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Website: http://www.time.com
3D for print is a quickly growing sector of the professional 3D graphics market. Time magazine has been incorporating more and more 3D in their graphics, and NewTek recently spoke with Ed Gabel, the Associate Graphics Director for Time magazine.
3D for print is a quickly growing sector of the professional 3D graphics market. Time magazine has been incorporating more and more 3D in their graphics, and NewTek recently spoke with Ed Gabel the Associate Graphics Director for Time magazine.
Ed graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1986 with a degree in Marketing. He began his career in journalism while working as an artist for the college newspaper, and has been employed at Time magazine in New York City since late 1997. Before that he worked for the Asbury Park Press newspaper in Neptune, NJ. Ed has been the recipient of many information graphics awards from organizations such as SND (Society of Newspaper Design) and SPD (Society of Publication Design).
NewTek: So, the first question I have to ask is, Why 3D for Print?
EG: The job of a graphic artist for Time often involves using strong visual elements to tell a story or describe a process. It is our opinion that by creating the most realistic renderings possible, we can achieve that goal in the most visually interesting manner. While many publications rely on vector graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Time has successfully integrated 3D graphics into the magazine. LightWave 3D® is a key part of that success. Whether a graphic calls for a mechanical drawing, such as a plane crash, or an organic drawing, such as heart surgery, LightWave® allows us to generate stunningly real images.
NewTek: How did you begin working in 3D?
EG: I began working with Strata Studio Pro in the early 1990s. Until then I mostly had been using Illustrator and Photoshop for rendering. Strata allowed me to generate some fine three-dimensional artwork, but the modeling capabilities were limited and the rendering, although nice for its time, was somewhat flat. LightWave 3D® has modeling ability like no other program I've used, and the rendering is positively stunning.
NewTek: What advantages are there to using a 3D package for print work?
EG: Visually, 3D renderings often are much more impressive than standard 2D imagery. A 2D representation of an object can convey the necessary information, but a 3D rendering of the same object can carry more impact; not only by conveying the information, but in some cases giving the reader a sense of being present with the actual object. Another advantage is the reusability of models for an unlimited number of purposes once created (or purchased).
NewTek: What system are you running on? What software are you using?
EG: We are using Macintosh computers, running System 9. I do not foresee OS X being installed any time soon because of compatibility with Time's network. Primary software includes Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Quark and, of course, LightWave 3D®.
NewTek: How is LightWave 3D® appropriate for print graphics?
EG: LightWave 3D allows us to generate realistic 3D images under tight weekly deadlines. In an effort to find 3D software that allows us to generate highly realistic images quickly, we experimented with several 3D programs. LightWave® blew them all away. In addition to quality modeling features and renderings, the two biggest assets that a 3D program can offer are stability and predictability. LightWave® (version 6.5) is amazingly stable, especially considering the complexity and power of its modeling tools. One might expect many crashes with such a powerful program, yet it seldom happens. LightWave 3D® also is very predictable, which is essential when faced with a short deadline. Simply put, we know LightWave® will yield great results every time.
NewTek: What features do you find the most useful in LightWave 3D® for creating print graphics?
EG: The modeling features seem almost unbeatable. A simple primitive shape (cylinder, sphere, cube) can be transformed quickly into a complex model using LightWave®'s amazing tools. The manipulation of points and polygons, along with subpatch surfacing, is so free and easy it's possible to model almost any shape imaginable. Once rendered, the object-specific alpha channel settings allow us to quickly insert additional visual elements into specific areas of the image in Photoshop. I do wish LightWave® offered an easier method of calculating an object's size and pixel resolution (particularly in DPI, or dots per inch) and I also would like to see pica measurements added.
NewTek: How many people do you currently have working on 3D graphics at Time?
EG: We have four 3D users, all on LightWave.
NewTek: Have you seen the interest go up recently in 3D print graphics?
EG: Unquestionably. 3D graphics permeate magazines such as Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, Popular Science, National Geographic, Scientific American, to name a few. Many newspapers, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, are now using 3D artwork to complement their graphics. I believe 3D graphics will play a major role in the future of most magazine and newspaper art departments.
NewTek: How much time to you generally spend on creating a graphic for an article?
EG: Usually we must produce our work in less than four days. A typical turnaround time is 3 days, sometimes even less. Occasionally, a feature graphic such as the one recently created for a story on the Leaning Tower of Pisa will be given a week or more, although that is rare.
NewTek: Do you find it difficult being on a weekly publication schedule?
EG: Not really. Especially when compared to the deadlines of daily publications like most newspapers.
NewTek: Do you find 3D being used in each issue?
EG: There is seldom an issue of Time where some LightWave® usage cannot be found.
NewTek: What do you see as the evolution of 3D for print?
EG: When I started in graphics 15 years ago, 2D black-and-white vector art was the norm. 2D vector art in color was next, followed by 2D raster art in pixel- based programs such as Photoshop. Going to 3D was a natural evolution from there. I do not know what lies ahead, but I sincerely hope that LightWave 3D® will be a part of it.
