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AN INDISPENSABLE GUIDE TO DIGITAL PRINT PUBLISHING IN NIGERIA. Graphic Communication in Nigeria reflects the fast-paced world of graphic communication. Using an introductory approach, the fundamental areas in the field of graphic communication are focused on. An in-depth, practical and up-to-date information on the workings of the graphic communications industry in Nigeria is showcased by highlighting the interplay between graphic arts and digital technology. In addition, the book contains a wealth of information on investments and training opportunities in the graphic communications industry.

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Graphic Communication

in Nigeria

Abdulrasheed Afolabi

Printed by:Pioneer PrintersLagos.

© Abdulrasheed Afolabi First published January 2011

All Rights Reserved

Published by

Page planning & cover designAbdulrasheed Afolabi

Print production supervisionAbdul Wakil Murtadha

ISBN: 978-978-912-418-3

Jowon Plaza, First Floor, #16, Tinubu Road, Illupeju Rd, Lagos. Tel: 08023543605 E-mail: [email protected],

Pioneer Publishing

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To my dearest father

A retired printer who ignited my love for the

ink and paper business.

Acknowledgments

Glory be to Allaah, The Merciful Lord. The Beneficent. The

Most Compassionate.

My profound appreciation goes to my parents Alhaji and Alhaja

Adeshina Afolabi for educating and raising me to adulthood.

Also, to my wife Halimah Raji-Afolabi and children Khadijah

and Khalid for their understanding and support.

In addition, my warmest appreciation goes to Mr Rukeme

Nuserime, the Dean of School of Art, Design and Printing

Technology, Yaba College of Technology. His constant prodding

on the need for academic staff to publish books on graphic arts

gave a fillip to publishing this book. The following wonderful

persons have also contributed immensely to the success of this

project; Mr. F.B. Ajimo, Mr. G.A. Adeniyan, Mr. C.O. Nwankwo,

Mr T.A. Agbaje, Mr. F.O. Jimoh, and Mrs. Bunmi Adetayo.

Lastly, I wish to show gratitude to the following who have

contributed immensely to my academic and professional

development: Professor Ralph A. Akinfeleye, Dr. Lai Oso, Dr.

Victor Ayedun-Aluma, Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy, Dr. Oloruntola

Sunday, Dr. Bunmi Ajibade, Mr. Olujimi Kayode, Dr. Yinka

Alawode, Dr. Isiaka Aliagan, Alhaji Ridwan Adeyemi, Dr. Zaid

Aderolu, Dr. Ibrahim Yusuf Arowosaiye and Mr. Opeyemi

Shobowale.

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Foreword

In spite of the much talked about threat to print, it is obvious that

the print medium still remains relevant in the media industry in

contemporary world. This is not a surprise: history has shown

that in the face of the emergence of a new medium, the old

medium, rather than die, merely evolves to co-exist with the new

one.

Certainly, the "Gutenberg era" is yet over as print has refused to

bow to even the latest kid on the block - the Internet. Print

continues to build on its numerous strengths, one of which is

permanence. The print media, no doubt, maintains a relevant

role in the mass communication industry today.

The graphic communication industry is a major aspect of the

media and communication field. From advertising to public

relations, journalism, instructional education, publishing, etc,

graphic communication has a central role to play. Unfortunately,

there is a dearth of good textbooks covering the vital aspects of

graphic communication. The book Graphic communications in

Nigeria is coming at the right time. The book is unique for a

number of reasons.

First, using an introductory approach it covers the fundamental

areas in the field of graphic communication. The presentation of

information in the book helps in prompting further enquiry by

the reader.

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Also, the author of the book makes a good attempt at relating the

age-long trade of graphic arts to the prevailing digital

technology. At the moment, there is virtually no area of human

activity that has escaped the impact of digital technology. By

highlighting the interplay between graphic arts and digital

technology, the book reflects the technology currently in use in

the graphic communications industry.

Besides, the book is written with the Nigerian audience in mind.

