ERIC ED398863: The Revolution in Print Technology. Text & Readers Programme, Technical Report #1.

21 Pages·1993·0.45 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 398 863
IR 018 040
AUTHOR
Macdonald-Ross, Michael
TITLE
The Revolution in Print Technology. Text & Readers
Programme, Technical Report #1.
INSTITUTION
Open Univ., Milton Keynes (England). Inst. of
Educational Technology.
PUB DATE
93
NOTE
19p.
PUB TYPE
Reports
Evaluative/Feasibility (142)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Computer Interfaces; Computer Mediated Communication;
Computer Software; Distance Education; Foreign
.
Countries; *Information Technology; Instructional
Materials; Microcomputers; *Printed Materials;
*Production Techniques; Publishing Industry; Reader
Text Relationship; *Technological Advancement
IDENTIFIERS
Computerized Techniques; *Text Design; *Typography
ABSTRACT
The two papers presented in this document discuss
aspects of the computer revolution and its effects on the production
of print materials. The papers are addressed to readers who are
educators rather than technologists. The first article, entitled
"Print," interprets that term broadly to include text development and
production, and aspects of typography, publishing, and the use of
text by readers. The second article, "The Development of Printed
Materials," particularly examines the way new technology affects the
development and production of print materials for distance learning.
Both papers focus on the same five aspects of the computer revolution
affecting text creation and production:
(1) the personal terminal;
(2) interface concepts;
(3) the software revolution in
word-processing and editing aids;
(4) communications software; and
(5) laser printing and document production. The three main stages of
print production are authorship, transforming (creative activities
which help to change a draft into a form suitable for the reader),
and realization (the manufacturing process). As with all other
aspects of print, the world of typography and typographic design is
profoundly affected by the recent changes in technology. The articles
also discuss the ergonomics of use; staff development; and benefits
that modern technology and production methods have brought. Contains
a 16-item reading list.
(AEF)
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Programme
en
Text & Readers
00
00
en
Technical Report #1
technology
The revolution in print
Michael Macdonald-Ross
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Institute of Educational Technology
Points of view or opinions stated in this
The Open University
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
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MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
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Text & Readers Programme
Technical Report #1
The revolution in print technology
Michael Macdonald-Ross
Institute of Educational Technology
The Open University
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
Introduction
The two papers presented here were both written early in 1993 at a time when the technology
of print was changing rapidly. These events are the most significant to have taken place in
print technology in the half-millennium since the invention of printing with movable type.
At the moment the full consequences of this revolution are still somewhat obscure.
Profound changes in technology always force changes in the way people work together,
and this affects distance learning systems, whose main investment is in people. This is the
main reason why I address the technology and its implications.
The substance of these papers can not be found elsewhere, though I have given some
references for further reading. It is extremely difficult to review changes over such a broad
field whilst those changes are still in progress, and most people have, perhaps wisely, not
attempted the task. My view is that any reasonable map is useful for the explorer in new
territory, and in the midst of a technological revolution we are all explorers. If I look back
detail has stood the test of
on these papers in ten years' time I shall not expect to find every
time: but I do hope the general framework will hold up reasonably well.
The two papers are as follows:
0 an article for the 2nd edition of The International Encyclopedia of Education (eds Husen
T & Postlethwaite TN) Pergamon Press, Oxford 1994. This article concentrates on the
technology, since other articles will deal with textbooks, distance learning, learning from
print and so on. Prepared on Qwark XPress® 3.11, output on 7.2 Pro LaserWriter.
Education,
a paper presented to the 2nd International Workshop on Distance
Havana, Cuba 1993. This paper relates more directly to the business of a distance learning
institution, though the technological content is the same. Prepared on Aldus PageMaker 4.0.
Both papers are addressed to readers who are educators rather than technologists. I know
that many countries are only at the first stages of these changes, and so to many readers the
topics raised will be difficult to appreciate at first. Nevertheless, these changes will sweep
the world during the next ten years. There are no revolutions on earth so profoundly insistent
as those caused by changes in technology, as we know well in a country which has been so
transformed by two centuries of industrialization.
