ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how to design a range of printed material, from medieval manuscripts to ransom notes. The ransom note, painstakingly assembled from letters cut from newspapers, has a special place in our collective consciousness - even if the vast majority of us have never seen one, and hope never to do so. Postcards have come a long way since the earliest photographic examples, dating from 1905. Color printing, cheap production and reliable postage have all contributed to the huge explosion of the form. Postcards have had a long and fairly checkered history. Postage stamps are unique in that their design is virtually identical in every country in the world. There are varying sizes and colors, of course, but the perforation principle and the appearance of an engraving or photograph remain largely the same.
