Simple Growth

Well folks, it's time for another lengthy blog post about how I print stuff. This time, I printed some business cards and some promo postcards for the lovely Natasha, and her business Simple Growth Consulting. I took some slightly rubbish cellphone pictures along the way, to show some steps of the printing process. 

First, cut the paper down to print size. I tend to work in larger pieces than the final product, to give a bit more leeway when printing, and then trim down to final size as the last step. 

Chopp'd. Even tiny pieces of paper, like these business cards, can be cut using the following gigantic guillotine.

Look at this cast-iron monstrosity of a guillotine. Very sharp blade.

Time to mix the inks. Here are three of the four inks I needed to mix the right colour.

And here they are, ready to be mixed.

Ta-da! And that's how you make sage green. 

I printed the business cards on this Chandler and Price platten press.

It's all inked up with the aforementioned sage green.

Inked up on a different occasion with a darker sage green - this is for the logo on the back of the business cards. 

 Some metal type set for the business cards, locked into the C & P platten press. Note that it's in reverse. 

Stacks of business cards waiting to be printed in a second colour. The business cards needed four different printings altogether; three for the postcards.

The two blocks needed to print the logo on the back of the business cards.

And the resulting printed logo. 

Part two: printing the postcards. 

I used a different press to print the postcards: this is the Vandercook SP15 proof press. It's better for slightly larger pieces, but it's slower to print each one.

A block locked into the press, ready to print. 

This is the second block needed to print the postcards.

The SP15 press.

The finished postcards, stacked in the drying rack. The ink I was using took 2 or 3 days to dry - longer for image areas than type - before the prints could be cut down and finished with.

So there you have it - my latest print project. It was a lot of fun to do, and a nice challenge. Loved the combination of the paper and the ink colours - very Portland, somehow! 

Mountaineeress

Another vintage postcard from Daddy-O.


She's pretty hardy-looking, ha? Even though those are fake mountains. All dressed up, and nowhere to go but some 2D mountains. Dad has been clued into the fact that he is Susie's-blog-famous, as you can see.



It sez:

K...a models the latest Gor-tex hiking range in preparation for her next ascent of Mt. Shasta. (Thinks: 'Will this get me into Susie's blog?')

Yes Dad, it will.

Warrior Maiden

My Dad recently sent me this totally spiffy vintage postcard through the post. I love it! It has been my bookmark since it arrived, and never fails to raise a smile. She looks so lovable and gormless. She might be my inner spirit goddess when I want to make a stand and raise hell but unfortunately feel a bit tired.

As usual my Pops wrote something hilarious and endearing on the back, too.


In case you can't read that, it says:

Catch that date! (1/1/11) Same in American as in British too! This photo of the latest U.S. military equipment for invading Denmark is dedicated to the 'Don't ask, don't tell' campaigners. First in a series of meaningful postcards. Love Dad xxx

Bless! My Dad is the best correspondent for a daughter overseas.

Likes: Lakes, Lighting, Ladies

Came across a stack of postcards and pictures I had up in my room year before last. I like to have pictures up around my room to have something inspiring to look at, optimistically hoping this will lead to creation of great works, masterpieces etc. More than that it's just nice to collect images that resonate with you, know what I mean? I guess this here assortment of disparate pictures must represent a cross-section of my aesthetic taste, but I don't know what you'd say about that.

Wolfgang Tillmans, Hallenbad, (Detail), 1995

Cristy Road, Excerpt from Indestructible, 2005

Eva Bodonhoff, 20th October 1998, From the Series Go-Sees, 1998

View From Kinder Scout, "looking west over Kinder Reservoir from this wild Peak District Plateau"

Leonid Pasternak, (1862-1942), The Painter's Sons, Boris and Alexander

Mike Nelson, Untitled No.22 (High Plains Drifter)

Alan Majchrowicz, Lac de montagne, Alpine Tarn, 2003

Annie Liebovitz, Karen Finley, Nyack, New York

Follower of Rembrandt, A Man seated reading at a Table in a Lofty Room, Oil on oak

William Eggleston, Memphis, Tennessee, 1965

Famous Public Service Building at Night

Famous Public Service Building by Night, Denver, Colorado

Some favourite vintage postcards of mine. I like to pick them up from bookstores and junk shops and the like, it feeds my general status as a postcard superfan. Postcards are the best. Rectangles of joy and love and friendship and beauty! I do not have many vintage postcards, and they don't have a theme or anything, just ones I like the look of. The one above is my ultimate favourite, by the way. "Famous Public Service Building by Night"!!! You know? Here is what it says on the back:

"The Public Service Building is one of the striking features of Denver; it is of a pure white, brilliantly reflecting the thousands of lights covering its surface in graceful designs so that it stands out even in Denver's brightly illuminated business section like a flashing diamond, justifying its title of the best-lighted building in the world."

Isn't that wonderful? (Anyone been to Denver and seen this marvel personally?)

Rise Studio, Rapid City, SD

The Parrot Jungle, Red Road, Miami, FL

Old Mission Bells, San Diego, CA (and reverse)

From Mexico (and reverse)

Outbox

Here are some quick postcards I made using paint, eraser stamps and the cardboard things that Amazon send cds to you in. They're not amazing, but they are hopefully cheerful.




P.S. I really miss having access to a scanner. My crap camera just doesn't cut it for making images of arts etc.