Aquabox photography to assist fund raising

Recently, GGS were pleased to donate photography of the ‘Aquabox’ kit for a Norwich Rotary club. Rotary has difficulty getting over the exact nature of the boxes, when raising funds for the charity, and by taking professional photographs and supplying poster prints, GGS will help Rotary to show donors what their money goes to.

The Aquabox scheme is aimed at disaster relief by giving schools, companies or any organisation, a box and a list of the items needed to fill it in readiness for a potential disaster. When the employees in the organisation have completed the list, by donating or fundraising for the items, the box is sent to a central warehouse awaiting the next call to assist those unfortunate enough to suffer a disaster, anywhere in the world. The boxes, which may contain a tent, emergency food, tools or any number of other items, plus the water purification kit, are then instantly despatched.

Work Experience

My name is Jill Wright and I'm currently a student at Thorpe St Andrew High School. I'm in my final year of high school, which is a scary thought considering I'm still pretty undecided about what I actually want to do as a career within this field, (and am only now able to make an alright cup of tea according to my mum!) I took English, Maths, Double Science, P.E, Media, History, German, French, I.C.T, Statistics (an absolute waste of two hours every week, of my life..) and Ethics (another waste of many hours of life..) all at GCSE level. I definitely want to go on to Sixth Form, in order to do Photography at A-Level and hope to work in the media in some form, whether it's in magazine, television etc.

On my first day I was pretty gutted after not actually getting a lay-in, and my mum over estimating the journey from Thorpe to here by about half an hour, and therefore the nerves hadn't really set in, I was just looking forward to the week. All changed when I opened the door to find a very different reception than the one I remembered from my interview- to find I had actually opened the door to Cable and Wireless next door. Once actually inside the right building I met most of the team in their Monday morning meeting. Afterwards I shadowed Michelle for the morning whilst she left me with originals of photos she had edited in order for me to try myself, rather than the endless tea making and cleaning I'd prepared myself for! After lunch I spent the afternoon downstairs in the office copying out a list of every previous client of GGS and other tasks that needed doing in the office.

On Tuesday I continued to crowd the designers upstairs, hassling Dan for the day whilst he talked me through the process of making a flyer for GGS, in order to try and promote the business and increase sales. I then spent time downstairs in the mounting room with Andrew where I was absolutely no use to him whatsoever but continued to follow him around regardless:L After him being away on holiday I had not yet met the other director Peter, so when Chris went to pick up a sleep deprived Peter from the railway station, along with his wife, I also went, and met him for the first time. This was when he reminded me that I would be seeing him at half seven the next morning in order to go out on a shoot, bright and early!

So half seven this morning I found myself in Peter's car on the way to Watton. The shoot was at an industrial factory, where the 'largest electrical heater in the world' had been built. After several hours waiting while they moved the machine, which again I was no help with considering it was about a hundred times the size of me, we began actually shooting. It was really insightful seeing how many aspects were involved in an actual shoot, light, space, dealing with a client etc and also seeing how much work went in, in order to get a good amount of shots. FIVE hours later the job was complete! And now I'm back at GGS helping out in the office for the afternoon, making labels, sorting the post which was actually the highlight of my afternoon:L and writing this, while we listen to my ipod and discuss the new series of gossip girl..

Thursday was a day in the office, researching local competitors websites and exhibitors at upcoming exhibitions.

Thankyou to everyone here, you've all been so welcoming and really helped me in all the different areas of art and design, even if I've only taken in a fraction of everything you've taught me!

How to get the most out of your exhibition budget...

Having decided to book a ‘space only’ stand at your exhibition, you will already have a higher profile than those booking shell schemes. The main advantage with ‘space only’ is that you can build to four meters high at most exhibitions.

There are many advantages to be gained by choosing a modular exhibition stand over a timber based bespoke stand, such as the ability to easily reconfigure to different sized stand spaces in the future, and minimal storage space. Not forgetting that there are tax benefits in that it is a ‘capital equipment’ purchase.

Environmentally, modular exhibition stands are by far the greener option. According to the president of ALCOA (the world’s largest producer of aluminium) 70% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today!

Time and time again we are amazed at the ‘one off’ use of timber constructed stands being demolished and skipped at the end of an exhibition. At some stage in the future they will probably ban timber based stands altogether.

