Author Archives: Brian Lawler

About Brian Lawler

Brian Lawler is an Emeritus Professor of Graphic Communication at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and was a Guest Professor at Hochschule München from September, 2021 to September, 2022. He writes about graphic arts processes and technologies for various industry publications, and on his blog, The Blognosticator.

Folding by the numbers

This is an update of a blog I wrote in 2010. I added new information based on a new version of the flyer discussed. I printed a project in late summer – a four-panel “tourist” flyer designed to go into … Continue reading

Posted in Imposition and Pagination | 3 Comments

Get a Grip!

Wherein the Blognosticator acts as Key Grip for his son in a beautiful redwood forest My Son Patrick is a cinematographer in Los Angeles. You have probably seen his work if you watch music videos, or have looked through the … Continue reading

Posted in Digital video, New technology, People, Photography | 1 Comment

Fine art reproduction, complete

This blog originally appeared on What They Think in September, 2010. I have updated it here with new information about fine art reproduction. In my last two blogs I discussed the process of reproducing fine art. So far we have … Continue reading

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Fine art reproduction, continued

This blog originally appeared on What They Think in September, 2010. I have updated it here, and will add new information on the topic in the coming days. In my blog yesterday I described how to make a “fine art” … Continue reading

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Wherein The Blognosticator attempts fine art reproduction

This blog originally appeared on What They Think in September, 2010. I will supplement it in the coming days with more up-to-date information. I made a deal sometime back with my friend Carlen that I would make a reproduction of … Continue reading

Posted in Color Management, Photography, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A story of amazing proportion

Back in the Awkward Years (1960-1984) we used to make paste-ups, then photograph them on large process cameras to make large sheets of film from which aluminum printing plates were made. Photographs were handled separately from line art, and the … Continue reading

Posted in Education, History, Photography | Leave a comment

Attention all alumni

While chatting with a fellow last night, I learned that he was “an alumni of Cal Poly.” The problem is that he’s not an alumni. He’s an alumnus. This is a problem word, one used almost universally incorrectly in our … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Language and grammar, People | Leave a comment

Working with the new iOne Display Pro

I’ve been monkeying around with the new iOne Display Pro, a new color instrument from X-Rite that replaces the iOne Display instrument that some of us have been using for years. The iOne Display Pro, and its not-too-distant cousin the … Continue reading

Posted in Color Management, Education, New technology, Photography | 2 Comments

Blognosticator news

Greetings, loyal readers (both of you), I apologize for falling off the edge of the Earth recently. After my post about micrometers, I was struck down by a bolt of kidney lightning, and have been in bed for three weeks. … Continue reading

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How to read a micrometer

Printers and prepress people often need to know things like the thickness of a sheet of paper, or the thickness of a blanket. We make calculations for packing, for folding, for the spine of a book, and more, using measurements … Continue reading

Posted in Education | Leave a comment