Apparently, the level of adoption of technology in the graphic

communication industry varies from country to country. By

putting the principles, trends and issues in the graphic arts

industry in the Nigerian context, the book helps readers acquire

an in-depth, practical and up-to-date knowledge on the workings

of the industry.

Moreover, the wealth of information on investments and training

opportunities in the book makes it an indispensable guide for

business investors and job seekers who may want to build a

career in the industry. Evidently, the graphic communication

industry is a gold mine that can be tapped into to power the

nation's drive for wealth creation and eradication of poverty.

From the above highlighted features, the book Graphic

communications in Nigeria will, no doubt, be of great use to

students, scholars and practitioners in the fields of journalism,

advertising, education, visual arts and other allied fields.

Particularly, the book is highly recommended to students in

courses like mass communication, printing technology, graphic

arts, industrial design, publishing and other related courses.

Lastly, readers should be rest assured that they will acquire

immense knowledge about graphic communications through the

information presented in this book.

Dr. Oloruntola Sunday

Department of Mass Communication,

University of Lagos, Yaba, Lagos

January 5, 2011

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GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIA GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIA

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Abdulrasheed Afolabi is a teacher and practicing graphic

communicator at the department of Printing Technology, School

of Art, Design and Printing Technology, Yaba College of

Technology, Yaba, Lagos. With a long and varied experience

spanning twenty years in the printing industry, the author has, at

various times, worked as trainee printer, production supervisor,

print estimator, print marketer and production editor. For three

years he worked as a publications officer on the book/journal

publishing project at the department of Mass Communication,

University of Lagos.

Afolabi graduated from the department of Printing Technology,

Yaba College of technology. Thereafter, he completed a post

graduate diploma course in Communication studies at the

Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication, Lagos State

University, (LASU) Surulere, Lagos. In addition to academic

trainings, the author has undertaken professional certificate

courses in advertising (APCON), computer graphics and Digital

prepress. He has recently rounded off a Masters programme in

Communication Studies at the school of communication, LASU.

He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Printers of Nigeria

(CIPPON).