To fully maximise your investment you also need to consider fundamental issues such as:

• Set specific goals for the event

• Tell people why they should visit you

• Make the most of pre show PR and advertising

• Don’t forget sponsorship opportunities

• Train your show staff

Take control & keep your website up to date

Up until relatively recently clients relied on their appointed web developers to not only design and build their websites but also edit and update them.

These days many clients prefer to take control themselves and this is achievable with the use of content management systems, often referred to as CMS's.

But taking control of a website can be a little daunting, after all whatever is done will be seen by the public including, perhaps more crucially, customer bases. But with simple training clients can quickly gain the confidence and ability to keep their websites up to date - and looking good. Words can be edited, pictures can be changed and pages can even be added or deleted within the root structure.

There are a number of 'off-the-shelf' CMS solutions available, as well as public domain 'shareware' options, but the most reliable CMS solutions often prove to be the bespoke ones. Having a content management system custom-built to a client's preferences and requirements will ultimately prove less restrictive and more future-proof. The system would focus solely on that client's business, so there would be no surplus functionality that can often prove irritating. The result is a much more powerful, deliverable solution that performs exactly to requirements.





















We've found here at GGS that our clients tend to prefer the bespoke CMS option and we work together from the outset to ensure that the resulting solutions deliver correctly and consistently, thus allowing our clients to take control of their websites with confidence and ability!

How to put up a Pop-up...

Pop-up display systems are a really popular piece of exhibition equipment. What many people don't know is that they are so simple to assemble, and because they are expandable, they fold down into a small carry case that can fit into any small car.
You will find the pop-up frame, the graphics and magnetic bars in your kit. To assemble the pop-up simply take the pop-up frame, and with the studs at the top, fully expand the system until the locking arms are fully secure. Attach the mag bars onto the front, D-ends and, if applicable, to the rear. Once the mag bars are securely attached to the magnetic hubs, carefully unwrap the graphics. One by one attach the hanger at the top of the graphics to the studs at the top of frame. Smooth the graphics down onto the bag mars, ensuring that they are sitting flat and straight. Easy! When it's time to take the pop-up down, carefully remove the graphics one by one, lifting them up to detach them from the studs at the top. Always roll graphics with the image on the outside. After removing the mag bars, collapse the frame. All Sorted!
If you need any more info about how to assemble exhibition equipment click onto our website here.

Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Halliday!

It is often said that the two most stressful things in life are getting married and moving house. That didn't stop our Web Designer, Keith, who did both in the same week! Keith and his bride, Christine, moved into their new home on Saturday 12th June, and were due to get married the following Saturday.

The civil ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Amber Lodge near Acle, Norfolk. It was a small do, with 30 of their closest family and friends attending. Although there were some anxieties over the move (is there such a thing as a stress-free move?), the wedding went without a hitch. This is until Keith and Christine were told by the registrar that their marriage certificate, which had been painstakingly hand written, had caught fire! It had been accidentally laid on a tealight candle whilst the ceremony was being finalised.

Although the weather was somewhat disappointing, there was a break in the clouds for pictures to be taken outside. Keith, Christine, and guests thoroughly enjoyed the food Amber Lodge provided. A delicious indoor BBQ was the main culinary event, followed by canapes and a late supper.
They honeymooned in Dorset for two weeks, staying at a wonderful country cottage retreat.
The wedding was a huge success, and everyone at GGS wishes Keith and Christine much happiness for the future. (Lets hope that they don't have too many heated discussions over all that decorating!).

Children's Hopsital Ward Revamp in the EDP

The Eastern Daily Press has recently published an article about the Children's ward refurbishment at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. GGS played an important role, providing the majority of the graphics for the various rooms and waiting areas, creating a fantastic 'seaside retreat' within the hospital. The make-over at the NNUH involved transforming the walls, ceiling and windows into bright and colourful works of art. Emma Jarvis, the Hospital Arts Co-ordinator explains the impact it has had on the patients; "It's much better than it was before. Because all the kids are less stressed, the parents are less stressed." The seaside theme is great for children of all ages, turning the ward from a clinical, uninviting area to a truly welcoming place. Emma says "when the parents tell their children it's time to go, they don't want to leave."
We're delighted that the graphics have been such a hit with everyone connected with the ward, inlcuding the staff, and with some excellent quotations from some of the children visiting the ward, the article proves that the refurbishment was a major success. However, we do feel that the artists deserved a mention. A big well done to Hannah Giffard, Kate Green and Eloise O'Hare who contributed to the fantastic graphic designs.