I am profoundly grateful to those colleagues at the Open University who put time aside
to comment on my first draft (see end of first article), and to Professor Michael Twyman of
the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading
for his wise advice and comments. Despite this care and attention, the passage of time is
bound to reveal flaws, for which the responsibility is mine.
Michael Macdonald-Ross
Reader in Textual Communication
Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University
June 1993
4
1
Print
Michael Macdonald-Ross
Institute of Educational Technology
The Open University
Introduction
tion of work boundaries. The
nomics, though economics will
There is a print revolution, and
printing trades unions are their
drive it forward. The revolution
we are right now in the thick of
descendants. In publishing there
forces a profound rethinking of
it. As a result, much of what was
are unions, but they were never
the way staff co-operate in order
said in the previous edition about
so dominant as the print unions.
to carry out the work.
reprography and print production
is thoroughly out of date. This
Since 1980 the situation has
One visible result of
3 Colour
article interprets 'print' broadly
one
changed rapidly, and
new technology is the great
to include text development and
permanently. First of
expects
increase in colour printing in
production, and aspects of typog-
all, much printing is done in-
magazines, newspapers and text-
raphy, publishing and the use of
house by organizations that are
books. Readers now expect
texts by readers.
not print companies. In-house
colour as the norm. This trend
publication now challenges and
The print and publishing indus-
will continue, as it did in film
may outstrip traditional print
tries include sectors whose cir-
and television.
methods in such countries as the
cumstances differ greatly, though
The same revolution is
4 Media
USA and the UK. One has to rec-
all are being changed by modem
starting to affect the relation
ognize, however, that much of
technical innovation, sometimes
between media, to create new
this work is new print that once
quite radically.
media and new combinations of
might have been typewritten and
The main sectors include news-
media, although text is usually
reproduced rather than printed.
papers, magazines, books, jour-
(and will remain for the foresee-
So we see one effect of the print
nals, security print, small bureau
able future) the key medium for
a huge growth in the
revolution
and in-house print. Much of the
educational purposes.
quantity of print, an extension of
latter is not formally published at
The reasons for the centrality of
print into areas that were domi-
all.
print lie in the way knowledge is
nated by typewriting or handwrit-
The
1 Computer technology
represented and communicated
ing, and in addition a genuine
technology now exists to orga-
(at any rate, the kind of knowl-
increase in new types of publica-
nize all aspects of print from the
edge usually involved in formal
tion.
initial creation of text (including
learning), in the economics of
The modem print industry has
illustrations) to the output (e.g.
print as compared with other
largely shaken off the unions' sti-
laser printing) by means of com-
media, and in the psychology
fling grip on working practices.
puters.
and ergonomics of learning from
This has brought problems as
print as compared with other
The use of
2 Consequences
well as benefits.
media.
specialized staff trained in the tra-
Training has reduced in quantity
ditional technology of print is
and quality, due partly to the loss
From medieval guilds to
becoming optional. One may
of trades union influence, and has
choose to make use of such skills
modem work-place
also become more specialized.
but one is not forced to by the cir-
The world of print has its roots in
Also, some operations have
cumstances of industrial technol-
the technology of metal type, the
become deskilled.
ogy, as used to be the case. This
late mediaeval guilds with their
To survive, the industry has had
has vast social and organizational
traditions, their division of
to change, and those changes are
consequences.
labour, their system of appren-
not yet complete. Overall, the
The revolution in print technol-
ticeships and their fierce protec-
commercial print industry is
ogy is not just a matter of eco-
Author's address: JET, The Open University,
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
software that allows the text pro-
(the 'desk-top' revolution)
viable and even expanding, and
ducer to capture and manipulate
enfranchised the non-specialist
is widely used for large-scale
graphic images and unite those
worker, and relaxed the strangle-
publication.
images with words in an overall
hold of central computer depart-
One great change in the print
page design. This development is
ments which had lasted since the
industry has been the loss of
backed by such tools as CD-ROMs
1950s.
composition work (text entry on
containing libraries of images,
keyboard). This has been directly
2 Interface concepts
document readers and drawing
caused by the new technology.