About the Author

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Chapter 1

An Introduction to Graphic Communication 2

Communication is Life 2

Visual Communication: A Form of Communication 3

What is Graphic Communication? 4

Relevance of Graphic Communication in Contemporary

Nigeria 8

The Role of Computers in Graphic Communication 9

Digital Print Production Process 11

Old vs. New: The Faces of Printing Technology 12

Graphics in the Service of Communication for

Development 17

Chapter 2

The Verbal Elements of Graphic Communication 22

The Role of Typography in Graphic Communication 22

An Introduction to Typefaces 23

Factors in Choosing a Typeface 23

The Common Faces of Typefaces 24

Guidelines for Using Typefaces 30

Editing and Proofreading: Tools for Producing

Winning publications 34

Editing to the Rescue 35

"The 4Cs in the Service of the Cardinal C" 36

Proofreading as a Quality Control Mechanism 37

How Fonts Impact Business 40

Chapter 3

The Visual Elements in Graphic Communication 44

The Role of Visuals in Communication 44

An Overview of Visual Language 45

Features and Roles of the Basic Visual Elements 46

The Use of Colour in Graphic Communications 51

Colour Symbolism 52

Colours as Brand Symbols 53

The Importance of Colour in Educational Technology 55

Contents

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Chapter 4

Strategies for Effective Visual Message Design 58

Introduction to Visual Message Design 58

The Pattern of Human Eye Movement 59

Knowledge of the Target Audience 61

Planning and the Principles of Design 62

Layout Techniques for Effective Print Design 67

The Use of Visual Metaphor in Print advertising in

Nigeria 82

Chapter 5

Printing: History, Processes and Impact on Human

Development 86

The Genesis of Printing 86

The Basic Printing Methods 87

Relief Printing 88

Flexography: Letterpress' Attempt at Coping

with Change 90

Offset Lithographic Printing 92

The Lithographic Printing Plate 94

Gravure Printing Process 98

Silk Screen Printing Process 100

The Cultural Impact of Printing 102

A Brief History of Printing in Nigeria 104

Chapter 6

Printing and the Digital Revolution 108

The Digitalization of Print 108

The Fundamentals of Digital Imaging 109

Working with Scanners 111

Understanding Digital Prepress 114

The Digital Language 114

The Raster Image Processor (RIP) 115

The Imagesetter 116

The Importance of File Management in Digital Prepress 119

Sending your Work for Outputting 120

The New Technologies in Print Publishing in Nigeria 121

Large Format Printing: Producing Banners with

Digital Technology 127

Digitalization in Colour Separation: Impact on Print

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Production 128

Chapter 7

Branding and Printing: The Inseparable Duo 132

Branding for Survival 132

Strengthening Brands with Screen Printing 133

Screen Printing in Nigeria 134

Large Format Printing: A Virile Platform for

Outdoor Advertising 135

Enhancing Product Appeal with Packaging 136

A Look at Package Printing 138

Packaging in Nigeria 139

Heat Transfer Business in Nigeria: A Money Pot

for Entrepreneurs 143

Chapter 8

The Post Press: Turning Printed Sheets to Finished

Products 146

Printing Substrates as Media of Print 146

Cards/Boards for Print Production 148

The Importance of Finishing Operations 148

Cutting 149

Folding 150

Scoring 150

Perforating 151

Gathering and Collating 151

Punching and Drilling 152

Die-Cutting 152

Embossing 153

Foiling 154

Laminating 156

Binding 157

Paper Manufacturing Problems in Nigeria: Any

End in Sight? 162

Chapter 9

Legal and Ethical Issues in the Graphic Communication

Industry in Nigeria

Laws Prevent Chaos 166

The Importance of a Contract in Graphic

Communications Projects 167

Copyright Laws 168

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Passing Off 171

Important Guidelines for Printers and their Clients 172

Pornography 175

Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act,

1961 176

Counterfeiting 177

Relevant Laws on Professional Practice in Nigeria 178

Ethical and Moral Issues in Nigeria's Graphic

Communication Industry 182

Book Piracy in Nigeria: Printers beware! 186

Appendix A 189

Appendix B 199

Appendix C 203

Glossary 213

Index 219

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A graphics design studio

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Communication is Life

ife is meaningless without communication. In the simplest sense, communication is the conveying of Linformation through the sharing of meaning from one

person to another (inter personal) or from one individual to a number of other individuals (group communication) or from the originator of information (the source) to a widely dispersed heterogeneous audience (mass communication). In essence, communication is a variety of behaviours, processes and technologies by which meaning is transmitted or derived from

1information.

Thus, communication is based on information that is generated beforehand and then brought into form (encoding into symbols) that allows it to be transmitted to one or more other persons. The receiving person then decodes the message and derives meaning

2from the transmitted message. From the aforementioned, it can be deduced that the basic process of communication consists of the following elements:

Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes

before it can speak.- Lynell Burmark

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(i) The Source: i.e. the originator of the information.(ii) Encoding: This is the process of converting the information symbols into a form that allows transmission from one person to another.(iii) Message: the information to be transmitted.(iv) Medium: the channel through which the message is to be transmitted.(v) Decoding: the process of deriving or extracting meaning from the transmitted information.(vi) The Receiver: the recipient of information.

Visual Communication: A Form of Communication

Human communication takes place in two ways:

• Verbal communication: What can be read or heard.

• Visual communication : What can be seen.

Visual communication affects us in most profound ways; what we do, how we feel and even who we are. According to Albert Mehrabian, 93% of communication is non-verbal. A research conducted at the 3M Corporation concluded that we process

3visuals 60,000 times faster than text. That is perhaps why Lynell Burmark, the author of several books on visual literacy, said, “…

unless our words, concepts, ideas are hooked onto an image, they will go in one ear, sail through the brain, and go out the other

4ear.”

For example, it is much easier to show a circle than to describe it. (See Fig.1- 2) Graphic description Textual description

A curved line with every point equal distance from the center

Fig. 1-2. Importance of Visual Communication

Visual communication is a wide and multi-disciplinary field. It encompasses graphic communication, fine arts, multi-media, dance and choreography, photography, interior design, textile design, fashion design, etc. Visual communication, as Towson University puts it, applies the fundamentals of major art forms to

5“professional problem solving” . In other words, art is used as a medium for conveying specific ideas and messages.