(Pictures courtesy of Mike Robinson).

Jade Lim Work Experience

Hello! I'm Jade Lim I'm 15 and go to Long Stratton high school, currently I am studying for my GCSE's, Art, Graphics, Triple science and I.C.T (a random mix I know)! I am currently on year 10 work experience, I decided I wanted to go to a graphics designers (as that is something I am interested as a career) I wound my way to GGS creative graphics http://ggs.co.uk ! I arranged my work experience for a week starting on the 29th June.

I on the Monday morning , I was quite nervous on the first day but I was mostly exited! I started the day by first getting introduced at a Monday morning meeting to the staff (they are all so nice!!) , shortly followed by a tour of the building, the building is huge and I was surprised at the size of the printers (ahaha!). I started the day by helping out in the photography studio, we where taking pictures of a stand for a client that was coming in later that day (I felt rather useless as I didn't know much about photography!) in the afternoon I had been appointed a task by Chris ball to find a place to print 45000 (or 4500 I cant remember anymore ahah!) calendars! (on a nice shiny Mac!!)

Tuesday was exciting as I spent the day with the designers! I started the day watching Michelle as she gave me the download of everything she was doing (it was a bit overwhelming aha!) after a couple of hours Michelle gave me a quick fake design brief and I spent the rest of the day designing a a5 brochure for my pop-up book I’m making at school for my graphic project! I got to grips with all the different programs etc.

Wednesday I help in the office I spent most of the time filing and doing small errands like folding letters (sorry if you get dodge folded mail ahaha!) . After that I help with photography I got to grasps how big the studio is, last time I was in there there was a huge stand! I learnt how to take picture of art work that’s to big to fit into a scanner. After lunch I continued to help out with the office staff and watched them with the overly complicated database type program!

Thursday (today)
Today I started off helping (I say helped more like watched aha!) the mounting technician he was working on the ceiling tiles for the hospitals. I just finished hovering up I hope its okay as I’m not the greatest at hovering (aha) then I wrote this!

IM really enjoying my work experience here at GGS! I hope I have been of some help around here and not just been a burden (aha??)! its been great I have experienced what’s its really like at working as a designer and all the other staff behind the scenes that makes it all possible!
I am very thankful to the GGS graphics for taking me and looking after me it has been a very valuable experience! :D

Aftercare for Graphics

To get the most from your printed graphics and to ensure they fulfil their maximum life expectancy, follow these instructions. It will save you time, money and aggravation in the future as we cannot accept responsibility for damaged graphics which have been badly handled.

1. ALWAYS ROLL LAMINATED FLEXIBLE GRAPHICS WITH THE PRINT ON THE OUTSIDE! Why? Rolling graphics with the print on the inside can stretch the laminate away from the printed layer, causing bubbling and eventual de-lamination. It is especially important to follow this procedure for pop-up graphics and designer stand graphics which have mag-tape applied to the back, as rolling them with the mag-tape on the outside can cause the mag-tape and hangers to peel away from the graphic.
2. ALWAYS ROLL POP-UP GRAPHICS INDIVIDUALLY AND PLACE IN THE CASE ONE BY ONE! Why? If you try to roll them all up together, they will be (a) more difficult to place in and get out of the case, increasing the likelihood of you dropping them and (b) the inside graphics will be more curled than the outside ones so may not hang as well.
3. STORE FLEXIBLE GRAPHICS FLAT WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO AVOID PERMANENT CURLING! Pop-up drums are fine as they are designed to allow the graphics to sit very loosely rolled on their ends.
4. PROTECT EDGES AND CORNERS OF RIGID GRAPHICS! Some lightweight display boards, such as Kapa, are easily dented, so use corner protectors when in transit.
   
5. MAKE SURE YOU PURCHASE THE RIGHT GRAPHICS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT! Lamination alone does not make graphics waterproof. If you are planning to use your graphics outdoors, make sure you choose a waterproof print surface such as vinyl or self-adhesive vinyl, mounted on a non-porous materials such as foamex, or have paper prints encapsulated.
   
