1, paper selection

The development of modern science and technology will inevitably promote the development of culture and art, and special paperboard has been popularized and used in various fields of design. From outdoor advertising and product packaging to book binding, product samples and business cards, the paper and printing they use are becoming more and more exquisite, and specialized paper shops can be seen everywhere in major cities. However, in the face of various colors and textures of paper, how should we choose the paper suitable for hard-pen calligraphy creation and binding? This is the first problem to be solved. When selecting paper, you can basically follow the following rules:

First, color. Hard pen calligraphy itself is an elegant art. Try to use low purity black and gray series in color selection. Even if the hue is obvious, choose the color with low purity, and avoid using the color with high purity and strong hue, such as red, big green and big purple. To put it bluntly, the colors used should be elegant and generous. In some competition works, we can also see some works, the scarlet letter head and the green background are quite dazzling, and even some works use many kinds of high-purity colors. At first glance, they look like patches on old clothes. Of course, they have no aesthetic feeling. However, the ultimate goal of contrast is harmony, and only harmony can make our visual experience more comfortable. Therefore, when making this comparison, we should consider brightness as much as possible, not purity, that is, the brightness of the paper. For example, the letter core is white or beige, which belongs to the high-brightness color system and is relatively bright. Then, when making the base material, you can choose some black and gray paper with lower brightness, so that the distance between the letter core and the base material is widened in brightness, which forms a contrast and highlights the effect of the work. On the other hand, if the word core is white on a black background, then the substrate can be considered to choose white, yellow, pink and other brightness substrates. Only in this way can we achieve satisfactory results. By the way, I would like to add that hue, lightness and purity are the three basic elements of color. The colorful world we see every day and its changing rules can be explained by the principles of these three elements.

Hue: The original color, such as red, yellow and blue.

Brightness: the brightness of a color, such as: blue is dark and the brightness is low; Lemon yellow is getting brighter and brighter.

Purity: the degree of bright and turbid color, such as bright red. Strong color sense and high purity; Ochre, weak color sense, low purity.

Second, the texture. Modern special paperboard is rich in texture and variety. There are stripes, ripples, bark lines, patterns, slippery surfaces and so on. When writing the prefix of a work, try to choose smooth and shallow paper. If you choose deep dermatoglyphics, the lines of paper will hinder the whole writing process and affect the quality and effect of strokes. As the base, you can choose stripes and bark lines with obvious lines, which can make the works look richer.

Third, the thickness. The thickness of paper is generally calculated in grams, such as 60g, 70g and 80g for thinner paper and100g,120g and 220g for thicker paper. Generally speaking, letterheads should be made of thinner paper. If it is too thick, it will increase the thickness when it is installed, which is unnatural. Thick paper is used as the substrate, which can make the work more scratched.

2, binding steps

First, cut the paper. When mounting hard-pen calligraphy and paper-cutting, it is not advisable to fold the paper in half like cutting rice paper, and then cut it with a knife at the fold. This will easily lead to burrs and unevenness, and the process will not be fine enough. The best way is to cut the paper directly from the middle with a ruler, so that the edge of the cut paper is smooth and tidy. If the paper is small, you can also use a paper cutter to cut photos, and the effect is good. If the paper is large and one meter is not long enough, you can calculate the size first, draw a line gently around the paper with a pencil, and then cut it along a straight line with a utility knife. Pay special attention when drawing lines, and the size must be accurate and there must be no deviation, otherwise the paper will not be straight, which will affect the writing or the lining of the letter core.

