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Thurman Publishes New Instructional Drawing Books
Posted on | July 14, 2017 | 1 Comment
Artist and Sheridan College teacher Mark Thurman has recently published two new instructional books on figure drawing. The first book title Figure Drawing – Finding Form walk you through the process of building the human form from basic shapes to completed drawings.
“This book focuses on observational, realistic, drawing. It is based on the tradition of solid structure, proportion, form, volume and line control. Blocking-in is also a focus, as it is the basis for developing a drawing.”
The second book, The Portrait and Head, focuses on the figure from the neck up and builds from simple shapes to finished drawings. The instructions are easy to follow and very well illustrated but clearly, it takes years of practice to reach Mark’s level of mastery.
Mark laid out the entire book himself using MS Word, not an easy thing to do, but was necessary to maintain the proper order of the many illustrations and instructional text.
Qwik Print took the raw files from Mark and imposed the entire book using our automated prepress tools. The job was colour balanced and print levels adjusted to maintain consistency in illustrations. The books were printed on our digital press and finished with a square-fold spine and stitched. The finished size is 5.5 x 8.5 inches, a standard half-page vertical layout of 40 pages.
Books of this size and similar can generally be printed in 2-3 days from approval of a print-ready proof in quantities as small as 50 books.
To order a copy of Mark’s books, contact him directly at: m.thurman@sympatico.ca.
Bayview School Creates Final Yearbook
Posted on | July 10, 2017 | Comments Off on Bayview School Creates Final Yearbook
This is the last year students will attend Bayview School. It is one of three local schools that closed at the end of the June. To create a permanent record of the year, including photos of students, staff, activities and clubs, the school produced a yearbook that was printed by Qwik Print.
Preparing a yearbook is no small task and depends a lot on how ambitious your plans are. The Bayview School book was prepared by volunteer Kerri Walpole using Microsoft Publisher, one of the most commonly used programs for these projects. Although not as capable as Adobe InDesign, Publisher offers better page layout and formatting capabilities than Word. Regardless of the software you use, organizing and creating a 60-page book is a big task.
Here are some of her comments
Getting photos of staff and students
We had no problems getting the pictures and used the CD of pictures for the staff and students that were taken near the beginning of the school year. The only issue being with this was that some students that were on the CD had left and other students had joined our school so we had to get a few extra pictures taken before the yearbook went to print and make sure those who were no longer at Bayview were removed. Luckily I had two young editors who could tell me who had left or joined the school population!
Getting comments from the kids
I developed 5 questions for the children to answer and let the teachers distribute them. Some filled out the questionnaires in class as an assignment, some were allowed to take them home to fill out, of course not all of those ones were returned. I made a list of who I needed answers from (even some teachers) and booked myself time to come into the school to grab answers from those who had not submitted responses. I spent a lot of time one morning in the kindergarten classrooms as they were not able for most part to write their answers themselves.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in creating the book?
The yearbook was a huge undertaking and I essentially did it all myself, with the only help coming from my family. If I were to do it again I would have others helping (chasing people, typing in the comments, doing layout, compiling the history, arranging pictures etc.). I thought I had given myself lost of time to compile the yearbook but it was a lot more work than I had envisioned so found near the end that I was a bit panicked. The colour (as you warned me) was not the true colour for what was going to be printed so there was a lot of fiddling with pictures to try to get the best picture possible.
What help did you get on the project?
Jamie took the club and team photos, which was disorganized at best even though the staff and students were aware the day we would be in doing these photos. Our eldest daughter took pictures at different school events, we all had cameras and phones for the closing ceremonies and spring carnival to get as many cool shots as we could. Our youngest looked for duplicate pictures in the yearbook and let me know of missing students and students no longer at Bayview. My mother edited for grammatical errors.
Our Office Manager helped in chasing people down for their questionnaires, was vital to making sure we had permission to use photos and name the kids due to privacy policies and in making sure the names of everyone in the yearbook were spelled correctly.
Our SCC gave me the go ahead and let me just do it without question which was nice not having too many opinions and people to make happy. Our Principal okayed the content before going to print.