6. HANDLE GRAPHICS WITH CLEAN HANDS! Grubby graphics will never look the same again. In certain circumstances, lighter fluid or glass cleaner can be applied to laminated graphics to remove any greasy finger marks, but this will not be suitable for un-sealed prints. Apologies if this advice seems a little obvious, but when you’ve been in the business as long as we have you make no assumptions!
   

GGS Goes Wild!

Okay, so we haven't become so in-tune with our inner selves that we've decided to relocate offices to a teepee off the North Norfolk coast and done away with all worldly possessions (as this could be decidedly detrimental to business)! But we have been making the most of the great outdoors with some seriously nice 'youthful' people, defying all rumours that the kids of today can only function when attached to an electrical device.

Yes both big boss Chris (no that's not him on the left!) and our charming designer Michelle have embarked on some 'non-design related' extra curricular activities; You may have already sighted Chris popping out from a bush in 'Tyrells Wood' where he's been 'leading' Scouts on team building activities. Chris greatly enjoys passing his wisdom onto the kids, lets just hope the kids feel the same! Chris is hoping to embark on many more 'fun filled' Scouting activities over this summer so keep your eyes peeled.

Moving to a slightly higher level of expertise (sorry Chris!) Michelle has been helping out Dereham Sixth Form student's on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition training on the North Norfolk coast. Any excuse for her to dive under some canvas and she's off, so spending the weekend under the stars was really her idea of heaven! The sixth form pupils she assisted we're practising for their Silver Award which involves planning, training for and doing a 3 day (2 night) expedition laden down with full kit! All in all it was a fantastic week-end and thankfully everyone made it back to base in one piece, all be it a little sore!

So back to normality now for the GGS team until the call of nature beckons them once more...

Sending artwork to GGS

Artwork files can often be very large and sometimes awkward to send to our large format printing service, so we have put together a quick guide to sending your artwork over to us.

Artwork can also be supplied via CD, DVD and Flash/Pen Drive. You can also send artwork via free online upload sites such as mailbigfile.com and yousendit.com.

Uploading artwork to mailbigfile or yousendit:-
If uploading more than one file (several JPGs or a collected InDesign job for example) place everything together in one folder and either:-

PC Users: Create a zip file of it (right click on your folder and choose “send to” then “compressed (zipped) folder) and then upload your zipped folder which should have appeared next to your original folder (the folder icon for that new file will have a little zip on it)

MAC Users: Compress your artwork folder (right click on your folder and choose “compress ‘your folder name’”) and then upload your zipped folder which should have appeared next to your original folder and has a .zip extension (the folder icon for that new file will have a little zip on it)

Then simply follow the onscreen instructions on the relevant website. Hope this helps!

Supported Design Packages (when sending artwork)

When sending artwork over for our large format printing service, we recommend using one of the following design software packages.

InDesign CS3 (and below) -
Job should be packaged (use “package” under the “file” menu) to include all fonts, images (saved as CMYK and 100dpi at size of output or 200 dpi at half size, 400 dpi at quarter size etc) and with bleed (see relevant online artwork spec for your chosen product)

Quark 7 (and below) -
Job should be collected for output (use “collect for output” under the “file” menu) to include all fonts, images (saved as CMYK and 100dpi at size of output or 200 dpi at half size, 400 dpi at quarter size etc) and with bleed (see relevant online artwork spec for your chosen product)

Adobe Photoshop CS3 (and below) -
Saved as JPG or TIFF and in CMYK colour mode. Files to be 100dpi at size of output (200 dpi at half size, 400 dpi at quarter size etc) Bleed should be added (see relevant online artwork spec for your chosen product) If you are saving your work as a JPG (which is a compressed file format) higher compression = lower quality files and vice versa. Use High Quality or Maximum Quality to avoid JPG ‘artefacts’ in your artwork. If you are including text in your PhotoShop document the dpi needs to be slightly higher at 130dpi at size of output.

