up to you. The fonts, images and colors should complement the topic. Be conscious of page flow and pacing.

Final Product: 1. When your design is complete, export the pages a jpegs, gif or png file and post in on our blog. 2. We will also print this document and bind it, so you will have a tactile finished product.

Book Signing Flyer

I'd still like to do some editing to the text on the ribbon. It is supposed to be smaller than the other text, but I think currently it is too small. I was just struggling to get the text to wrap in order to make it readable at a larger size.

Fun to do, but so much to improve

I have a vision for the look of the flyer, but I need to learn more of the basics of InDesign. A redesign of the flyer would include all of the elements required for this assignment (author image, text about the book and author, three shapes, four colors).

Let's see if this thing actually posts...

OK... this is my first attempt. Feedback Welcome!

Finding Inspiration: Posters

Leia Bell Posters
www.leiabell.com

Aesthetic Apparatus
www.aestheticapparatus.com

Hatch Show

More poster galleries:
Gig Posters
Art of Modern Rock
Vintage Posters

Page Elements

Page Elements:


1. Color
• Make it easy to look at
• Use complimentary colors, both in theory and to your content
• Balance the value of your colors
2. Line & Movement
• Line: up and down
• Movement: z form
3. Form
• No two elements should be competing with one another
• Unity
• Aesthetics
4. Text
• Hierarchy of communication
• Compartmentalize and layout for flow and understanding

Assignment 1

Flyer: Book Signing

This project will help familiarize you with basic tools in InDesign and page elements.

Objective: Create a single sided flyer incorporating text, shapes, color and images which advertises a book signging.

Requirements: Create a flyer 8.5” x 11” in size. This document must include text, shapes, color and images.

Text requirements:

· Name of event

· Name of book

· Text about the book (this can be lorem ipsum)

· Text about the author (this can be lorem ipsum)

· Where the event is taking place

· When the event is taking place

Shape requirements:

· Must contain a minimum of 3 visible shapes

Color requirements:

· Must contain a minimum 4 colors, including black and white

Image requirements:

· Image of the book

· Image of the author

All text and images can be appropriated. The book choice is up to you. It can be a classic, an original, a future release or a book that doesn’t even exist. The fonts and colors should complement the cover and content of the book.

Final Product: When your design is complete, export it is a jpeg, gif or png file and post in on our blog.

Lorem Ipsum Text Generators

Need some filler text? Check out these Lorem Ipsum generators:

www.lipsum.com

lorem-ipsum.perbang.dk

www.loremipsum.net

Free InDesign Tutorials

One day you might be in a jam and can't recall how to add a drop shadow or wrap text. The web is full of free resources to help. Here are a few of my favorites.

Video Tutorials

LAYERS MAGAZINE

Video Tutorials, FAQs & Support

ADOBE

Read Only Tutorials

ABOUT

InDesign CS3 Toolbar Map

Welcome to Digital Book Design!

& welcome to our blog!

Students, please answer the following questions as a comment to this post:

1. What do you hope to get out of this class?
2. Are you familiar with Adobe InDesign?
3. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being none and 5 being expert, rate your skill level with Adobe InDesign.
4. If you could request to learn one task or skill in this class, what would it be?
5. What is your favorite font?