Sunday, April 21, 2019

Printing compassion scrolls


©2019 Fiona Dempster - Inking up the wood type - the wood type is held in place on the bed of the steel proofing press using special plastic coated magnets
The weather over the weekend did not get any better; so time was given to printing scrolls for the two scroll based artists' books I'm making for the Compassion Artists' Book Exhibition.

Given I wanted thin but strong paper for the scrolls I decided I would print them on paper cut from discarded pianola rolls. It also puts well with the recycled found object nature of the cases for the scrolls.

©2019 Barry Smith - Cutting scrolls from discarded pianola rolls
 On Friday I managed to do most of the set up. Yesterday I managed to print three scrolls for each of the books - 2 will be artists proofs and one will be the scroll used in each of the books.

©2019 Fiona Dempster - Pulling the larger printed scroll from the proofing press
©2019 Fiona Dempster - Modified approach to printing on the Adana Press so that I could print the smaller scroll
©2019 Barry Smith  - Two of the smaller scrolls printed and attached to a steel post with magnets - they will take several days to dry particularly as the pianola roll paper has little absorbency
©2019 Barry Smith - Proofing and checking set out before printing on the pianola scroll paper
©2019 Barry Smith - Larger scroll attached to a steel post to dry - rainy outside
Today I used the set type from the smaller scroll to print book marks.

©2019 Barry Smith - More proofing and layout checks - this time for the bookmarks
©2019 Barry Smith - Fifty bookmarks printed and set out to dry on the studio stairs 
©2019 Barry Smith - Strong quote by Tao Te Ching and great lead type - bookmarks are embossed with our Deckled Edge Press logo
©2019 Barry Smith - Another view of the bookmarks on the stairs
Two things about letterpress printing: there is quite a bit of time spent in the planning, choices and setup; and there is a lot of time spent on the clean up and putting type and printing equipment away.

I also spent time today collaborating with Fiona on another letterpress based book - but more on that another day.

3 comments:

  1. love seeing all the multiples and the pianola roll paper is perfect for your scroll!

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  2. This is brilliant. Always thought piano scrolls should be used.

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  3. I recently bought a couple of player piano rolls at our public library Friends sale (what we called 'em when I was a kid). It makes perfect sense that the paper would have to be sturdy enough to get pulled through the mechanism. For you to use them in your cunningly devised compassion scroll holder seems fitting. I still don't have a clue what to do with mine tho.

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Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.