You and your team were great! You worked through with me on how it should look, about shorter paragraphs, picture size etc. Meeting with you at the beginning of the project was key to the yearbook being such a success and gave me the confidence to do it without asking for lots of approvals. The draft copies that Jennifer ran were great to see the colour of the pictures, how the layout was, how it was all coming together. I prefer to look at and edit a hard copy and that was best as my laptop had different colours than the final printed images.
Qwik Print is creating a page template document for both MS Publisher and InDesign that clients can obtain to help them create a yearbook or membership directory for their church or social group.
Meaford Hall and Culture Foundation
Posted on | July 10, 2017 | Comments Off on Meaford Hall and Culture Foundation
Qwik Print works with numerous local not-for-profit organizations. The Meaford Hall and Culture Foundation (MHCF) has initiated several fundraising projects and used print media as a primary promotion method. This has been in the form of large-format banners (4’ x 8’), coroplast signs, brochures and adhesive window signs. MHCF has developed a strong brand identity through their print materials, most of which have been designed by Joan Brown.
The Meaford International Film Festival is one of MHCF’s major fundraisers happening on the Labour Day Weekend. They have also created a customer rewards program with several Meaford merchants.
Here is an overview of the organization’s mandate and activities.
The Meaford Hall and Culture Foundation (MHCF) was registered in July 2006 and is a fully independent, not-for profit, charitable organization. It is governed by an independent, volunteer Board of eight Directors. The MHCF mission is to raise funds for Arts and Culture initiatives in the community. Included in these initiatives are monies raised for capital expenditures at Meaford Hall – like the recently completed balcony renovation and our Community Outreach program that funds bursaries, GBCS music and drama programs; amateur theatre; free admission for school children to theatre experiences and theatre and art camps.
Our main fundraising activities include: MIFF (Meaford International Film Festival) www.meafordfilmfest.ca, silent auctions and the Friends program. Non-board member volunteers are recruited to help out with MIFF and the silent auction. We are very fortunate to have a very supportive community of sponsors and donors for these fund raisers.
For more information about us, visit our website www.mhcfoundation.ca.
MIFF Brochure
MIFF Coroplast Sign
Sister Duo Publishes First Book
Posted on | August 11, 2015 | Comments Off on Sister Duo Publishes First Book
Zudo Book Cover
Tara and sister Erynn Guild are pursuing a shared dream of creating a children’s storybook series. Their first book, No Junk Food for Zudo was recently released and is receiving excellent reviews. It is the first book of a planned series.
The book introduces Zudo, a raccoon-like character that struggles with making the right food decisions. – junk food or not? It’s a problem most parents can relate to as they try to teach their children how to make healthy food choices. Zudo experiences the downside of bad choices and the benefit of good ones.
The book is a 9’ x 9” soft-cover edition is filled with beautiful colour illustrations rendered in great detail and sure to engage the attention of young children. The dialogue is simple, easy to understand and suitable for young readers or those just listening to it being read.
As self-publishers, Tara and Erynn face the challenges of producing their book and getting it in the hands of potential buyers.
The initial print run of 100 books was produced by Qwik Print located in The Technology Centre using one of the newest Xerox digital presses. These machines are ideal for these high-quality, small quantity publications.
Marketing has largely been through word-of-mouth, events and on-line promotion through a web site and social media. Self-publishing and self-promotion is commonly the only means by which first time authors can get the product seen and sold. It has also made it ways onto the shelves of some local businesses.
To find out more about Zudo and the Guild’s first book, visit: www.monsterlandstories.com or check them out on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/monsterlandstories.
Betty’s Home Remedies – Local Natural Health Book
Posted on | November 21, 2014 | Comments Off on Betty’s Home Remedies – Local Natural Health Book
Cover of Betty’s Home Remedies
Betty Aiken has had a dream to share her knowledge of herbs and their medicinal properties in the form of a book for many years. At 86, it seemed that this dream would be unrealized until a long-time friend Bev Wilkinson stepped in to make it a reality.
Betty studied Herbology as well as Anatomy and Physiology, before eventually receiving Professional Status from the Ontario Herbalist Society. In 1991, she was honoured by being named the first OHS Herbal Healer. Betty has years of acquired knowledge of alternative remedies to common health problems. With the help of Bev and family members they compiled the many natural remedies and preventative cures that Betty had acquired over the years.