Second, lining the word core. The work has been written and the backing paper has been chosen. Then, the next step is to install the letter core on the backing paper. The most common method is to stick the letter core around the edge with double-sided tape, tear it off and stick it on the substrate. It should be noted here that the double-sided tape must be stuck around the letter core, including the four corners, and it is not allowed to be stuck in the middle at will, otherwise the corners will be turned over easily, which is unsightly. Here is another method by the way. If the whole work has no border bar and no border, and the color of the font is close to the color of the substrate, you can also line a piece of paper under the font (which is brighter than the font), leaving four sides as the border of the work, and the effect is also very good. Small works (such as 16K bucket, couplet, fan, etc.). It is easy to operate in this way. In addition, there is another method, which is also suitable for loading small works. Some calligraphy lovers like to write their works on Xuan paper, which is very thin. If you stick it with double-sided tape, it is easy to tear the periphery of the rice paper. After pasting, you will see traces of double-sided tape on the front of the work, which will affect the beauty of the work. Therefore, you can choose to apply a glue stick evenly on the back of the work and then stick it in the middle of the backing paper. Then cover it with plain white paper and gently smooth it with your palm. If possible, you can also use a hard brush. This method is a bit like the mounting of traditional brush calligraphy, but there are many fewer steps. It can be done by hand without going to a mounting shop. The binding of small works is relatively easy to operate. Then, can banners three or four feet apart and hand scrolls several meters long be bound by the above method? The answer is yes. However, it is important to note that when sticking the double-sided tape, the middle of the double-sided tape should be stuck in a "Z" shape to avoid the gap in the middle being too large and looking uneven.

Third, the framework. If the work is to be decorated as a family room or given to relatives and friends, it can be framed. The steps are very simple, as long as the substrate is cut to the same size as the frame. There are many kinds of frame materials. Common are solid wood, composite materials (with a layer of imitation wood grain paper on the surface) and plastics. Solid wood is the best material, but the price is more expensive. If it is a gift to relatives and friends, it is the first choice. Composite materials are cheap and practical, but they are not reliable enough to be suitable for large-scale projects. Plastic, you'd better not use it. It's thin and unstable. You can choose to use it according to actual needs. In addition, the width of the border can also be determined according to the size of the work, neither too wide nor too narrow.

3, album production

First of all, do a good job of the front cover and back cover, choose thicker cardboard (available in major specialty paper shops), and cut it according to the preset size and size. Cut neatly without burr. Then, the substrate is mounted and cut according to the preset length, such as four screens, six screens and eight screens. First, stick the cover board on the paper with double-sided tape. At this point, the substrate is a strip without any folding. After gluing, fold the backing paper backwards. If the backing paper is thin, it can be folded screen by screen. If the backing paper is thick, you can draw a thin line with a depth of one-third at the junction of the screen with a utility knife (if you control the strength, you will cut the paper too hard) and then fold it in half. This process will be repeated for each screen until the back cover is completed and the same cover is completed. After completion, cut off the redundant paper heads on both sides of the substrate and paste the written word core in the center of each screen. Finally, design the front cover and back cover. The design of the front cover and back cover should be elegant, concise, lively and generous, in harmony with the whole work. There are also many design methods. Here are some examples:

First, label directly, without any other graphic decoration. Labels are usually attached to the upper left corner of the cover, and some are attached to the middle edge (but rarely). This method is a bit like an ancient thread-bound book, simple and generous. Labels can be inscribed by famous artists or written by themselves. In recent years, labels have been printed in the works of various competitions, and the effect is also very good.

Second, do some simple graphics outside the label, such as sticking one or two seals in the right place, or lightly drawing some shading, tiles, ancient portrait brick patterns and so on. However, it should not be too prominent and can only be used as a foil.

Third, the back cover design can be more concise than the cover, and its color and pattern should echo the cover.

4. Several problems that should be avoided in the process of binding and material selection:

First, "rough". "Rough" refers to the rough production process, such as: rough edges around the paper when cutting; Word core paste is not centered; Paper crease will greatly affect the overall aesthetic feeling of the work. Therefore, when binding works, we should be as careful and meticulous as possible, pay attention to details and strive for perfection. The process of binding works is often considered as a part of the whole creative process. In this process, like writing, it brings a kind of spiritual pleasure and enjoyment.

Second, "flowers." I have seen some works made of cardboard with more than two colors on the internet, with strong color contrast, and some draw some patterns around the lining paper. In my opinion, these are not suitable, because they are too embellished and unnatural.

Third, "gray". Some writers like to write with gold or silver pens and write on high-brightness cardboard. The contrast of brightness failed to widen the gap, so they could not highlight their works. They look hazy and laborious, so they can be called "misty school". The best way is to use low brightness cardboard, such as black or pure blue. In this way, the gold is brighter, the silver is brighter, and the inscription effect is good. In a word, the main purpose of hard-pen calligraphy binding is to highlight and set off the works and complement each other. When binding, you should master the discretion, be just right and practice more.