Continuing on the same theme,
software.
great efforts have been made to
Now most text entry and other
0 Adobe PostScript® has
design screen displays that are
work up to and including pagina-
become the de facto industry
`user-friendly', and allow non-
tion (page make-up) is done in-
standard for driving laser print-
computer staff to operate sophis-
house by newspaper & magazine
ers; this has had a catalytic effect
ticated software. The acronyms
pub-lishers, some journal & book
on the whole industry.
publishers, and by some authors
WYSIWYG [What You See Is What
0 there are also innovations in
or out-workers. Printers are now
You Get] and WIMP [Windows,
the large-scale machinery of the
Icons, Mice, Pull-downs] refer to
left with the manufacturing
print industry.
interface concepts of great signif-
process (turning digital text into
icance.
print products).
These developments have led to
a soft print revolution.
Something similar is happening
WYSIWYG means that text on the
screen should mimic the way it
in the production and publishing
4 Communications software
appears when printed; this is now
of educational materials. One can
Also highly important has been
partly achieved, though one
see three main patterns:
the development of software that
hopes for further improvement.
0 Publishing by traditional pub-
makes it easy to link groups of
lishers using trade print houses.
WIMP is the acronym for ideas
personal terminals together to
originally developed by Xerox
This has continued as before, but
exchange data and make group-
Research Inc. to make sophisti-
with new technology.
work effective. In addition,
cated software easier to use. The
telecommunications technology
In-house creation, transform-
purpose is to reduce the burden
allows one to send information
ing, printing and publishing by
of rote memory, and make
around the world in digital form.
educational institutions. This is a
advanced software accessible to
or
modem idea made possible
5 Laser printing & document
users who are not computer spe-
at any rate, made economic
by
Laser printers are
production
cialists. This concept was first
the new technology.
also computer devices, capable of
applied successfully in commer-
In-house development (includ-
good quality output in colour:
cial practice by Apple Computer
ing writing, text input, editing,
this allows production groups to
Inc, and spread further by
design, illustration, typography)
get a proof of the finished prod-
Microsoft Corporation.
followed by the use of outside
uct. This feedback to the creative
The
print houses for manufacturing;
3 The software revolution
team has a profound effect on the
also arrangements may be made
software innovations of special
process of typographic design
significance are:
with commercial publishers for
and pagination. Laser printers are
marketing the product.
also widely used to output the
0 the development of word-pro-
text for in-house publishing.
cessing software influenced by
Much educational material will
typesetting rather than typing.
flow along this route, which is a
Advanced document copiers
sensible combination of options 1
also accept digital information,
0 the development of software
and 2.
may have colour capacity and
that can be used for typographic
can carry out simple forms of
design and pagination by both
The computer revolution
binding: this is the basis of print-
professionals and non-profes-
ing on demand, one of the new
sionals.
The integrating effects of modem
options at the binding and pack-
computers are profoundly affect-
0 editing support software of
aging stage. Now there are
ing the world of print and its
various types is now available.
machines capable of complete
human relationships. Five aspects
The need for human editing skills
electronic throughput: capture of
of the computer revolution affect
will continue, and the range and
electronic text through telelinks
text creation and production:
scope of on-line editing aids will
or document scanning, then
continue to develop.
