izblogin

Where do you find inspiration for texture?

izzomac — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:48:45 +0000

Here’s a sampler. No, Really. Coming back into my office after an afternoon coffee break I heard a crinkling sound. I’d just reached into my pocket to remove my keys. The sound was coming from a paper wrapper, left over from a coffee shop pastry sample. Evidence of my weakness. As I began to examine the paper I saw a whimsical quality in the way the lines of the artwork interplayed with the organic folds. I was transfixed by this simple little object. Soon my camera was clicking away. I had laid it upon photo copy texture from my collection. Snap, Snap, Snap! I Then into photoshop they go. Playtime! Endless possibilities. Sometimes this stuff can make your brain hurt.

Printing My Business Card

izzomac — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:59:53 +0000

I can’t tell you enough how satisfying it is to print your own business card. These days many people might think nothing of my statement. They print their own cards all the time. But I’m not talking inkjet print. I’m talking ink on press – Letterpress.

A little less than a year ago I jumped into letterpress as an hobby. I took a class last year and learned a thing or two. Yes, you can teach an old dog something new. You can even teach him something old.

Why am I so please with my self? I’ve designed plenty of logo’s, had plenty of my designs run through printing presses for over 25 years. Nevertheless, I have never before output my own film, exposed/processed my own plates, cut my own paper, and printed a business card on my own press. Lets not forget, clean and oil the press. Yes, there is even something fun about cleaning up all that ink.

Not sure I’d say I’m a master pressman yet. I still have a lot to learn. But, I guess my next project is to go work on an old website idea for Time Presses On, so I can showcase my new work.

Old School Tunes.

izzomac — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:16:51 +0000

It’s not always about where we’re technology is going, sometimes it’s good to look at where we’ve it’s been. It’s not just a retro thing. As an Creative Director, you have to look at the past as well as the future for inspiration. Those who know me know I work hard to keep up with technology. But I also like to escape, do some old school printing on my 1928 printing press. So when it came time to get a knew radio for my garage shop(man cave), I wanted the rich sound that an old vacuum tube radio. I found a Panasonic Model-782 circa 1959-1963. Love the sound! Can’t wait to listen to the S.F. Giants games this season.

Tradeshow Display Panels for Metal Gourmet at Catersource, Las Vegas 2012

izzomac — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:28:51 +0000

Metal Gourmet offers some exciting new gourmet food carts and trailers for the mobile food and catering marketplace.Growing industries that are looking for fresh and creative ways to deliver their product to a hungry customer.

The goal for DRB Partners design team was to reinforce the brand and deliver the feature messaging from the website. Focusing on “Opportunities” in culinary world. Key statements like, “Serving the Growing Demand”, Join the Mobile Food Cart Revolution”, “A Recipe for Success”, and “Look what’s Cooking” help tell the story. Building a visual image of Metal Gourmet’s products as part of fresh new solution. Catering professionals, restaurant owners, executive chefs, food service directors, concessions, and aspiring culinary entrepreneur’s start to see Metal Gourmet’s Trailers and Carts as part of their vision. Stylish food images and a fresh color palette play into the storyline.

Letterpress Update

izzomac — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 05:30:13 +0000

Been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to run our press. Not for lack of desire. It just seems to take a while to build up to having everything to keep production in house. But we’re getting there. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was as easy as buying all the supplies at your local store. Guess if you had the money you could, but I like many, don’t have that luxury.

The biggest purchase recently should help move towards being able to produce plates when I want. There are great resources to get your polymer plates, but nothing better than DIY. Today was my first attempt. The Film output was flawless. The “All Black Epson 1400 and Accurip” worked without a hitch. The unknown would be exposure. I have a small exposure unit and I’ll need to dial-in the timing. I started at 5-min exposure. But it seems that the small text washed out. Well,next attempt will be 10-min.

I don't know much about this unit, might take some testing to get the right numbers.

Enough with the prepress for today. But I’m still in press-mode so I wanted to put some ink on the rollers. Maybe it was time to revisit the Alphabet Project from last quarter’s Letterpress class at Foothill Community College. I never had a chance to use the letters I designed for the broadside for coasters. Now was as good a time as any.