We also support:-

Adobe Illustrator CS3 (and below) -
Saved as an EPS file and supplied with all linked images (saved as CMYK). Fonts/type should be converted to outlines, if you are not supplying them, and with bleed (see relevant online artwork spec for your chosen purchase - poster/banner stand etc)

PDF -
Original artwork prior to PDF being created to have any imported/embedded bitmaps in CMYK colour mode. If supplying artwork in PDF format ALWAYS ensure that the “embed fonts” option is selected and that a “High Quality” option is chosen (not “PDF for email” for example)

To supply artwork in a package that isn’t listed here see if your design package will let you export your work as a hi-res PDF or hi-res JPEG

The GGS Jargon Dictionary

Here at GGS we like to make things as easy as possible for our clients to understand. However sometimes there are terms that may need explaining so we thought it might be useful to define some of the slightly more technical terms that pop-up within our exhibition, graphic design, web design and photography projects.

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Artwork – We use this term to describe the files we receive from you to print from. See our artwork software requirements article for more information.

Banner Stand - Tall thin portable banner system which has a graphic that is unrolled and held taught by a pole(s) at the back of the unit. See our full range of banner stands here. Also known as ‘pull-up banners’ or ‘roll-up banners’. Commonly also called ‘pop ups’ which is incorrect (see pop ups below).

Bitmap – An image file format that refers to the rows and columns (map) of dots or pixels that form as image.

Bitmap Images - Computerized image made up of a collection of dots or pixels; these images appear blocky when you zoom in; also known as raster images.

Bleed - Printing that goes beyond the edge of the visible graphic area.

Border - Margin or line between the image area and the edge of the paper.

Brightness - The brilliance or reflective quality of paper affecting contrast in printing.

Bulk - The thickness of paper relative to it’s weight.

CMYK - Cyan, magenta, yellow & black – the four basic colour inks which are used in the four colour process to produce a range of colours and create a colour image.

Colour Balance - Refers to the proper ratio of cyan, magenta and yellow ink during printing to keep colour consistency and produce the desired colour of an image.

Colour Correction - Methods of adjusting and improving colour qualities such as colour balance, contrast etc.

Colour Matching - Adjusting supplied digital file to match hard copy supplied by client.

Contrast - The range of difference between the darkest and lightest areas in an image.

Copy - Any material (text or artwork) to be used in printing a piece.

Crop - To cut off sides or portions of an image

Crop Marks - Lines at the edges of a sheet that show where the page will be trimmed.

Cyan - Shade of blue; one of 4 basic ink colours used in a 4 colour printing process.

Density - The degree of darkness of an image.

Dot - The individual element of a halftones; also referred to as a pixel.

DPI - Dots Per Inch: a measurement of resolution of a screen image or printed image defined by the number of dots that fit horizontally and vertically into one inch; the higher the DPI, the sharper the image.

Encapsulation - The process of sealing a printed graphic, front and back, with thin, clear vinyl or polyester. Often confused with lamination.

EPS - Encapsulated Postscript File: An Adobe graphic file format for high resolution images; it translates graphic and text into code that tells a printer to print in the highest resolution possible and also has low resolution view files for quick screen viewing.

Footprint - Area of floor or ground that is taken up by a display system (ie. width x depth).

Four colour process - The process of printing using the combination of four basic colour inks (cyan, magenta, yellow & black) to produce a range of colours and create a colour image. This is also known as a full colour process.

Full colour process - See four colour process.

GIF - Graphics Interchange Format: An 8-bit-per-pixel bitmap image format used widely on the web due to it’s portability. The format uses a palette of up to 256 distinct colours from the 24-bit RGB colour space. The colour limitation makes the GIF format unsuitable for reproducing colour photographs and other images with continuous colour, but it is well-suited for more simple images such as graphics or logos with solid areas of colour.

Gloss - Shiny coating on paper or highly reflective laminated finish.

Grain - The direction in which the fibres of a paper lie.

Graphic - At GGS we refer to any printed poster, banner, flag or wrap etc as a graphic, whether it is used with or without a display system.

Graphic Design - The use of visual elements to express a message.

Graphic Wrap - A printed polyester or vinyl graphic that wraps around a carry-drum, plinth, counter or table and fastens together with velcro at the back.

Grayscale - An image made up of a range of shades of black and white.

GSM - Grammes per Square Metre: Unit traditionally used to describe paper weight.

Halftone - Pattern of dots within a fixed grid to reproduce a continuous-tone image.
Hard Copy - A document or data printed on paper.