The
1 The personal terminal
editing and graphic work, then
0 the development of graphics
advent of the personal terminal
4
images if required. Laser printing
help to change a draft into a form
document production, and finally
is often used in-house for sight of
suitable for the reader.
binding.
the product during development,
Transforming includes all the
and may be used for final produc-
work associated with layout plan-
Stages of print production
tion if the print run is relatively
ning, text editing, typographic
The print revolution has swept
short. It is called printing on
design, illustration, photography,
away the old technology, and we
demand when copies are pro-
picture searching and pagination.
have electronic throughput from
duced to order, rather than
Often the work of transforming
authorship to manufacturing. The
printed in bulk and warehoused.
is organized around a leader with
process is best considered in
0 Output on film or bromide by
authority to take creative deci-
three main stages:
an image-setter for use in an off-
sions & deploy resources who is,
Because so many
1 Authorship
set lithography process.
so to speak, the chief transformer.
educational texts are now group
In newspapers this is the chief
The first of these options can
products, especially any pro-
sub, in book publishing and mag-
easily be done in-house, espe-
duced by the course team process
azine work the editor, in televi-
cially as advanced document
(one of the UK Open
sion the producer, in films the
copiers can provide a form of
University's key innovations),
binding. The second option can
director.
this stage includes all who take
produce a good quality product in
All these settings involve a high
part in planning, writing, com-
the hands of a professional print
degree of teamwork and co-oper-
menting and initial revision. It
shop (an external company or an
ation between staff with a variety
might include other academics,
in-house department).
of specialist skills. The produc-
educational technologists, edi-
tion of part-works and illustrated
The second route has some
tors, tv producers, tutors, consul-
reference works by those pub-
advantages. From a professional
tants and any others who might
fishers known as book packagers
shop you have access to a wide
influence the content of the work,
is another print example of trans-
range of typefaces, and quality
as contrasted with its presenta-
machinery which produces text
forming.
tion.
with good resolution and fit of
The end product of the process
One recent development that is
characters. Also, if colour work is
of transforming is made-up text,
sure to grow is the use of com-
required, the commercial house
including illustrations and graph-
puters to tie together a group of
will be more experienced. Lastly,
ics, in digital form, usually on
authors collaborating at a dis-
if a traditional sewn binding is
pagination software.
tance. Co-operative or collabora-
required this will have to go out
This term is used
3 Realization
tive authoring means that staff
to a specialist binder in any case.
here to cover the manufacturing
from different institutions (per-
The general opinion is that you
process whereby, with pages in
haps in different countries) will
go to a professional print house
digital form, an image is pro-
be able to form groups to create
when quality of print is an impor-
duced on paper, plus the binding
learning material for the benefit
tant consideration, and also when
and finishing work that produces
of all the participating institu-
the print run is long enough to
a final product. An alternative
tions. Only organizational inertia
make it economic.
term is, simply, manufacturing.
stands in the way of a very wide-
The end product of realization is
Traditional terms such as reprog-
spread use of this idea,
a book or other package as a
raphy, imposition, presswork,
Another innovation is the advent
printed object for readers. This
binding and, of course, printing
of non-linear writing systems,
may be followed by other indus-
are still widely used; they cover
known collectively as hypertext.
trial processes such as warehous-
parts of the manufacturing
The value of this software is con-
ing, packing and distribution.
process.
troversial at present. It has, some
There are many possible ways to
think, the flavour of a technologi-
Typographic design
get an electronic image onto
cal solution in pursuit of a prob-
paper, but for educational materi-
As with all other aspects of print,
lem; time will tell. We can expect
als we usually need to consider
the world of typography and
to hear much more of the effect
only two options:
typographic design is profoundly
of computers on writing.
