Printadelphia, a community print studio, hosted a workshop at Bryn Mawr for students and faculty to collaboratively create unique printed posters and learn about the letterpress printmaking process. This event was part of a series related to “Say It! Poster Design and Graphic Messages”, a collection exhibited in Canaday Library.
On October 24, the Printadelphia workshop began with each participant suggesting a word to serve as the theme for the collaborative poster. The suggestions were then voted on; in three workshop groups, the words community, courage, and curiosity were chosen. That word was set at the top of the poster in a bold, sans-serif typeface, leaving the rest of the posters to be determined by the individuals. Each participant could create a line of text relating to the poster’s theme using a variety of fonts and other embellishments.
Marisha Simons, founder of Printadelphia, introduced the group to the sets of type available, which included a full set of vintage Garamond type and a set of typefaces consisting of practically any type of letters one could imagine, to achieve a “ransom-note” look. All typefaces, however, are a standardized height, making it possible to mix and match.
Marisha showed us how to set the letters into our metal plates, which would then be stacked to create lines of text. By far the most difficult part was placing the letters in reverse to how they are intended to show up on paper. However, Marisha was able to fix any upside-down or backwards letters before they became part of the final poster.
When everyone’s phrases were stacked together on the showcard press, Marisha used a roller to apply ink to them. My group decided to mix black and red inks to create a dark red color, while other groups used multiple colors. Each participant chose a color of paper, placed it onto the press, and pulled the handle themselves— and there was our poster! Each of our phrases worked together both aesthetically and meaningfully, and it now makes a great dorm decoration.
I listened to Marisha explain a little about the history of the equipment we were working with. A showcard press is called such because they were originally used for printing signs (typically for businesses), which only needed to be printed once or a few times.
She also told us about a unique aspect of the printmaking community: the wayzgoose. Historically, a wayzgoose was a celebration that employees of a printing establishment would hold annually, although whether or not the word has to do with an actual goose is debated. Since the heyday of letterpress printing, however, the wayzgoose has continued as a printing community event, where printmakers come together and share their craft.
The opportunity to create a collaborative piece of art was a fun, hands-on way to engage with the exhibit and experience the creativity that can go into presentations of the written word.
1 comment
great work!