Hardware - Hardware at GGS refers to all non-printed elements of a display system (eg. Pop-up frame, carry bags, fixtures & fittings)

High Res - High Resolution: See Resolution

Image Area - Portion of a page or paper that is printed.

Inkjet - A high quality printed graphic produced by an ink-jet printer which squirts very fine jets of rapid-drying ink onto paper and other substrates. See our Large Format Print section for more information on our printing services.

JPEG - A commonly used method of compression for photographic images. The file format is known as JIF (JPEG Interchange Format) but most image editing software programs that write to a ‘JPEG file’ are actually creating a file in the simpler ‘JFIF’ (JPEG File Interchange Format). The name JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, the name of the committee that created the standard.

Keyline - An outline drawing to show the exact size and position of artwork.

Lamination - Applying a thin clear waterproof veneer to one side of a printed graphic. Many people use the term lamination incorrectly to mean sealing a graphic completely, front and back, when they actually mean encapsulation.

Lines per Inch (LPI) - The number of lines of dots per inch in a halftone screen; the higher the LPI, the sharper the image.

Magenta - Also known as process red; one of the 4 basic ink colours in process colour printing; M in abbreviation CMYK.

Matte - Dull, non-glossy finish.

Mb (or MB) - Unit of megabytes or megabits. When referring to the size or data transfer rate of a storage device which is accessed in multiples of eight bits (e.g. RAM, hard disk) this almost certainly means megabytes, but when referring to the data transfer rate of a communications system it probably means megabits. Some years ago, it is claimed, “MB” always meant megabytes and “Mb” meant megabits but recently this useful distinction has been lost.

Micron - Unit of length (symbol µ) defined as one millionth of a metre, a length more properly known as the micrometre. The term micron was officially sanctioned as part of the metric system from 1879 to 1967 but is still commonly used to describe the thickness of papers, laminates and fabrics.

Modular - A self-contained exhibition stand that can be combined or interchanged with others like it to create different shapes or designs. Composed of standardized units or sections for easy construction or flexible arrangement.

Moiré - An undesirable screen pattern caused by incorrect screen angles.

Off - In printing, quantity is traditionally described as ‘1 off’ or ‘2 off’ etc. This is an historic abbreviation of ‘1 off a negative’ or ‘2 off a negative’ and now relates to how many copies of one design are printed from one digital file.

Opacity - The property of paper that maximizes the show-through on a printed sheet.

Pantone Reference - Pantone colors are described by their allocated number (ie. ‘PMS 130’). PMS references are almost always used in branding in order to maintain colour consistency.

PDF - Portable Document Format: The file format created by Adobe Systems, in 1993, for document exchange. PDF is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a device-independent and display resolution-independent fixed-layout document format. Each PDF file encapsulates a complete description of a 2-D document (and, with Acrobat 3-D, embedded 3-D documents) that includes the text, fonts, images, and 2-D vector graphics that compose the document.

Pixel - From picture element, the smallest resolved unit of a video or computer-generated image which has specific luminance and colour; also an individual light-sensitive unit in an array forming a solid-state sensor in a camera. Pixel dimensions may be fixed during manufacture or determined in a raster display by the number of scanning lines and the resolution along each line. Also known as dots.

PMS - Pantone Matching System: The standard colour-matching system used by printers and graphic designers.

Pop up Stand - A pop-up stand is a portable display stand that is simple to construct and portable. They are great for small to medium size exhibitions, events and presentation backdrops. Pop ups feature an internal frame that 'pops up'. Magnetic bars are then attached to the frame and the graphic panel 'drops' are magnetically attached. Pop-ups come in various widths and can vary in width and can also be joined together to create larger exhibition displays. Also known as Pop-up displays.

PostScript - A page description language developed by Adobe Systems that tells a printer how an image is to be printed.

PPI - Pixels per Inch: See DPI

Process Colours - The four basic colours used in printing to simulate full spectrum colour – Cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black.

Quad - Referring to pop-up stands, a quad is a complete section of the lattice that makes up a pop-up frame. A 3x3 pop-up is 3 quads high by 3 quads wide.

RAL - A colour space system used mainly to describe paint colours for powder coating developed in 1927 by Reichsausschuß für Lieferbedingungen (und Gütesicherung).

