29 5 / 2012
Solar power generation world record set in Germany
Over 50% of Germany’s power on Saturday was provided by solar power. 22 gigawatts of power.
That’s equivalent to 20 nuclear plants running at full capacity. Amazing.
28 5 / 2012
How the WMATA Rush+ Maps Are Printed
Many thanks to Matt Johnson for telling me about this amazing photoset on Flickr that details the process involved in printing the new Rush+ station maps for Washington, DC’s Metro system. Click through to see the whole set!
Even as an experienced graphic designer, I was amazed to see that the maps are screen printed - each colour on the map is printed one after the other, each using a separate screen with its own spot colour ink. With a map as complex as this, that means that there are a whopping twelve different colours to print! These being: river blue, park green, National Mall green, Blue Line, Orange Line, Yellow Line, Green Line, Red Line, Silver Line, District/County border grey, Beltway grey, and finally, black.
I would have thought with the advances in digital printing and stochastic (micro) screening, that these could be produced digitally in one step instead of twelve, but maybe these are special long-lasting UV inks that will withstand many years of use without fading - an important consideration for station maps! In any case, these photos are a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at a process that many people may not even think about.
EDIT: A tweet from a Metro representative confirms that there are THIRTEEN colours used in the printing: 4 greys (Silver Line, Beltway grey, county border grey, and icon grey), 3 greens (parks, Mall, Green Line), 2 Blues (river, Blue Line), Black, Red, Yellow and Orange.
Dear fans of DC Metro maps: Here’s how they make them. Wow. Awesome.
(via lupinswilly)
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27 5 / 2012
75 Years Ago, A Deadly Day On The Golden Gate : NPR
The Golden Gate Bridge opened 75 years ago today.
27 5 / 2012
"The I.R.S. detected 940,000 fake returns for 2010 in which identity thieves would have received $6.5 billion in refunds."
26 5 / 2012
"By big bipartisan majorities, the Senate since March has passed legislation to overhaul the postal system, pay for a multiyear transportation program, renew the Violence Against Women Act, streamline drug approval rules at the Food and Drug Administration, extend the life of the Export-Import Bank and ease financing for business start-ups. It has confirmed 19 judges and has put the Federal Reserve Board at full strength for the first time since 2006."
