Dummies
Introduction
You now have determined the prepress preparation required to proceed to the
next phase of the reproduction process. This is the phase of preparing a
mock-up, called a dummy, that you paste and bind together in exact
reproduction size. Dummies show the areas in publications that illustrations
and text occupy. They show the size, the binding, and the paper of the final
product. They enable you, your crew, and the originator to visualize the end
product, project problems, and settle controversial points while still in the
planning stage. Once production begins, dummies also serve as a guide to
keep the project on track. Prepare your dummies before the mechanicals.
The two types of dummies are the preliminary dummy and the paste-up
dummy.
Preliminary
dummies
The preliminary dummy should be made up before the publication is typeset.
General
Start by making thumbnail sketches, building your design around the most
construction of
important elements on the page. In a preliminary dummy for a lengthy
preliminary
dummies
publication, make the layouts for key pages first, such as the cover, the title
page, and one or two of the text pages. This should give you an idea about
how many pages the publication will take. You may be able to copyfit small
publications to determine the number of overall pages.
Figure 1-21 shows a series of thumbnail sketches for a preliminary dummy.
Figure 1-21.—Thumbnail sketches
for a preliminary dummy.
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