0 Output direct from laser
affected by the recent changes in
At the end of the authorship
printer, or from laser printer plus
technology.
stage the text is in digital form.
document copying. Both
There are digital
1 Typefaces
A term to cover
2 Transforming
machines can produce colour
versions of virtually all the classi-
those creative activities which
5
7
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
chapters, and so on. There are
There is now a rethinking of
cal typefaces and many new ones
also ways of delineating voice or
what kind of empirical study
designed on-screen with comput-
discourse type, signalling dia-
might be of help to practitioners.
er technology. Reference works
logue or commentary or in-text
It does require researchers who
are available showing typefaces,
questions or places for readers to
are prepared to grasp the basics
of which there are thousands.
respond.
of typographic design and the
Of this huge number only a few
manufacturing process, which in
Some authors use the term typo-
faces are available on the typical
the past was rarely the case.
graphic signalling (or cueing) for
word-processor or pagination
this kind of discourse, but think-
software: this is not sufficient for
The typographic
3 Software
ing those terms too narrow,
good quality in-house publica-
designer today works on-screen,
Macdonald-Ross & Waller
tion. Therefore any organization
often with pagination software.
coined the term access structure
intending to do in-house publica-
Type design is now also done
for this discourse, retaining typo-
tion needs to obtain and install a
with software. Each program has
graphic signal as a subsidiary
suitable range of typefaces on
its strengths and its weaknesses;
term.
their software, or make use of a
it facilitates some things and
commercial print shop for its
makes other things difficult.
5 Reading strategy & typography
output.
Reading is selective: most text is
Therefore, both practical typog-
A note of caution. Many type-
not read sequentially from the
raphy and empirical research
faces are available in versions
beginning to the end, and is not
should take the software as a
which are markedly inferior to
read in total. This is obvious with
starting point. We need studies of
the original design. The reasons
a newspaper or magazine, but it
software-in-use. In this respect
for this are partly to do with eva-
also happens to be true for educa-
we have all moved into a new
sion of patents and copyrights,
tional material. Reading may take
world.
and also the sheer haste of com-
place for different purposes, and
The
4 Discourse & typography
mercial type houses and com-
the same reader may work on a
typography of educational texts
puter software houses to get
text in a different way at different
relates to their discourse. This
products onto the market.
times.
discourse falls into a predictable
The choice of typefaces for an
In education, the performance
pattern:
in-house production system
required of the learner after read-
0 First there is discourse about
should be made by a professional
ing may vary considerably; the
the subject-matter. This is pre-
typographer. rote recall of the old-time school-
sented in language, in mathemati-
room is a kind of performance
2 Typographic research
cal or other special notations, and
now out-of-date even in psychol-
The great bulk of typographic
in graphical form such as tables,
ogy experiments!
research is of little value to the
graphs and diagrams.
Because a typographic design
practising typographer. In the first
e Next, there is discourse about
has to cope with such discourse
place, the work was mostly done
the process of learning. This will
complexity, and such variety in
on typefaces designed for letter-
include all the apparatus of study
the tactics & strategy of reading,
press, and recent faces are virtu-
guides, objectives, questions,
the design itself tends to be com-
ally unresearched.
feedback, practice examples and
plex, though such complexity
Rather more serious is the fact
so on.
may be largely invisible to the
that real typographic design
Much of this came from work
reader.
involves the balancing of many
on programmed learning, and
In fact, educational texts are
factors to produce a result that is
much also came from the com-
structurally complex when com-
functional, practical and pleasing.
mon-sense of experienced teach-
pared to prose works such as
Such a design is a mosaic of
ers, textbook writers and editors.
novels, but they do not use such a
interacting parts; no element
@Lastly, there is discourse which
wide range of graphic tools as do
stands on its own and most ele-
helps the reader to find his or her
mass circulation magazines.
ments affect other elements in the
way around the text, which sig-
design.
nals where the reader is and also
Format
There have been few empirical
signals the status of the material
One thing that separates tradi-
studies of total designs, and the
being read.
tional from in-house publishing is
researcher will appreciate that
These devices include the para-
the format. Overwhelmingly, in-
analysis of variance designs are
graph, the title page, running
house publishing uses interna-
not the solution to this kind of
heads, the index, page numbers,
tional page sizes, especially A4.
problem.
