Planning and Paper Objectives: Understand the importance of preplanning a document including a thumbnail sketch. Understand that documents are created with different page orientations and printed on different types of paper. Understand the folds that are used within publications.
Thumbnail Sketch: A rough draft of the design of your page is called a thumbnail sketch. These sketches are used to get a basic idea of the design and layout of your publication before you start your project.
Orientation: A term that specifies the position of a page when it is printed. Portrait Landscape
Paper Size: There have been many standard sizes of paper at different times and in different countries.
A (letter) Legal B (ledger) Super B/Super A3 C D E Sample Paper Sizes U.S. Name A (letter) Legal B (ledger) Super B/Super A3 C D E U.S. Size 8.5 x 11 inches 8.5 x 14 inches 11 x 17 inches 13 x 19 inches 17 x 22 inches 22 x 34 inches 34 x 44 inches Metric Equivalent 216 x 279 mm 216 x 356 mm 279 x 432 mm 330 x 483 mm 432 x 559 mm 559 x 864 mm 864 x 1118 mm Metric Name A5 A4 A3 A3+ A2 A1 A0 Metric Size 148 x 210 mm 210 x 297 mm 297 x 420 mm 329 x 483 mm 420 x 594 mm 594 x 841 mm 841 x 1189 mm U.S. Equivalent 5.8 x 8.3 inches 8.3 x 11.7 inches 11.7 x 16.5 inches 13 x 19 inches 16.5 x 23.4 inches 23.4 x 33.1 inches 33.1 x 46.8 inches
Paperweight: Refers to the thickness and sturdiness of the paper. The heavier the weight, the thicker the sheet, the “weight” is not how much each sheet weighs. In the US we use paperweight. Much of the world uses GSM which stands for grams per square meter, which is the actual weight of the sheet.
Sample Paper Sizes GSM Weight Description 74 20 lb bond/ 50 lb text Copy paper 90 24 lb bond/ 60 lb text Business letterhead or stationary 105 28 lb bond/ 70 lb text Brochures and presentations – excellent for two sided printing w/ minimal show through 165 90 lb index Durable cardstock with a smooth, hard surface 175 65 lb cover Sturdy cardstock with a superb “soft feel” fast drying surface – great for postcards, menus & posters 215 80 lb cover Heavy cardstock – most conventional business card weight
Paper Folds: Tri-fold Z fold Half fold
Facing Pages: A book fold creates pages that appear side by side or facing pages. Facing pages that are designed as one page are called a DPS or Double Page Spread.