Comments on: Letterpress as Sculpture http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/2009/11/12/letterpress-as-sculpture/ Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:37:48 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Kent http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/2009/11/12/letterpress-as-sculpture/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Kent Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:32:54 +0000 http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/?p=46#comment-18 pmr - You are absolutely right, the letterpress process can be used to print text/images with either a deep impression or no impression at all. And any amount of impression in between. When printing books (as you do so well), or any project that involves printing on both sides of the sheet, care must be taken to balance the push-through from one side against the push-through from the other. The printer and type designer John Baskerville struggled to eliminate all impression from his finished work. To achieve this he went so far as to get the paper makers he worked with to use his idea of substituting wove screens for the laid screens that had always been used in paper making. He introduced the use of hard packing in the tympans of his presses. And he even went so far as to run his printed sheets between metal rollers to flatten them out before binding. The short of it is that letterpress printing can be used to stunning effect under a multitude of conditions. pmr – You are absolutely right, the letterpress process can be used to print text/images with either a deep impression or no impression at all. And any amount of impression in between. When printing books (as you do so well), or any project that involves printing on both sides of the sheet, care must be taken to balance the push-through from one side against the push-through from the other.

The printer and type designer John Baskerville struggled to eliminate all impression from his finished work. To achieve this he went so far as to get the paper makers he worked with to use his idea of substituting wove screens for the laid screens that had always been used in paper making. He introduced the use of hard packing in the tympans of his presses. And he even went so far as to run his printed sheets between metal rollers to flatten them out before binding.

The short of it is that letterpress printing can be used to stunning effect under a multitude of conditions.

]]> By: pmr http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/2009/11/12/letterpress-as-sculpture/comment-page-1/#comment-17 pmr Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:07:31 +0000 http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/?p=46#comment-17 Kent, I love the blog! But, I have to say, that if a printer is doing bookwork, then the lighter, "kiss" impression, is, as you know, the only way to print. When printing both sides of a text weight paper, the challenge is to maintain even inking and yet give a presence to the type, while not interfering with the printing on the other side. I know you know this, but so many don't, and I do get reactions to my work like "this can't be letterpress" because the impression is subtle. I agree there is beauty in some of the embossed work, and I embrace the changes happening thanks to the analog/digital combination and new materials, but this has also given rise to a lot of what I call "letterpress kitsch", (you know it when you see it...) So let's try to promote the "new" letterpress as good printing that meets the aesthetic needs and physical attributes of the work and admit that there is still a tightrope to be walked. Besides, there is beautiful printing being done on letterpress equipment that has a variety of attributes, not just "impression" but also the marriage of ink, paper, design, illustration, scale, die cuts, folds, etc. The ability to do personalized custom work of a wide range. (There, I hope I got you a whole lot of new customers...) Keep blogging! pmr Kent, I love the blog! But, I have to say, that if a printer is doing bookwork, then the lighter, “kiss” impression, is, as you know, the only way to print. When printing both sides of a text weight paper, the challenge is to maintain even inking and yet give a presence to the type, while not interfering with the printing on the other side. I know you know this, but so many don’t, and I do get reactions to my work like “this can’t be letterpress” because the impression is subtle.

I agree there is beauty in some of the embossed work, and I embrace the changes happening thanks to the analog/digital combination and new materials, but this has also given rise to a lot of what I call “letterpress kitsch”, (you know it when you see it…) So let’s try to promote the “new” letterpress as good printing that meets the aesthetic needs and physical attributes of the work and admit that there is still a tightrope to be walked. Besides, there is beautiful printing being done on letterpress equipment that has a variety of attributes, not just “impression” but also the marriage of ink, paper, design, illustration, scale, die cuts, folds, etc. The ability to do personalized custom work of a wide range. (There, I hope I got you a whole lot of new customers…)

Keep blogging!
pmr

]]> By: turtleman fred http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/2009/11/12/letterpress-as-sculpture/comment-page-1/#comment-15 turtleman fred Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:41:26 +0000 http://nomadicletterpress.com/blog/?p=46#comment-15 Coming from old letterpress stock I have always had a problem with the new generation of letterpress 'artists' who did not have a history of where the current form came from. Back in our day a pressman would look at the work being produced now and scoff, "whoever printed that should be thrown out of the shop". Thank you Kent for acknowledging the way the technique vs art form has changed. That being said, when I look at a piece of your work it is like looking at a beautiful woman's face. I just want to take a loong look, then reach out and feel the soft smooth texture, then...opps, Ahh, sorry gotta go now. Coming from old letterpress stock I have always had a problem with the new generation of letterpress ‘artists’ who did not have a history of where the current form came from. Back in our day a pressman would look at the work being produced now and scoff, “whoever printed that should be thrown out of the shop”. Thank you Kent for acknowledging the way the technique vs art form has changed. That being said, when I look at a piece of your work it is like looking at a beautiful woman’s face. I just want to take a loong look, then reach out and feel the soft smooth texture, then…opps, Ahh, sorry gotta go now.

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