What is Graphic Communication?

Graphic communication is the “process of selecting and arranging artistic elements in order to bring about understanding

6and meaning sharing.” Graphic communication is an art and a science; it is a blend of art, science, technology and management.

Fig. 1- 1. Diagram of the communication process

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Feedback

Noise

Source Encoding Message Channel Decoding Receiver

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Graphic communication refers to all areas of media and mass communication involving the creation, production, and distribution of images for advertising, marketing, books, magazines, newspapers, catalogues, packages and other media in

7printed and digital form. On its part, the International Graphic Arts Education Association (IGAEA) defines graphic communications as:

...the processes and industries that create, develop, produce, and disseminate products utilizing or incorporating words of pictorial images to convey information, ideas and feelings. GC (Graphic communications) products facilitate learning, enjoyment, motivation and commerce.

Graphic communications include family of market segments embracing the technologies of printing, publishing, packaging, electronic imaging, and their allied industries; they are often referred to as the graphic arts,

8print, or imaging industries.

Talking about graphic communication without reference to graphic design is like soup without salt. Graphic design is the back bone of graphic communication. It is a commercial form of art that is used to convey messages through meaning sharing. In specific terms, graphic design is:

…the arrangement of line, type, shape and texture under consideration of factors like balance, contrast, unity, value

9and colour on a printed page or any other given media.

In short, graphic design is used to achieve the objective of visual communication. As history records, William A. Dwiggins, in

1922, coined the term “graphic design” which finally led to the 10

recognition of the discipline as a viable profession. Graphic design unlike fine arts, seeks to communicate a message clearly to a target audience (Box 1-1 highlights the differences between graphic design and fine arts). Since we communicate at every point in our lives, design cannot be eliminated. That leads to the vital question, “Is graphic design really communication?” Essien Ikpe provides some insights:

…the most important elements of the communication process are the source/sender, or presenter/encoder, the text/message or code, channel, noise, receiver/decoder and feedback. Graphics has some influence on all these elements in contributing to meaning sharing. However, it is more pronounced in the element of the message or code. Message or code involves the use of symbols - verbal

11(words) and graphic (illustrations) - to convey meanings.

Since the goal of graphic communication is effective communication through graphic design; graphics, according to Ikpe, are therefore vital tools in the communication process to intensify, clarify and interpret human experience in visual communication.

At this juncture, an attempt will be made to link graphic design with the communication process. Here, the graphic designer as encoder uses symbols (the message) in the form of a poster, a press advert or a brochure (the medium) which is exposed to the target audience (the receiver) who are then able to decode the meaning of the visual messages based on their knowledge or cultural experience.

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Also, Peter Muller showed that graphic design is a communication process by his reference to the noise factor in the visual communication process. (As explained earlier, noise is one of the essential elements in the communication process). He explained that an increase in information for the recipient of transmitted information through unintended means introduces uncertainty about the transmitted message. Examples of noise elements in the graphic communication process include bad prints, poor paper quality, poor reproduction of tones and colour, bad layout, inappropriate typography, wrong choice of photographs, e.t.c. All these introduce noise into graphic messages and can distort the effect or impact of a design project.

Relevance of Graphic Communication in Contemporary Nigeria

Graphic communication finds extensive use in the following areas:

• Instructional education: Visualization is a vital tool in achieving educational objectives. It is one of the strategies educationists use in achieving effective communication in educational instructions. The varieties of visual materials used in schools include photographs, line drawings, paintings, posters, slides, classroom charts, signs, films, models, graphs, books and

12newspapers.

• Publishing: Publishers of books, newspapers, magazine and other periodicals have found increasing use of images and effective layout as the audience become more image-reliant. With the stiff competition from television, business-savvy publishers have come to appreciate that the way to go is to put more images on the printed sheet.

