visualchemist » ink test

HI.

visualchemist — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:39:32 +0000

I had some card stock laying around, and being the recycler that I am, I decided to put a few sheets to good use. My original intent was to create a simple 2-color “Hi” card composed of the standard alphabet using just my vintage SignPress, MasterP. After printing up the initial cyan layer, I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen if Lt. Price printed up the second color.

Actually, composing the first layer flat on the press bed was easy. Registration for the second, though, was not so easy. My trusty Pilot came to my rescue and printed up a nice bright bold yellow “HI.” Looks lime green on press, doesn’t it?

I would have liked these note cards even more if the stock was textured. These cards can now enjoy their new life as a “Hi” card, brightening up someone’s day.

orange-gold-pistachio custom mix

visualchemist — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:53:18 +0000

Last night, I mixed up three custom PMS colors for an upcoming job I will be printing within the next two weeks. I’ll probably add just a touch more black to the orange to really hit the burnt orange PMS color my client is looking for.

metallic silver on black

admin — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:30:53 +0000

I’ve had several requests to print metallic silver ink on black. This was a quick test I did this morning to see how well the ink coverage performed on two sample dark substrates. Small Type INVISIBLE was set in 18pt. lead type and it printed quite crisp with even coverage, as did the huge WORD.

Word.

tank you very much!

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:55:23 +0000

I finally took some time out to print my first project. In searching for my letterpress, I knew I eventually wanted to give thanks to those who have helped me along the way, so this first card is dedicated to a certain handful of individuals. Though there are still a few supplies I would like to acquire, I committed myself to printing a thank you card using the moveable type I received from Tooknap Press and a little vintage army tank dingbat I scored on eBay.

COLOR FORMULA

Even though this was my first print job, and I had not yet attempted a 2-color piece, I was up for the challenge. I knew ahead of time that I wanted the colors on this card to consist of army green and olive drab. I started the process by mixing my inks following the Pantone formula breakdown. A little ink goes a long way with letterpress, so as a test, I kept my color portions small.

LOCKED AND READY

I had originally locked up my type, tank and stars together, before realizing the need to be adventurous and attempt a 2-color job. I knew registering the artwork without proper gauge pins was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it. I was forced to improvise. I disassembled the chase as you see it here, and broke it down into two separate passes. I printed the bold type first, then the army tank together with the stars.

TANK YOU!

Through trial and error, here is the final result. Some of the challenges I faced were figuring out how to properly pack my press, mixing and laying the proper amount of ink on the ink disc, and registering multi-colored elements. I also realized that I wasn’t thrilled with the quoins and key I currently have, and could use a second chase to have ready to go.

I’ve been pretty bad with sending out thank you cards in the past, and now, I have no excuse.