Design comp____?
May 24, 2010 11:04 AM Subscribe
Is "comp" in "design comp" short for something? If so, what?
Best answer: This print glosary says:
posted by artlung at 11:11 AM on May 24, 2010
Comp (comprehensive) — A complete but prospective example of a design project, demonstrating size, layout of images and type, use of color, and sometimes paper.(found with google search for define:comp. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of comp!)
posted by artlung at 11:11 AM on May 24, 2010
I always thought it was for composition. But I could be wrong.
posted by Max Power at 11:21 AM on May 24, 2010
posted by Max Power at 11:21 AM on May 24, 2010
This is one of those cases where the abbreviation has totally replaced the term it originally abbreviated. Whatever the term's historical origins, I would say that present day it's not short for anything. A comp is a comp. A "composite" currently means something else entirely (as in "composite photograph"), and if you ask a designer to give you a "comprehensive" you'll probably just get a blank stare.
posted by ook at 11:25 AM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ook at 11:25 AM on May 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's pretty much exactly what ook said. Another way to think about it, even if it's not the historical origin, is design "compilation".
posted by Phire at 11:41 AM on May 24, 2010
posted by Phire at 11:41 AM on May 24, 2010
Best answer: ...and if you ask a designer born in the 80's or later to give you a "comprehensive" you'll probably just get a blank stare.
FTFY.
I assure you, designers of my generation would absolutely know what a comprehensive is. But, of course, we mostly knew them as comps. The comp came after the thumbnails or roughs were approved. This was, remember, back in the day when all preliminary work was hand done...the heyday of magic markers, pens, pencils, airbrushes, etc. The idea of a comp was to come as close to representing the printed piece as was practical. In other words, it was a "comprehensive" presentation.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:18 PM on May 24, 2010
FTFY.
I assure you, designers of my generation would absolutely know what a comprehensive is. But, of course, we mostly knew them as comps. The comp came after the thumbnails or roughs were approved. This was, remember, back in the day when all preliminary work was hand done...the heyday of magic markers, pens, pencils, airbrushes, etc. The idea of a comp was to come as close to representing the printed piece as was practical. In other words, it was a "comprehensive" presentation.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:18 PM on May 24, 2010
born in the 80's or later
Perfectly fair point, though I think you may be off by a decade or so -- I was born in '71 and had still never heard the full term; if I'd guessed the actual origin of the word I'd have gotten it wrong.
(I did use the term "paste-up" recently and thoroughly confused everyone in the room. One of them tentatively responded "...as in cut and?")
posted by ook at 1:09 PM on May 24, 2010
Perfectly fair point, though I think you may be off by a decade or so -- I was born in '71 and had still never heard the full term; if I'd guessed the actual origin of the word I'd have gotten it wrong.
(I did use the term "paste-up" recently and thoroughly confused everyone in the room. One of them tentatively responded "...as in cut and?")
posted by ook at 1:09 PM on May 24, 2010
(I did use the term "paste-up" recently and thoroughly confused everyone in the room. One of them tentatively responded "...as in cut and?")
LOL. Another term of by-gone days. Next time, ask them for "camera-ready art" and see their brains lock-up.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:01 AM on May 26, 2010
LOL. Another term of by-gone days. Next time, ask them for "camera-ready art" and see their brains lock-up.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:01 AM on May 26, 2010
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posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:08 AM on May 24, 2010