LCA Newsletter Reprint - Stock consideration

Got the newsletter reprinted today on several different stock variations, with the black & white design and Pantone blue design range. I found that the previous print outs on newsprint and sugar paper worked quite well but I wanted to move away from the budget looking newspaper feel, but instead approaching it with a more unconventional stock, to deliver a higher end, professional feel while still appealing to the younger target audience. I tested out a 180gsm blue stock, with the black & white design, I didn't think blue on blue would work so had to alter the images and formatting of it to get it printed on this stock effectively.

I think the type and layout specifications work well in this format, the overall size of the newsletter feels a lot more comfortable and more how I wanted it simply from the reduced width of it by 20mm. It definitely feels a bit more refined but I'm still not entirely sure with the direction of the spreads and how this transfers through to the front and back covers. In terms of the blue stock, I think the newsletter works really well with it, pretty amazing how much different the colour of the stock makes to a design, the folds work well and the print quality is a vast improvement from the newsprint and sugar paper. I think this overall outcome would appeal to the target audience more effectively while still carrying the information and tone of a independent art college.

Another print out but on 140gsm matte printed with the Pantone blue as the only colour used throughout. Again I wanted the feel and look of it to move away from the newspaper feel so wanted a proper white stock that would be able to hold the ink well and print the copy out precisely and clearly. The results are surprisingly pleasing; the ink sits well and the images have been printed quite nicely without bleeding through much. Unlike the coloured stock, this however does feel a little corporate for my liking, however this might be something that the college might be looking for.

A final print out, this was a combination of the newsletter printed black & white on the 140gsm matte and the 180gsm coloured stock. An experiment that merges the two tests. I think the coloured stock works well being folded within the corporate looking black & white back/front cover, making it more engaging for the viewer and utilising the stock colour to display the poster side of the design. In comparison to the white, ideally I would like to have a lighter stock, a blue that's less saturated and bit more subtle that would sit comfortably inside.

Personally I prefer the design that's been printed entirely on the coloured stock, however I'm not sure whether I could spend a bit more time developing this or not. I definitely feel that these designs are an improvement from the previous developments, they seem more refined and carry a more design orientated tone to it.

Hopefully this will be it for this brief. Although I did end up taking over a week with the refinements and readjustments with it, I feel that it's a worthy portfolio piece that I have enjoyed working on. I'll be taking these to the tutorials with Joe and hopefully get some feedback from Graham with this, hopefully I won't have to make many adjustments with it!