PRODUCT SAMPLE PACK
I ordered a sample pack from the company Print On Paper to look at potential products I could use for my mock and final outcomes. I chose to use this company as they specialise newsprint options, which is something that printing companies like Mixam do not offer. I am interested in a newspaper style outcome to fit into my theme of the strange in the everyday as I will be changing the familiar everyday object of the newspaper into something more surreal and unconventional.
The paper type is measured using gsm which stands for grams per square metre and refers to the weight of a paper. The higher the gsm number, the heavier the paper will be. For reference, standard A4 is around 70-80 gsm where as newsprint is much lighter averaging between 35-50 gsm.
This is the tabloid sample on standard newsprint paper. It is 55 gsm which is typical for a tabloid, providing a light and thin feel to the paper. The colour is not strong, due to the slight dullness to newsprint paper, but I think that this would add authenticity to my images and make it as close to a real, professional newspaper as possible. The colour samples page is an example of what a double page spread would look like. It takes up a lot more room than a photobook or zine would, meaning that the images have the potential to take up a lot of space which allows for the whole image to be experienced in more detail. There is a border running around the outside of each double page meaning that full bleed pages are not possible which is a downside as this is something that I would have experimented with using in my final outcome.
Unlike the standard product, the premium tabloid is 120 gsm which makes the paper quite heavy and thick in comparison. It has a relatively glossy finish which adds to the appearance of the colours being vibrant. When turning the pages, it holds it shape quite stiffly which creates a sense of rigidity. The thick paper means that it would be less susceptible to wear and tear meanings that the outcome would last longer which is important as newspapers are made to be handled and passed around as an accessible way to view the content.
The colours on the standard tabloid are much more muted and less vibrant than the premium tabloid, including the newspaper colour itself. I prefer the finish on the standard tabloid as it is much closer to an everyday newspaper and it is this authentic look that I would be trying to achieve. I think that the lighter newsprint paper of the standard sample creates a more tactile experience when turning the pages and is a lot less stiff which makes it easier to view.
As well as providing tabloid sizing, Print On Paper also offer newsprint in broadsheet sizing. They are the same in terms of paper type as they are both 55 gsm and printed on standard newsprint so that they have the same feel to them. However, the broadsheet is much larger compared to the tabloid and can be folded twice in order to be packed away. Although a larger size gives the opportunity for the images to be displayed larger, I think that this is a less manageable size and I want my outcome to be able to be easily taken out and viewed. Furthermore, I think the less folds in my images the better and that is why I think the tabloid is the more favourable option as it is only folded once, meaning the images are less creased and it is less likely that the effect of the images would be reduced.
The paper zine consists of four pages with another page that folds out on the back. This is a playful way to showcase some of my work, particularly my collages as some of them are potentially too small to be displayed using sizing such as broadsheet. I think that this would be a suitable format for my mock outcome as it is quite small so it would be good to see what the process of printing is like as well as the quality of Print On Paper. If the mock outcome were to be successful, then I would use this company for my final outcome.
The standard tabloid and A4 magazine are the same weight and paper type but the magazine is a smaller size. Another way that they differ is that the tabloid is not bound whereas the magazine is stappled together. I prefer that the newspaper pages are more free to move around and I would not like the images to remain in a set order like they would have to if they were presented in a magazine as it feels too rigid and less interactive.
After reviewing all of the relevant products sent to me in the sample pack, I have decided that for the mock outcome I will be using the paper zine and for my final outcome I will use that standard tabloid design.