Raster - To render an image, pixel by pixel, vertically and horizontally.

Raster Image - See bitmap image.

Resolution - Refers to the number of pixels in an image, expressed in pixels per inch (PPI) or dots per inch (DPI). The higher the number, the sharper the image.

RGB - Red, Green & Blue – The additive primary colours used for colour video displays as on a computer screen.

Rich Black - A darker and deeper black colour created by combining other ink colours with black ink. The values to create Rich Black is usually 40% Cyan, 30% Magenta, 30% Yellow, 100% Black.

RIP - Raster Image Processor – A device that translates data into dots or pixels.

Shadow - The darkest areas of a photograph or image.

Stoplight - A quality of the polyester that banner stand and pop-up graphics are printed on at GGS that prevents any silhouette of the hardware behind the graphic being visible when light is shone on the display.

Substrate - Any surface or material on which printing is done.

Tambour Wrap - Structural wrap (made from flexible mdf) used in 'Physique' portable counters to hold the base to the counter top. Can be fabric covered, covered with beech effect laminate or aluminium plated.

TIFF - Tagged Image File Format: A standard graphic image file format often used for storing high resolution images that can easily handle up to 24 bits of photographic image colour.

Tint - A mixture of a hue with white.

Total Printed Area - The full area of a printed graphic material, including bleed (edges to be hemmed, edges to be hidden by frame edges or roller banner base units etc)

Tree-Free - Refers to pulp or paper made without cutting down trees; paper made from cotton, or hemp or other resources.

Trim Marks - Marks on a printed sheet that show where to cut or trim the page.

Trim Size - The final size of a printed image after trimming.

Typesetting - To arrange or layout artwork and text for printing.

Vector Image - Images made up of solids, lines and curves that can be scaled or edited without affecting image resolution.

Visible Graphic Area - The area of a printed graphic visible once fitted in a display system or frame that may be covering the graphic’s edges.

Screw surviving...

Attended a truly inspiring seminar at the Holiday Inn North, Norwich, last Thursday. Presented by Nigel Botterill, CEO of N5, founder of 'thebestof' franchise and a top entrepreneur, it was called 'Screw Surviving...' and was billed as an event to 'ensure your business expands and grows during the recession and make 2009 & 2010 super prosperous years for you'

What a great way to spend a day. Full on right from the start, Nigel is highly motivational and packed his presentation with hints and tips on how to grow a business - and plenty of examples of how not to! It was thought provoking, inspiring, energising, revealing, enlightening, funny, and worth more than I paid! His dynamism is infectious and this was definitely the best of any such event I have ever attended. It is easy to see why he is in the top 50 entrepreneurs in the country.

Right; time to get on and put some of his ideas into practice...

Work Experience

I'm Paul Watson a mature student studying a B.A. Hons. Degree in Photography and Digital Media with UCS Suffolk, currently in the final stages of the third year (all course work completed and awaiting my final results.) I initially contacted GGS requesting a quote for printing and mounting my final exhibition piece which was done extremely efficiently, an A1 print mounted on MDF for what I though was a very good price. It was whilst arranging and discussing this job that I enquired about the possibility of spending some time with them on a work experience basis. It was arranged that I would spend the week beginning the 8th of June at GGS.

Having previously worked at a Print Finisher and studied Graphic Design at HND level I was keen to gain experience with a company that specialised in the different aspects of the design process. I was also interested in discovering more about web design, as I have recently been spending a lot of time expanding and developing my own website.

On the Monday morning that I arrived at GGS I was introduced to the staff at the regular Monday morning meeting and I was given a tour of the building, I was rather overwhelmed by the size of the company and the abundance of technical equipment. I spent the first morning in the large studio helping to construct a large exhibition stand that a client would be viewing in the afternoon. This was am interesting insight into the process of design and construction as all the elements of this job had been designed by GGS. Once the stand was viewed it was then dismantled and shipped off to the customer. The afternoon was spent in the Graphic Design department. Here I spent some valuable time looking at a number of live jobs and got busy familiarising myself with software such as In Design and Freehand on an Apple Mac.

On the Tuesday I assisted photo shoot that had been booked by a client who specialised in the design and manufacture of industrial safety helmets, this was an interesting experience as we were working with a model, taking portrait shots in which the main point of focus was the safety helmet. It was interesting to observe the various lighting techniques that were used to highlight the contours of each helmet. I feel that this was also a valuable insight into working with client and a model.