6
field trials and their use of
books, video and audiotapes,
This choice is rather awkward
critiques by experienced and
even computer disks.
from the point of view of the
influential teachers, allows them
reader. The measure of type
Perhaps a third of the Open
to design books which can be
across the A4 page is rather too
University courses use this sort of
guaranteed in advance to meet
long for good legibility if a single
packaging, and in the world of
the requirements as course-books
column layout is used. Also, the
adult seminars and workshops
in leading institutions.
size is not convenient in the hand
almost all the material is in this
(that is important, as it affects fre-
Much of the writing and trans-
form.
quency of use).
forming work for such books are
However, the traditional book is
done in-house by the publishers
In a bookshop, A4 often needs
still a marvellously flexible
themselves, thus giving them
shelving apart from the usual
teaching machine, and for the
control over the details.
book sizes; it does not sit com-
publisher still the most conve-
fortably on the standard shelf size Related to this is the
nient vehicle for marketing. Soft
match' idea, where a range of
indeed A4 books often can't
vs hardback is not absolutely crit-
stand up unaided on a shelf. chapters is kept on computer, and
ical, except that soft covers need
These things can be important for a selection made, together with
to be robust for educational use.
a bookshop. Commercial pub-
some of the instructor's own
The real choice is in the heart of
lishers generally choose a smaller notes, for each institution that
the binding how the pages are
format except for highly illus-
chooses the work as a course-
joined together.
trated works.
book. This tailor-makes the book
Below, under ergonomics, I
for the instructor. Course-books
However, a two or three-
suggest that sewn sections are the
also carry satellites along with
column layout can work well on
key element in a durable binding,
them, such as instructors' manu-
A4 (it shortens the measure to
a widely acknowledged truth.
als.
acceptable dimensions). There
However, for special purposes
are even some advantages to A4;
0 The world's foremost distance
other types of binding may be
for example, it is good for highly
learning institution, the UK Open
preferred: there is a widespread
illustrated works; and in produc-
University, has introduced a sys-
use of spiral binders and ring
tion most machines have an A4
tem of co-publishing after twenty
binders for computer manuals
setting.
years of publishing its own mate-
(though softback books with
rials. In this new mode, the OU
sewn sections do lie flat and are
In general, the ergonomics of
writes and transforms its own
durable).
use are more important than the
teaching material as it did before,
convenience of the producer, and
The option of printing on
then offers commercial publish-
from that point of view A4
demand, mentioned earlier under
ers the chance of adding the
should not be the first choice.
laser printing, requires caution.
material to their lists as books
Printing on demand makes use of
The international range of paper
available for open sale in book-
a kind of binding by document
sizes does offer more acceptable
stores.
copier of which we have at pre-
options. A5, half the size of A4,
Once a deal is struck the OU
sent limited experience (see
is excellent ergonomically, rather
then gets shared costs, economies
below, under durability). Yet for
similar to demy 8vo in size. Also
of scale and some enhanced qual-
some purposes it may be ideal.
there is the international B series,
ity (for example, a more frequent
which offers B5, a size somewhat
use of second or four-colour
Publishing
larger than A5. In commercial
printing). As copyright holder,
book publishing, the traditional
There is now growing co-opera-
the University earns royalties,
page sizes are more usual.
tion between book publishers and
and arranges buy-back of copies
large educational institutions.
for its own students. So far the
Binding & packaging
Publishers of educational
idea has given benefits to both
material also play an active role
The options available for binding
sides, and in some cases the pub-
in generating the content, and are
and packaging are increasing.
fished books have sold extraordi-
innovative in marketing.
Much educational material is
narily well for academic material.
marketed as packs, which in
0 There has been much use
43 Much publishing is done on
effect means boxes, slip cases,
made of market research by the
topics that are truly educational,
folders, ring binders and other
big textbook publishers in the
but are not offered in formal
types of packaging. Inside the
United States. Their extensive
educational establishments. In
pack may be separate sheets,
research into college syllabi, their
this field part-work publishers
7
q
sewn and bound securely, thus
handling away from the desk.
and book packagers are very
enhancing their potential life.
