When the magazine has been designed on Adobe InDesign and ready for distribution, I need to take the following production techniques into consideration for the final product.
Technical codes in print products
Paper weight
Paper is classified in 'grams per square metre' or 'gsm'. The standard photocopying paper is 80 gsm and glossy brochures may use 120 gsm. Above 150 gsm the paper becomes thin card.
At a practical level, the weight of paper is important if it is going to be mailed out. If the product is heavy, the postal costs will be higher. However, heavier paper can feel more luxurious. Thinner paper can suffer from 'see through' or 'bleed'.
Half of the double page spreads in my magazine will be a full-page advertisement, so a bleed is necessary to avoid a white border around the advertisement when printed.
Coated and uncoated paper
The cheaper paper e.g. newsprint is 'uncoated' and porous; the ink will tend to spread because it is absorbed by the fibres. Ink is less likely to spread on coated paper. You also have the option between 'glossy' or 'shiny' or 'velvet'.
Size and shape
Paper sizes in the UK are now standardised into the 'A' and 'B' series. The 'B' series is slightly larger than the A4 standard which is used for most academic purposes. Books and magazines may use older sizes such as quarto or royal. A4 is typical for magazine paper production but tend to signify an educational or 'amateur' product.
Chafford Hundred Magazine and Wolverhampton West Magazine are printed on A5. I also plan to print on A5 to make the magazine more portable as it will be small enough to fit in the readers bag without taking up too much space.
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