Wednesday was spent on location in an industrial unit photographing industrial equipment; these final images would be used in brochures and sales literature. Once again this was a valuable insight into the nature of a photo shoot of this kind. Becoming familiar with the type of kit that a professional photographer uses on location, and ways in which lighting is used in order to define the shape and form of the object. This was an extremely valuable and educational experience and I learnt a great deal; not only about photography but also about the nature of working as a professional in industry.

Thursday and I spent the first part of the morning observing the process of image conversion on the work from the previous day. Here we were concentrating on adjusting the contrast and brightness of each image slightly to reduce highlights, looking at histograms and the nature of RAW files.
I then spent much of the day in the Website Design department. Looking at various live jobs and learning about Dreamweaver and Flash software. Here we also spent time updating the GGS website and adjusting images to create an interactive Flash movie.

So far this has been an extremely valuable experience for me as a Photography Student wanting to work in the industry and I would like to offer my thanks to all the members of staff at GGS who have been so helpful and welcoming to me this week.

Friday
Today we started working on a photographic project for a company that manufactures curtains, we had to build a set in the studio that would display the curtains as they would appear hung in someone’s front room. After helping to construct the set in the morning I spent the rest of the day adding coats of white paint and making the set appear as clean as possible. I fitted the pole from which the curtains would hang and then we spent a great deal of time pressing the curtains so that they would look there best in the final photograph. As you can see, there is a lot more to photography than just taking photographs.

Monday
This morning we continued to work on the curtain photo shoot adding final touches to the set and hanging the curtains, we concentrated on the lighting setup using a spotlight, two flash lamps, and a large diffuser to create a bright daylight effect that appeared to come from the window. We then redressed the set in the afternoon and pressed and hung another pair of curtains using a different lighting setup, with only the one flash lamp and less overall brightness to create softer tones in the final image.

New Graphics for the Children's Hopsital Ward...

GGS have just come to the end of a major project producing ceiling tiles and wall and window graphics for the Children's Department in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The work was commissioned by Emma Jarvis of the NNUH Hopsital Arts Project who managed the complete refurbishment of the department. Local artists including BAFTA award winning Hannah Giffard, community artist and furniture designer Eloise O'Hare, illustrator Kate Green, and community artist Lisa Little all produced the magnificent illustrations and paintings which have transformed the interior of the unit, filling it with bright colours and captivating images to keep the attention of young eyes and minds.
Over 250 square metres of enchanting illustrations have been created to enhance the look and feel of the whole children's unit, and the end result is stunning. The images are fun, colourful and really brighten the whole area dramatically.

GGS worked on a similar project last year, sponsoring the redecoration of the children's A&E unit by providing over £2000 worth of wall and window graphics which also feature the beautiful work of Hannah Giffard. We were delighted to be able to support such a worthwhile project.

Another satisfied customer!

GGS has recently been working along side Teknomek to update their existing website, which was beginning to feel its age. GGS was commissioned to redevelop the site and work closely with the client to ensure the brief was fully addressed. The main aim of the new website was to not only modernise their website, but give them total flexibility in terms of presenting their products online

The backbone structure of the new website allows for designated administrators to add, delete and edit their products in a much more intuitive way; we have enabled them to be in total control of their website.

Teknomek are now taking advantage of their future-proof structural format, but GGS and Teknomek will continue to work together in the future to ensure the website stays ahead of the field with new functionality being developed as and when required.

Visit Teknomek's brand new website here.

Duncan Runs London Marathon for RNLI

CONGRATULATIONS to our Exhibitions Director Duncan Smith who successfully completed the London Marathon on Sunday 26th April. All of the hard work and training paid off giving him a very respectable finishing time of 3 hours 54 minutes. Running as part of the RNLI team Duncan raised a grand total of £2600.00 in sponsorship. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our clients and suppliers who have offered their encouragement and support over the past year's training and for all of the sponsorship given. Here's to next year!

Read the EDP news article here

GGS News & Blog Launched

This is the first post for the new GGS blog. Where we will post interesting information, news, articles and more!

Check back soon for updates, or visit GGS here