Abstract.Book design rhythm is reflected from book overall plan design, preparation of content and visual form, material process and many other aspects. In modern book design, rhythm penetrates into almost all of the books design. Like outstanding films have up and down plots, our book design should also be full of rhythm and changes. This article is based on visual point of reading, analyzes the basic elements of book design from the rhythm aspect, helps to improve the diversity of modern book design, and bring more fun and imagination to the reader"s reading process.
Key words： book binding; rhythm; research
1. Introduction
Books are a great symbol of human civilization, they are tools for human transmission of knowledge and accumulation of culture. They have become the perfect product for human ideas exchange for its information carrying capacity, ease of distribution and characteristics of highly collectible since ancient times. A good book is like an old friend, breathes the same air, and grows with you, filled with stories. A good book design is telling the story behind, which is not finished by the words.
In book design, we can clearly feel the rhythm in place, from functional to aesthetic reading needs, from the sensory aware to information convey, from the present forms to the design aesthetics, from the overall design. This rhythm is flow between subjective and objective, physical, emotional and symbol. We are subtly influence by beauty through reading, and enjoy the rhythm.
With the development of time and the improvement of people"s aesthetic needs, Book Binding Art is beginning to attract the attention of designers. Book design rhythm is presented through the book"s overall pattern plan design, preparation and form of content and graphic visual, materials, process design and many other areas. It is a question worthy of further study that how to make the books design to be in line with the law of beauty, the overall design is to be closely tied to the theme of the book, to achieve design rational positioned, target purposeful, and visual prominence.
2. The concept of book design
For a long period of time, people called for the book design as book binding design, it is often understood as synonymous of cover design. Even if in nowadays, a large number of people who does not have systematic design education has such understanding. In the book designer"s research has pointed out the limitations of era for word "Binding". As Mr. Kohei Sugiura said: "In the mid-1960s, I have started the overall design of books, including design of text layout, word, font, size, title, directory, title page, cover, letter sets, belt and the copyright page, and all papers, materials selection, set the printing and binding process, and even the varieties for book promotion. There are kinds of conflict in the "Book Design" concept initialization, implementation, and establishment process, as well as theory, technology disputes, but eventually it is understood by everybody. "Contemporary book design is no longer a simple cover design, but necessary combination of fragmented text and graphics to form a whole, the image of a certain language to convey the meaning to readers. Appropriate text, graphics, colors, layout selection, will not only beautify the books, but the more important is show the content of books, convey the image of cultural implication of the books to the reader.
2.1.Concept of rhythm
Rhythm is ubiquitous wizard in the world. There are all kinds of rhythm throughout the entire universe, from the original house of the electronic spin, the planets orbit in a huge run, jump repeatedly when running cheetah, quiet swing of the bamboo, and even the rhythm of our heartbeat and breathing, are strong rhythmic phenomenon in nature. Rhythm is the infiltration of connotation, is fertile ground for the breeding of all other laws.
2.2.Characteristics of rhythm in books design
To make rhythmic design changes for simple text, graphics, content, will form music works in different styles. The reader will feel pleasure in reading and spirit and other aspects. It is like another explanation of rhythm: "A regular, continuous complete form of exercise. To organize various changes factor using repeated, corresponding forms to form a coherent and orderly whole (ie, rhythm) . "
Physiology and psychology common sense tells us that the human visual attention has a time limit. Book design requires making a reasonable mix of visual and psychological changes of the reader in unit reading time with the content of the book, making rhythmic adjustment includes segmentation, contrast, on different part of the book and the visual design elements. By doing so, readers also have priorities in the reading process, generates the rhythm, improves the reading efficiency.
3.Performance of rhythm in modern book design
3.1.Reflection of rhythm in overall shape design of books
Modern book design is composed of cover page, ring lining, title page, text and other content. A book is like a building, also like a piece of music, the cover is the entrance, the prelude. Title page catalog is like a corridor, leading the reader into the author"s world, every page; every article in the body of the content is like rooms in the building, like the music changes in each section, full of rhythm, lead the readers to experience in-depth.
Binding Art is fundamentally, an art has three-dimensional, multi-dimensional, multi-level, multi-factor. So the books’ "shape" should be reflected in three-dimensional, multi-dimensional, multi-level, dynamic space. In this content-rich three-dimensional level, the rhythm needs of visual reading is proposed during the dynamic behavior of the reader during reading. Readers need to absorb different information in priorities by visual, and books should be unified into a rhythmic in whole, like a piece of music, to please reader"s pleasure optic nerve, rather than just telling a tale.