There is a tendency nowadays for
active. They put capital into the
Some reference works are avail-
page size to get larger, perhaps to
authoring and transforming
able as compact disks, satisfac-
accomodate increased use of
stages and are astute at tailoring
tory so long as the amount of
illustrations, but often for no
the material to a market.
reading required is minimal.
good reason.
Book packagers develop multi-
Binding affects ease of opening:
The past decade or
language versions which they sell
3 Legibility
where books don't open flat two
two has seen a tendency for some
on for marketing to publishers in
hands must be used to hold it
educational material to be pub-
other countries.
open, or alternatively the spine
lished with inferior typography,
Ergonomics
must be savagely handled to
leading to reduction in legibility.
enforce its opening.
The cause of this may be sheer
Perhaps the most under-rated of
ignorance, or a by-product of
Poor decisions in weight, size
all print topics is the way books
technological change, but per-
and binding are a source of prob-
are handled and used by the
haps more often it is due to false
lems for the reader.
reader. Here are some considera-
economy by publishers, many of
It is famously true
tions:
2 Durability
whom do not employ profes-
that educational material is hard
Here
1 Ease of handling
sional typographers as they once
used, often very hard used. Yet,
weight, size, and ability to open
might have done.
for relatively minor savings in
flat are important.
It cannot be said too often that
production cost, educational
Heavy books affect portability
the most important single requi-
material is all too often given the
and handling quality; this in turn
site of book production is now, as
least durable binding.
reduces the readers' options as to
always, good legibility.
What should be avoided is the
where study takes place. One
kind of 'perfect binding' which
Open University coursebook
Staff development
results in a shower of pages onto
weighs 24 kilograms, with more
the floor after a short period of
than a thousand pages!
Staff development is a pressing
hard usage. This kind of binding,
need of the moment. It takes time
Whilst it is difficult to set hard-
in which separate sheets of paper
to learn how to get the most from
and-fast limits, educational
are attached by little more than
the software. Also, these tools are
material bound in one volume
PVA (poly-vinal adhesive) is
often in the hands of people who
should generally be under 500
quite inappropriate for educa-
may not have enough back-
gms, with 750 grams as a sug-
tional material.
ground in editing, the graphic arts
gested upper limit. In putting this
Much superior is the traditional
and typography. Every man his
guideline into practice the choice
method where sewn sections
own typographer! The idea is
of paper is critical: there is often
allow ease of opening, yet are
anathema, yet few organizations
a tension between the need for
very durable. Advanced docu-
will be able to employ in-house
lighter paper and the need for
ment copiers now offer taped
the kind of expertise once found
good opacity to reduce show-
hot-melt binding as an option;
only in top-class publishing
through.
first experience suggests this is an
houses or magazines.
When faced with huge and
improvement on older forms of
All this leads to some funda-
weighty course texts students
perfect binding, though not so
mental questions:
might be well advised to take a
durable as sewn sections.
tip from Charles Darwin. He
How to give staff some of the
Other factors in durability are
skills of editing, design & typog-
used to take a binder's knife to
the cover
soft covers should
raphy that once took half a life-
the spine of large books and sep-
and the
stand up to wear & tear
time to learn? Training and
arate them into three or four sec-
paper. Popular paperback pub-
updating in computer software is
tions of modest size, then wrote
also a permanent problem these
lishing tends to use small type on
notes on them.
days. In these fields short courses
paper that browns and becomes
Large size may cause problems
are only part of the solution: there
friable, and perfect binding; obvi-
on a desk when room is needed
is a big difference here between
ously such books are less legible
for other sources and notebooks;
acquaintance and mastery.
and durable than we might wish.
in particular, landscape format is
The next question is how
On the other hand, expensive
always apt to cause difficulties on
should these renaissance commu-
reference works may now be
a crowded desk. Large size also
nicators combine in work-teams
printed on acid-free paper, and
affects portability and ease of
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