A rough draft of the book was provided to QwikPrint, the printing division of The Technology Centre for formatting, editing and production of a small-format book. The final result was a 60-page, half-size book with illustrated cover.
The book was launched at The Good Health Mart in Owen Sound on October 17th and the first 100 were sold within a couple of hours. Successive additional printings have sold similarly well.
The problems Betty faced getting her book produced are common when publishing specialty books. Generally, publishers/printers require a minimum production of 500 books and have expensive setup costs making it cost prohibitive for many people. If you are planning to sell the books, it’s good to test the market first with a small printing rather than commit to thousands of dollars and have them sit on the shelf.
QwikPrint is able to accept either initial drafts in a variety of file formats or print-ready versions and produce as few as 50 copies. Printing on a digital press allows production of a complete finished book so it is possible to see exactly what the final product will look like. Digital print production is not only fast (a typical turnaround time is 48 hours) but almost very cost effective because of the reduced setup requirements. Once a book is printing, it is stored digitally and ready for reprints at anytime.
Small-volume book production is becoming increasingly popular with writers, photographers and graphic artists wanting to put their work in print, commonly for smaller select audiences. The advancements in digital printing and automated production methods have this more affordable and faster.
Betty’s Home Remedies is available at Owen Sound’s Good Health Mart.
Costume – New Art Book for Mark Thurman
Posted on | September 2, 2014 | Comments Off on Costume – New Art Book for Mark Thurman
Mark Thurman is clearly an amazing draftsman and illustrator, which is evident in a small collection of figure studies called Costume. These brush-and-ink drawings completed within a couple of minutes and before a live model have considerable flair and display close attention to detail which is rendered in lively brush strokes.
We were happy to print this 28-page collection as a test of our latest book production equipment. The combination of high resolution and colour accuracy meet the requirements of artists and photographers. Books are produced using our square-fold stitcher adding the finished look of the product.
These books are printed on a small-format digital press which allows us to produce books in small quantities (50+) and do so within 2-3 days from a finished layout. The reduced setup time significantly reduces the cost.
Here are Mark’s comments on the project.
When I saw and held a copy of the final book and turned the pages I was tremendously pleased. The cover, color, clarity of images,paper weight, and binding looked and felt great. Every one who has seen the book is impressed by the quality and price. A professional job with an amazingly fast turn around time.
Costume – Mark Thurman – Cover
Costume – Mark Thurman – Illustration
Costume – Mark Thurman – Illustration
Italian Doors – New Photo Book
Posted on | August 16, 2014 | Comments Off on Italian Doors – New Photo Book
Doorways fascinate many people and few are as evocative as those of Italy. Based on classical arch designs, these doorways are both beautiful and practical. The Florentine or Pointed Arch is one of the most common and rendered in marble, stone and brick. Some doorways are elaborate, others simple and contain doors painted in brilliant colours – real showstoppers at street level.
This small collection of photos from 2013 were taken in Cortona, Siena and Volle Terra and complied into our sample photo book. The 8” x 10” provides enough size to appreciate the detail of the subject and source photos. Printed on our new 4-colour digital press, resolution and colour are spectacular.
Photo books are available in three standard sizes and can contain between 16 and 52 pages. Books are typically printed with a 10pt cover and square-fold stitched. Quantities start at 25.
Sample pages from Italian Doors
Doors- Cover
Doors – Florentine Arch
Doors – Simple Arch
Doors – Italian Arch in Post & Lintel
Hard Shell Cases – New Product
Posted on | July 23, 2010 | Comments Off on Hard Shell Cases – New Product
Excellent impact resistance
Lightweight
New easy and safe locking system
Soft grip carry handles (large cases)
Silicon waterproof seals
Steel double hinges
Pressure adjustment/release
Crushproof, airtight and waterproof
Corrosion proof Read more
Synthetic Paper – New Product
Posted on | July 23, 2010 | Comments Off on Synthetic Paper – New Product
We field-tested a small map on a kayak trip where it frequently got wet, rolled up and bent and it resisted any mistreatment. You can even write on it in water-based marker and erase it with water.
Here are a few applications for this type of material. Read more
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