Some people use the metaphor of architectural art for book binding. Architectural art is the art of building space, static art, but it can produce rhythm through layout, resulting in a flow of feeling. Book binding is same, through the covers, ring lining, title page, to get closer to the body. The continuous appreciation process is like visiting Chinese garden. To get into the garden gate, and gradually deepen, through winding streets. Finally, enter the main hall. In the main hall, see the image of the master, activities, and environment through the illustrations window. This constantly moving process from the outside into inside has different rhythm changes, according to different types and styles of genre content of the book.
pursuit of change rhythm of ups and downs in books form can make book content expression sublimation. Designers should learn to embed the text into dynamic form, weave a rational level graphics. Text, images, color, just like the beating notes throughout, no matter it is stationary point, or flow line, can show the changes in tempo and rhythm in book design. The Sixth National Book Binding Art Exhibition Gold award winner, "Chinese Academy of Sciences library literature collection catalog", its layout design is just like this. The use of grid lines of visual image recognition system, weaves together those graphics scattered by layout into variety sizes, form a symphony of photos and text, and interprets rhythm rich of musical melody.
As a binding visual language of art, form factor, its main function is dynamic and symbolic meaning, whether it is shape, or color, which itself is symbolic. The symbolic use of visual language to express ideas, feelings are entirely possible. So, Rodin said: "Everything is thinking. Everything is symbolic". For example, the format is like the human body, drawing near, style utterly. For different types of books, needs to choose different "body", also reflects different rhythm, large format appears majestic solemn, like a symphony, small format appears small and lively, like a happy song.
In the art of book binding, the combination or the relationship of combinations of form factor is an important tool to create binding art "significant form". For different combinations of visual form, the purpose is to create a harmonious order structures, that is, the orders of points and lines, light and shade, colors, symbols, shape, and so on. Who meet the order form can be presented positively, constitute a form of visual continuity, form the book’s beauty of order, the beauty of rhythm, so that creates a harmony aesthetic relations between readers and books, and directly appeals to the eyes. At the same time, induce the reader into the reading state, to feel the pleasure.
Like the "most beautiful book in Germany in 2011," award-winning books, the overall design of the book is full of rational rhythm, definitely eye-catching fluorescent white arranged orderly, make the structure of such a large amount of literature clear, also played a decorative effect. Get the book in hand make one pleasant, will not feel lost because of interest in the well-organized layout during reading. It breaks the traditional arrangement of the text, to create a whole with the cover design, play a very important aesthetic role.
3.2.Rhythm Reflection of Book content and layout design
Critical and dissemination of the readers who living in fast-paced, high-efficiency, in formalization conditions, to the information transmission, is the greatest power for book design to carefully weave the book content. Obviously, to provide readers with easy to read, easy to understand information, is forced by the times. Body of the book is central to the whole book, the longest part reader access to. The integrated complex of structures formed from pictures, text, content and other auxiliary elements, just like the internal structure of a person"s body, if exercise according to reasonable rhythm and order, it will reflect the individual style, vice versa will be "sick, problems, lack of coordination."
The design of body part is to make regular design for a large number of text and images under the effect of the version heart, to effectively combine different sections of the book together, to build a visual bridge between readers and the ideological content of books. During reading, the page turning action itself, absorbs the flow and time, constitute a kind of beauty. A picture made of folded bound book, which has not only the concept of space, but also has the time vector. The space changes between previous and next page, left and right page, brought the image changes, which eventually gave rise to visual changes, that is, the visual process. Visual processes in the order book, divided into flat shape and form layout, showing the line of sight can only produce one focus. So when people read a message, there is always a natural visual flow habit, what is looked at first, after, and after. Psychological research shows that: people"s attention unevenly distributed in a given plane, the greatest attention is upper, left and middle upper. Therefore, it can produce flow of beauty during layout design so long as handling the rhythm of visual, enhancing the induction of visual process.
Information content woven of the book is to capture and convey the core content of the article through text, graphics, charts, colors, symbols, signs and all the visual image that can be mobilized logistics. However, exist of the element must be in accordance with the law of the reader"s visual processes, can not be taken for granted to design.
Books are inseparable from the text.
In book binding, font appears first as style element. Different font has independent character in use. It can enhance the content and expression of the book, has a strong visual impact and a unique aesthetic value. Like Times New Roman, rigorous and generous, upright shape: bold, rough thick, strong and resolute; official script, vigorous unadorned, simple and elegant; regular script, correct popular, smooth and natural; running hand, smooth and easy. If put the antique font on the colorful children"s books cover, it is like a child with a long beard on mouth; If put the lively font on the cover of a deep heavy classic book, elegant and solemn feeling will disappear.
