A3 Folder Cover

cmykme

Junior Member
I'm just after some input and am open to any suggestions or ideas.

I am putting together an A3 presentation folder (series of horizontal A3s on top of each other and wire bound down the side) and am printing the contents internally. However, I am wanting something quite special and unique on the front and back covers.

I have the design etc. sorted but am just after ideas for the media and any effects that could be applied.

Thanks

Dan :up:
 
Inital thought would be a print technique like a spot UV on the front and back covers, or how about a cut-out that reveals a section of the design on the first inner page?

There's a lot of things you could do, I guess it will depend on budgets for the printing with most..

If you've got access to design books at a library, or even a Waterstones, check out the Rockport series of books entitled 'The Best of Brochure Design', you should find tons of inspiration & ideas for front covers in those :)
 
cmykme said:
I have the design etc. sorted but am just after ideas for the media and any effects that could be applied.

Isn't that a bit contradictory? If the design was sorted you would have worked out how it should be produced I would have thought but anyways there are so many things you could do like Greg so it really does depend on external factors.
 
Thanks for the responce Greg.

Levi, I asked the question to get a bit of discussion going. I for one value the input of other designers and enjoy listening to what they have used or found on their design journeys. I think it would be very naive to not value other people's input as design is a learning curve and these forums are an interesting way to share ideas.
 
Hi Dan,

I think Levi thought you should have considered the final output during the design process, but as you say it's good to get some discussion going, and that's what DF is all about :)

Back to the covers, perhaps one of the more experienced printing guys on the forums will be along to suggest some other print techniques you could consider. Can you tell us a bit more about the project, and the content of the folders? Perhaps that would help to spark a few more ideas, ie. a folder presentation about a large corporate would suit a spot UV, whilst a charity might go for an uncoated stock to give a more raw feel.

Cheers,
Greg
 
cmykme said:
I for one value the input of other designers and enjoy listening to what they have used or found on their design journeys. I think it would be very naive to not value other people's input as design is a learning curve and these forums are an interesting way to share ideas.

I never said it wasn't worth talking to others and seeing what they say, but you stated that your design was sorted, in my view a design is only sorted when the media etc is chosen hence why your statement was contradictory.

I also gave the same answer as Greg in that there were so many options to suggest that it really did depend on external factors (ie money, available tools etc) which you still haven't answered so to suggest ideas would be counter productive.
 
Levi, I think as Dan mentioned in his post, it may be more hypothetical, and more about the various options that would be open to a project like this, like what could be done, what interesting ideas come up, just to get discussion going, I don't think there's any need to get too held up on the details :)
 
I'd argue the other way Greg, I could go on about suggesting making a wood inlay type front or going on about using a 3D printer to produce a textured finish, both of which are expensive things to do but would give a very very unique finish. You've also got metal sheet and metal inlay options which again are expensive and can be quite unique. You could use a selection of plastic or transparent overlays in different colours to produce a range of shapes which are visible as different combined shades etc

You could do an origami inspired folded paper design where the folds create the image on the paper. You could do your own recycled paper and utilise different colour/materials to make the text in the paper. Theres the option to water mark the paper.

If you think outside the box and not limit yourself to a purely graphic/print based presentation then using paper/card with differing print processes is a relatively cheap (and arguably predictable) option.

Some of these suggestions may not be financially viable (laser cut metal for example is not cheap, neither is 3d printing) while some of these suggestions won't work due to the type of A3 folder being used. But because of the lack of info I could easily suggest things which sound fantastic but just aren't really worth considering due to other constraints - none of which we know of at this point.
 
Fair points Levi, and whilst many of those options will most probably be out of budget on this particular example, or unsuitable for the format, they have continued the discussion, and may spark off other ideas that are suitable or ideas that can be scaled down. For example, the plastic overlays, that idea could be taken and dilluted, so off the top of my head; semi-transparent tracing paper style stock as section dividers, with overprints, or like you mentioned recycled stock that could be achieved with a relatively small budget. One more example, the laser cut metal, whilst that would take a big budget, perhaps on a smaller scale something could be done with foil block detailing?

I agree that many of the ideas may not be relevant to the OP's project, but at the same time continuing the discussion and brainstorming ideas could lead to ideas that are relevant :)

Cheers,
Greg
 
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