• Advertising and Public Relations: The marketing communications industry remains the foremost user of graphic communication. Specifically, advertising is one field that relies on extensive use of visual images to communicate messages to target audience. Reports as at 2006 indicate that the advertising

13 industry billings in Nigeria was in the region of N34 Billion. Advertising as an instrument of organized marketing is

14reinforced by apt display of quality print materials. Print items like press adverts, outdoor adverts, promotional items, etc requiring graphic communication processes take quite a large chunk of advertising campaign budgets.

• Social marketing: Graphics are used extensively as visual materials in behavioral communication for change.

GRAPHIC Highlight

Box I-1: Differences between graphic design and fine arts

Micheal Brady, an art critic, affirms that “ art and design are different. The differences between art and design lie not so much in how they look as in what they do: They have different purposes, they are made differently, they are judged by different criteria, and they have different audiences”.

Brady concludes: “The difference between art and design is in the way we look at them. Design is meant to be looked away from and art to be looked at and into. Design graces our lives with the aesthetic presentation of useful and beneficial things, and art graces us with representations of things to ponder and perceive. Art and design are closely related but nonetheless separate. It is a good thing to keep them straight.”

Michael Brady Eyesite: Art and Design: What?s the Big Difference?http://www.unc.edu/~jbrady/Essays/Art_Design.html

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• Multimedia design: website design has taken graphic communication to new heights in recent time. With the emergence of “motion graphics” that have found great use in areas such as cartoon production and animation, the best is yet to come from multimedia graphic communicators.

• TV Production: Graphics are used in producing montages used in television programme production as well as footages that accompany news items.

• Business presentation: Business graphics are used widely in enhancing the presentation appeal of business executives. A carefully packaged business proposals embellished with good and communicative graphics is more likely to get more attention from decision makers than a business proposal that presents the facts and figures in a bland, uninteresting or non-captivating manner.

The Role of Computers in Graphic Communication

The field of graphic communication witnessed the introduction of computers in 1985 as the Macintosh computer blazed the trail of the desktop publishing revolution at the global level. Computers gained wide industrial use in the Nigerian visual arts industry around the early 1990s. Computers, no doubt, acted as catalyst for the rapid development of the visual arts industry in Nigeria in the last two decades.

William Arens, author of the bestselling Contemporary Advertising, considers the computer a time saver, a stress saver and a motivator to producing great visuals. He says:

By using graphics or imaging programs on computers, today's graphic artist or designer can do much of the work previously performed by staff artists. On the screen, the artist can see an entire page layout, complete with illustrations and photos, and easily alter any of them in a few minutes. Before computers, designing a variety of layouts could take days, and final art was not as so detailed

15or complete as designs created today on the computer.

PC and Macintosh-based computer systems have been found to be very ideal for computer graphics design. Design softwares that are commonly used in the Nigerian graphic arts industry include: Pagemakers, QuarkXpress (for page making), and CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator (for drawing and general graphic design), Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint (for image manipulation) and Microsoft Word (for word processing). These computer hardware and software have changed the process of preparing visuals in graphic communication. Generally, the enhanced productivity which computers have engendered in graphic communication has in many ways translated into profitability

Fig 1-3. Computer graphics softwares have taken over the traditional skills in the graphic arts industry.

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and job satisfaction to graphic communicators. But it has also not been without some casualties. The casualties who have been swept aside by the wind of technological change are the traditional graphic artists who rely on the cut-and-paste cum air-brush technique.

Evidently, the causalities are the recalcitrant skilled hands who refused to blend with technology. As Lisa Walker and Steve Blount reiterate in their book, Getting the Max from Your Graphics Computer, “the burning question is not whether to use

16design computers, but how.” Since graphic communication is presently largely driven by technology, the graphic communicators must adapt to change. In adaptation lies their survival and job satisfaction.

Digital Print Production Process

The emergence of computer technology has brought profound changes to the way graphic reproduction is done. With particular reference to print advertising, the most important development in computer graphics in recent years is the digitization of images. Digitizing is a computer process of breaking an image (illustration) into grid of small squares. Each square is assigned a computer code for identification. With a digitized image, computer graphics specialists can break down an illustration and reassemble it or import other components into the original image.

