In letterpress, it’s all the little things that add up to something wonderful. Princetown Press, a British letterpress studio, have showcased just this with a new project that celebrates their under-used ornaments. Working almost exclusively with metal and wood type, Princetown Press rely on historical designs to create new work. Shining a light on the often overlooked pieces of type, the press have created a series of 8 unique gift tags.
Creating the design was an iterative process. The press’ founders, Emma Hogbin and Jon Palmer, worked on their Stephenson Blake galley proofing press. Emma tells us; “This allowed me to easily shuffle designs around, take a test print, make adjustments, and go again. For this stage, I often use a cheeky ink pad to take the impression. They’re quick to use, and clean-up is a simple matter of wiping the ornaments with a dry cloth.”
The final designs use a medley of ornaments, as well as wood and brass rule. Most of the ornaments are brand-new sorts from Val Lucas at Bowerbox Press. “She is one of only a handful of type casters remaining in the world. It was an absolute delight to bring her designs to life in our new gift labels,” comments Emma.
With the sorts all locked into position, the form was lifted into their 1910 treadle press for printing. The pair chose recycled paper Frogmore Paper Mill (200gsm white cartridge), and used some of their favourite inks from Hawthorn Printmakers. In total, they printed a few different colours before settling on four: khaki, orange, ochre, and chocolate brown.
The final step was to package up the labels: four to a pack (one of each colour), as well as a custom label, obviously. They conclude; “Displaying all colours took a bit of trial and error, but the final package is, we think, quite pleasing”.
@princetownpress
www.princetownpress.co.uk
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