Final Project for Letterpress Class

izzomac — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 01:23:47 +0000

I went back to school this last quarter (graduated college in 1984). Enrolled in GID 92: Letterpress Printing at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA. The best thing to do if you think you want to explore letterpress printing is to find a class or a group. The class was great! I met good people with a mutual interest in letterpress printing. The teacher, Mike Day, was very passionate about the art of printing. Below is my final project. A spin-off of a design I had done digitally. The challenge was the large halftone taken from a photocopy out of my Grandfather’s scrapbook. I was very pleases how well the polymer plate printed. Broadside print is 15 x 22 limited edition of 15.

Holiday Card 2011

izzomac — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:07:42 +0000

I have been itching to really do more than run a few test prints with scraps of this or that. The testing is over. I had a day off from work and was ready to slap some Red and Green ink on our first letterpress Christmas card. Merry Christmas. Or should I say Glaedelig Jul, as they say in Denmark. As a kid our holidays were pretty basic, but Anita has a lot of traditional Danish customs. I love hearing about some of the holiday rituals that they no longer practice. I can’t imaging having a Christmas Tree in the middle of a room and everyone gathering around to sing. I’m glad that Anita makes special point to keep some traditions alive. I love that she cooks traditional Danish cookies like Kleyner and Vanillie kranse.

I decided to focus the design on a simple danish folk art pleated paper Christmas heart called “Julehjerte.” According to Wikipedia, “The oldest known guide to make pleated Christmas hearts is found in the Official Nordic handicraft Journal from 1871, and the oldest pleated Christmas heart (from 1873) is preserved at the National Museum. But it took up till 40 years before the pleated Christmas hearts became common.”

Our 1928 10x15 Chandler and Price Letterpress

For my first project I should of simplified things. Meaning only printed the outside of the card, and maybe even only one color. Oh well, another letterpress lesson learned. Also lessons learned about trying to save money by grouping art on the polymer plate that I had made by Boxcar Press. Easier to just have everything in place, rather than try to strip in a line of text here and there. Press run was small, or you could say it was “Limited.”. I cut paper for 60 cards, after dialing in the press I ended up for with 40 cards and envelopes. So, I’m sure we missed a few friends this year but hope that over the next year our printing skills will improve.

Firing up the press

izzomac — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:40:30 +0000

After Thanks Giving I decided to take the press out for a spin. While the mall were packed on Black Friday I stayed home and played. I had just tapped up the roller rails and was itching to try to print something. I had a linoleum block of a Robot I had carved prior to purchasing the Chandler & Price printing press. Originally, I was planning to build a DIY press with a car bottle jack. Decided that I should do it right and get a real press. So here was my test print. Hope to jump in deep next time and print a holiday card, using my boxcar base.

My Chandler and Price Letterpress

izzomac — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:06:26 +0000

Everything is falling into place. This weekend we move the 10 x 15 C&P press and paper cutter into the garage. I got a great deal on it, one I couldn’t pass on. Still have a few more items to acquire before I’m up and running. The press could use a little cleaning, but that’s just personal preference. Rollers are good, but I’ll need to put tape on the rails to assure the correct height.

Through out this adventure my wife has be wonderful. Hope I’m not miss reading things, but she is the best! Honey, if you’re reading this don’t forget to go by and pick up the chases. They shouldn’t be too heavy…LOL.

I hope to be posting samples soon. I’m working on an additional site for Letterpress. It will be at TimePressesOn.com. Coming Soon! Doesn’t every old letter press desire it’s own URL

First Day of Letterpress Class

izzomac — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:16:40 +0000

Started back to school. I’m taking GID-92 Letterpress Printing at Foothill College. For me the first day was awesome! We even had a chance to lock up some old wood type in a chase and print on an Old Reliable press.

I wanted to keep the design simple so I made “A Rocket”. Tomorrow I heading out on a road trip and will be looking at two Chandler and Price printing presses. Let the fun begin!