There are various types of processes used in print production. The major ones are letterpress, gravure, offset lithography, flexography, screen printing, electronic printing and computer

print production. The features of the above processes are outlined in chapter five.

Old vs. New: The Faces of Printing Technology

The digitization of print, as mentioned earlier, has brought about a new phase in the history of printing. This has given printing technology an entirely new face. In the traditional print production process, there are six stages. They are:

1. Layout and Design: the creation of a plan for the design. The graphic artist, using a layout pad, T-square, triangle, pens, and pencils, works through various alternatives on the best visual presentation of the message.

2. Composition: this is the assembling of alphabetical characters and image into a paste-up mechanical that is referred to as the camera-ready copy.

3. Photo-conversion: this is the camera work of converting the camera-ready copy into films. It involves photographing the mechanical unto light sensitive materials using the darkroom camera. The exposed films are then developed through a chemical process. The end product of this process is a positive or negative film.

4. Image carrier making: the image carrier could be a letterpress etched plate or a lithographic plate. The activities involved include stripping and platemaking using the films produced from the photo-conversion process.

5. Image transfer/duplication: this process is the mass production of the image by transferring the image on the image

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carrier unto the substrate which could be paper, cardboard, polymer etc. The printing machines used in doing this are varied in working principles, sizes, speed and efficiency.

6. Finishing and binding: at this stage, the mass printed sheets are completed through a series of activities that include cutting folding, perforating, drilling and binding.

In sharp contrast to the above scenario, print production in the ICT driven society is hugely streamlined, leading to faster production and high print quality. Here, there are only three stages:

1. Pre-press stage: all activities involved in preparing the file for reproduction. This starts with designing and ends with the making of the printing plates. This includes stage1-4 in the traditional print production process in Fig. 1-6.

2. Press stage: the actual mass reproduction on the printing press using the different printing processes available. This is stage 5 in the traditional print production process in Fig.1-6.

3. Post-press stage: popularly dubbed the finishing stage, it entails the collating, folding, stitching and trimming of printed materials. All activities involved in packing for distribution also under this stage.

Fig. 1-4. The different stages of letter composition in the traditional composing system

Types are stored in the type case Type composing with the composing stick

Composed type in a galleryThe chase housing the printing form.The chase is secured using furniture and quoins

Fig. 1-5. The different parts of the cutting machine used in post press

Light barrier

Side table withaligning gauge

Cutting buttons

Paper pile in cutting position Handwheel for

the final settingof dimensions

Pedal

Machine Table

Cutting table/air cushion table

Knife andpressing bar

Control panel Light barrier

Frame

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Graphic Perspective

Graphics in the Service of Communication for Development

The process of developing print materials for social campaigns like breast-feeding, polio vaccination, smoking, etc thrives on a sound k n o w l e d g e o f d e s i g n communication. Words and images are the two basic elements of the print medium. Print has the advantage of permanence thus print materials are often used in social marketing campaigns. Some examples include:

Flip charts: they are regarded as one of the best interpersonal communication tools for creating dialogue and rapport between field staff and rural communities.

Picture cards: they are drawings used in similar way as flip charts. However, they are different from flipcharts in the sense that they do not portray a series of events but a single act and they are usually on paper.

Others are: Handbills (flyers), posters and billboard.

Message DevelopmentDeveloping the concept for a behavioral change campaign starts with outlining a strategy. This strategy must be shaped by an

analysis of the problem. To develop a n e f f e c t i v e s t r a t e g y , communicators must have a good grasp of the most relevant factors causing the main problems. The concept developed must be transformed into a message. The message is a short phrase or sentence that summarizes the story in simple and understandable terms. A good message must be short, straight to the point and interesting.

VisualizationVisualization is the task of reinforcing messages with visuals. Visuals are crucial to people’s ability to u n d e r s t a n d a n d r e m e m b e r messages. However, the visual images must be culturally relevant and appropriate ones.

