CT&D #15. Deconstructing a Print

Take apart a die cut printed object (cereal box, envelope, pop-up book, etc…) and photograph it as a deconstructed sequence. 

I chose to deconstruct a pocket folder (dimensions: 11.4” by 9.4” closed; 11.4” by 19” opened):

The folder is yellow from the outside and on the inside border trim and pockets. It also has two 3 hole strips hugging the center of the inside fold, great for holding loose notebook sheets.

Looking at the physical design of the folder, the outer middle edge had to be specifically shaped and folded (like an accordion) in order to accommodate the 3 hole strips on the inside.

In addition, the inside pockets had to be folded and glued to a separate strip that borders the extreme left- and righthand sides of the opened folder so they can last through wear and tear and not be prone to ripping apart quickly and easily.

As my sample is a pocket folder, scoring and die cutting had to be executed in the manufacturing process to create the foldable print. As factually stated, scoring ensures predictable folding areas of a print and die cutting ensures the creation of a shape that is necessary for a printed piece to become a  folder.

The scoring in this case concerns the folding of the front and behind printed sections as well as the inside pockets and 3 hole strip (which itself is folded in two).

The following picture should show roughly what die cutting may look like for a typical folder when implemented:

Noting on the accordion-like section of the folder’s center, it could be slightly expanded as there are three holes affixed to a small metal ring (that of which allows the two folded strips on the inside to hold loose papers before being fixed in place by a set of twistable pins). This is a pretty neat feature as there are not many folders that hold papers beyond the standard pockets due to the extra areas that need to be scored and die cutted, thereby adding more steps to the printing process of a folder like this.

Overall, deconstructing this folder gave me visual insight on how the manufacturing process works regarding assembly and how certain steps noticeably contribute to the creation of a customized print for use in applications.