1st Committee MeetingFor six weeks, Moripass members worked in teams to create prototypes of their zines. At the second meeting, they brought their prototypes together, deepened their knowledge of printing, paper, and typesetting, and worked to improve them.
Interested in printing and paper technology
On Sunday, July 28th, we headed to the printing factory of Hokaze Co., Ltd., which provides printing support to Moripass Club members. Upon arriving in a large room where the sounds of the printing equipment could be heard up close, we first attended a printing and paper seminar given by Hokaze and Takeo Co., Ltd., which also provides paper support to Moripass Club members.
There are three main printing methods for Hokaze: offset, digital offset, and on-demand. Moripass uses digital offset, which has good print quality and is easy to handle for small lots. We confirmed that the paper can be selected from high-quality papers such as fine paper.
Looking through the print and paper samples and receiving detailed explanations from the professionals, the members were fascinated by the printing and paper techniques that will be used to create their zines. For example, when they looked at the print samples through a magnifying glass, one team exclaimed with delight, "Wow!" as they discovered that the color scheme and shades of color were expressed using a four-color dot pattern.
After the seminar, the members split into two groups to tour Hokaze's printing factory. Listening to the sounds of the machines, smelling the ink, and stimulating all five senses, they toured the factory where the printing techniques they learned in the seminar are used, and gained more tangible knowledge. During the factory tour, for example, some members cheered, "Wow!" when they saw the large offset printing equipment. Their eyes were sparkling.
After that, it was time to present the prototypes of the zines they had been creating over the past six weeks. In front of printing and paper professionals, they discussed which paper would be best suited to the content, and whether the paper's basis weight (a unit of paper thickness) would match the desired folding method.
The members received professional advice that even the same white paper can have subtle differences, and that the impression of a zine can change dramatically depending on the paper you choose. What kind of improvements will they make to their zines during the group work session that evening?
We aim to create a unique zine that fits our concept!
After lunch, the participants headed to Morisawa's Tokyo headquarters to attend a typesetting seminar led by Morisawa, where each team began to refine their zines.
In the typesetting seminar, participants learned about the attention to detail that goes into creating fonts, and how the finished font can be made easier to read and understand depending on how it is typeset. Some of the eight teams' zines focused on interview articles, while others focused on visuals of LINE-style conversation screens, meaning each team approached typesetting with a different approach. The knowledge they gained here provided them with the materials they needed to consider appropriate typesetting.
Morisawa also shared the exciting news that Moripass Club members will be able to volunteer as venue staff at the international typography conference "ATypI," which will be held in Japan for the first time in 2019. Moripass Club members in 2019 will have the opportunity to experience the charm of fonts outside of club activities if they wish.
After the seminar and news session, it was time for polishing. Each team explained their zine plans with samples in hand and received advice from the Moripass Club's advisor and manager. The advisor and manager, who had been watching the zine production process in the group chat for six weeks since the first meeting, praised the members' hard work and offered advice on how to take the zine to the next level.
"Moji no ZINE" is unique in that it is structured around Morisawa as the client and the students as the readers. The members, who had grown more attached to the zine over the course of six weeks, were told to once again keep the client and readers in mind while aiming to create a zine that would express their own thoughts.
Expectations are high for the members who have developed teamwork
The day concluded with a 50-minute group work session to sort out key points for improvement, and a presentation of a schedule and improvement plan based on the remaining production period. With just a few days left in the production period, the members were determined to create an even more appealing zine that would "turn on" the sensitivity of the font.
After six weeks, the members gathered in groups and a sense of teamwork emerged, with each group naturally dividing up tasks based on their areas of expertise. Their expressions conveyed the sense of accomplishment they felt working together as a team to make a better zine.
What kind of zine will be produced at the third meeting? We look forward to seeing the finished zine, filled with the charm of words that only Moripass Club members can convey!