The Creative Strategy/Copy PlatformThe creative strategy is a written strategy statement of the most important issues to be considered in designing the messages. The copy platform on the other hand seeks to

1

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examine the questions who, why, where, when and how of the messages.

Layout OptionsNo graphic design project will communicate effectively unless the graphic designer pays high premium on how people read/view the printed page, a knowledge of the target audience and a firm grasp of the principles of design and layout techniques for effective print design.

While reading a printed page, the traditional form of movement of the human eye is a Z. All layout options should follow this pattern.

Pre-testingThe essence of pre-testing is to help project staff know whether the intended audience understand and like the draft materials before they are produced in the final form.

In carrying out this process, interviewers show the draft materials to members of the audience and ask open-ended questions to know if the message is understood and acceptable. The more the level of pre-testing, the better for materials development.

The variables to be measured in pre-testing are:

Comprehension: is the message clear and the language (verbal and visual) appropriate?

Attractiveness: the visual may be unnoticed if printed in dull colours.

Acceptance: the visual must not be offensive to the audience.

Involvement: the intended audience must be able to identify with the material and recognize the message as meant for them.

Call to Action: the materials must state explicitly what the target audience must do. If however, the material does not ask for action, the point is not tested.

Finished ArtworkBased on the data generated from the field via pre-testing, modifications of the visuals are effected. As much as possible, the views of respondents must be incorporated since the essence of field testing is to ensure the effectiveness of print materials.

It must be reiterated that it is not only the comprehension of visual materials that is important but the acceptability.

At this juncture, specifications required in accomplishing the task should be defined. In order to get print production costs from printers, specifications such as the printing process, sizes, quality of paper, quantity of jobs, etc must be specified.

Lastly, the print production should be monitored to ensure that the message is not distorted.

Source: Excerpts from a presentation by the author at a workshop on print materials development for breast-feeding campaign organized by UNICEF and Lagos State Ministry of Information from 17th-20th November, 2009

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Print Industry: The Meeting Point. P. 25th15. Arens, W. (2004). Contemporary Advertising. (9 ed.) New York:

McGrawHill p.40916. Lisa Walker and Steve Blount , (1991) Getting the Max from Your

Graphics Computer. Ohio: F & W Publications Inc

NOTES

1. Muller, Peter (n.d) “Communication through Graphic Design”. R e t r i e v e d O c t o b e r 2 2 , 2 0 0 9 from http://www.prmueller.de/downloads/GraphicCommunication.pdf

2. Ibid3. Cited in Parkinson, Mike (2007). “The Power of Visual

C o m m u n i c a t i o n ” R e t r i e v e d O c t o b e r 3 0 , 2 0 0 8 from www.billiondollargraphics.com/infogrpahics.html

4. Ibid5. ___________“Introduction to Visual Communication” Retrieved

October 30, 2008 from www.shargaj.ac.ae6. Ikpe, Essien (2000). “Graphics of Communication”. In Wilson Des

(ed.) Introduction to Print Media. Ibadan: Sterling-Holden Publishers Ltd. Pp 96-124

7. Excerpts from the website of Graphic Communications program, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Retrieved October 22, 2009 from www.grc.calply.edu

8.http://tecjed.vt.edu.16080/gcc/html/virtualTextbook/PDFs/Definition of Graphic Comm.pdf

9. Peterson, Bryan. (1996). Using Design Basics to Get Creative Results. Cited in Parkinson

10. Gatta et al. cited in “Communication through graphic design” by Peter Muller

11. Ikpe, Essien (2000), p. 9812. Ogili, E. (2005). “Strategies for Effective Communication of

Educational Instructions in Nigeria” Malaysian Online Journal of Instructional Technology. Vol 2, No 1. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http//pppjj.usm.my/mojit/articles/pdf/April05/07-Ezja.pdf

13.allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Advertising Industry Billings Hit N34 Billion. Retrieved from allafrica.com/stories/200609270231.html

14.Printers’ Digest (May/June 2009). Advertising Agency and the

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