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From propaganda to advertising, posters are a ubiquitous, powerful vehicle to take a message to the masses. Over four weeks, learn how to approach poster design in a creative and practical way. Although some computer work will be introduced, it will only be used as another production tool, participants will be encouraged to experiment with analogue techniques such as collage and hand-generated type. You will learn about the history of poster design; learn to use aspects of Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop; develop approaches to letterform and layout. The emphasis of this course is on the development of a set of posters from research and design through to output. Week 1: History History of Poster Design: Looking at significant and famous posters from around the globe and their impact on society. Practical activity: After a quick introduction to InDesign we will recreate one of these posters, studying the component parts and their relationships to one another. Homework: Think of a concept for your design. What is it for? Who is your target audience? Where and how will it be displayed? Select a favourite poster to bring in or discuss with the group in week 2. Week 2: Image We will begin by discussing participant posters they have brought in to share and look at positives and potential negatives within the designs. Image selection can be a key factor to the success of your poster campaign. We will think about the choices between photography and illustration looking at examples of how this is done successfully. Think about the different ways we can generate and use images. Practical activity: Consider what medium the image might be and how it can be created. Learn about flatbed/film scanner for potential use in image creation. Week 3: Fonts We will look at how typography impacts designs and the messages that it can convey by itself. Consider various approaches to how we can generate type. How typographic selections work alongside selected images. Practical activity: Work through a few typographic workshops thinking about how typographic choices will alter the message you are trying to convey. We will consider various ways and techniques of creating type for our poster. Homework: Developing your typographic solution further, if required. Work through variations of layout. Week 4: Output Continue working on our posters making final tweaks and selecting the poster that is our most successful design for output. We will look at the various formats for output and how we prepare our posters for print. Look at usage of different poster sizes – why use one over the other?? Practical activity: Size your final poster and get it ready for output (if working analogue, scan final poster and upscale). Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.
This short course will help you take your images from the screen to final professional-quality prints. We will walk through the processes and techniques needed to take the mystery out of this often daunting and overlooked part of the creative process. By the end of the day you will have gained the skills and confidence to take digital files through preparation in Photoshop, optimisation, and onto physical test printing, adjustments and final output on Stills’ large format Epson inkjet printer. We’ll cover areas critical to the desired outcome including screen and print calibration, paper choice and ICC profile use. By the end of the day you will have two A3 prints on premium Hahnemule matt or gloss papers. Participants should have a basic understanding of Photoshop and attend with a selection of their own RAW files or high resolution TIFFs to work with through the practical exercises. Morning We will begin with evaluating our images and processing the file to maximise print quality output. We will then use Adobe Bridge, Adobe Camera Raw & Adobe Photoshop for the optimisation process. Participants will be guided in preparing their images ready for test printing, before evaluating and adjusting. Discussion will cover using ICC profiles, screen and print calibration, colour rendering, canvas sizing, and sharpening for final print output on various media. Afternoon We will then put the skills we have learned into practice, producing and evaluating test prints before undertaking our final A3 digital inkjet prints. Each participant will finish the session with two finished prints. There will be plenty of opportunity for participants to ask questions at every stage, so that you feel confident and can make informed decisions throughout the whole process. This course is designed for those who are already familiar with some digital photography processes but who want to pursue a particular aspect and develop skills in a specific genre. It is the perfect follow-on from our Digital SLR training courses and will support you in building upon your existing knowledge and allow you to work confidently on your own projects. Courses are subject to minimum enrolment. Please register early, within five days of the start date, to reduce the likelihood of course cancellation. Please read our cancellation policy before booking. Students, anyone over the age of 65, and those in receipt of any form of benefits can claim the concessionary price, offering a 10% discount on the full course price. Valid proof of eligibility must be produced on the first day of the course. Please use the code CONCESSION when prompted at checkout.