The control of combination of text and space density is important. In arranging the location of the text, structure change and font combination, should give full consideration to the location and size of the negative form. Such as: Quad relatively takes large share of space, more suitable for horizontal layout, Long font is suitable for long vertical layout.
Books cannot be without images.
In book design, image is the design elements to assist the conveyance of textual content. Its primary purpose is to make clear visual text instructions, while play the role of decorative and landscaping books. Compared with abstract print media, image has superiority of visual, readable, sensible, but also has advantages of accurate, clear, easy to identify, understand fast, simple transfer, etc., can be rich in sense of humor and fun besides rational. At the same time, it is not be limited by culture, language and other conditions, is widely recognized as the most suitable "international common language" to convey information.
Good graphic design can make silent communication through visual language whereas there is no text. It can transcend geographical limitations, language barriers, integration of cultural differences, so as to achieve the artistic effect of silent infection.
The proper use of images in books can rich layout level, given the book the rhythm of information conveyance, expanding the reader imagination, giving the reader a better reading experience. Such as the design of "home” by Lv Jing Ren, it is a very interesting rhythmic contrast. In its cover design, in order to strengthen the atmosphere of the novel theme, Lv Jing Ren exaggerated design big version of lanterns, and the wind and rain eroded rings on the door.
people background under the word "Home", on the rich texture of gray special paper, together with red, gold and black color, constitutes a beautiful, brilliant yet deep composite colors, text superimposed layers, as complex as it can, trying to show the performance of that heavy "home" written by Ba Jin. When to use addition, subtraction, simplified, number, density, considers the rhythm of opening and closing, is what the designer must grasp.
3.3.Reflection of rhythm of book design on material process
Reading book is different from appreciation a painting. Book requires the reader to touch, from the visual experience to the tactile experience, combination of content and materials, pass a message together to the reader and arouse the reader"s psychological reflection. Different materials with dissimilar characteristics, and the books made from them showing a very different visual and tactile experience, giving readers different emotional changes. Reasonable choice and clever use of materials can play marvelous expression and creativity in "no language text, not images paintings".
Texture of books’ materials can cause readers visual and tactile feel, smooth, rough, soft, hard, and this is very important to book design. Because reading books is not to meet the general spirit requirement, but also to regain the feeling of fresh with their own emotional experience, this is the "tactile sense" of material. People holding books to read page by page touch the soft or strong, beautiful or elegant; will bring all sorts of other feelings and associations besides visual text. Excellent book design, from the text to the ring lining, from the sealed to protect from the seal, will make us understand the unique personality in the reading process by selecting appropriate materials.
For example, the hardcover book " Classic Thousand Characters by Zhu Xi " designed by Lv Jing Ren, full of rhythm from content to form. Reverse carved with 1,000 characters in Paulownia board to make the letter sets the surface pattern, in addition to naturally reminiscent of the Song Dynasty woodblock printing, and also create contrast against text paper, showing smooth and rough, soft and hard. Text layout framework divided into segmentation of different sizes by Civil and military lines, different levels of black and white gray block distribution, extensive body of words and the book of the New Roman characters form a graceful contrast, the book is designed both to expand and restrained, with harmonic movement, rhythm beauty and the beauty of a perfect blend of calligraphy.
4. Conclusion
In the 21st century, as people fascinate with new cutting-edge science and technology, lead to different state of mind, values, aesthetic sense and the concept of time and space and so on, from the previous. At the same time, make the visual communication design change from the previous plane, static form, to dynamic, comprehensive direction.
In short, as society, changing in people"s awareness and technological advances, the rhythm aesthetic in book binding will also occur changes in different nature.
5. References
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[2]Lv, Jingren, book arts study[M], Beijing: China Youth Press, 2006.
[3]Xu, Lingli. Aesthetic research on Books design art [D]. Wuhan: Wuhan University of Technology, 2006.
[4]Chen, Si, Chen, Limin, Analysis on the flow beauty of books layout design, [J]. Anhui Literature, 2010, (8) :114-115.
[5]Li Yujun, Book binding overall design [M], Guiyang: Guizhou Education Press 2006,25-46.
[6]Kohei Sugiura, Japan"s modern book design [M], Beijing: Living? Reading? Knowledge Joint Publishing 1999.