Letterpress Wood Type Pattern Bolck Print - Batch 011

Letterpress Print: "Batch 011"

This letterpress print is from an edition of 25. It was made by applying ink to the upper face of an array of type-high pieces arranged on the bed of a Vandercook proofing press. Paper was rolled directly across the design to make each individual print. This composition was built using custom cut blocks that I designed, and it is from and ongoing series of pattern based prints. To keep track of many designs possible with these pieces I am titling them with a "Batch No." These batch numbers could easily be though of as being similar to a batch of cookies. After each batch of prints are made I clean off the blocks and rearrange them into a new pattern for next edition of prints.

The size is 10" x 13" The paper is 100lb cover. Each print is signed and numbered on the back.

Most often I use maple when making my letterpress blocks, these however use pine - purposefully chosen to have the grain of the wood pronounced. For my fellow letterpress nerds out there, the pieces of wood type used in the prints Batch 011 through Batch 018 are all eight-line or 8 pica x 8 pica. These blocks are from a whole case worth of a border system that I am testing out. There are centered squares, squares cocked clockwise, squares cocked counterclockwise, and a rhombus that fits with the angles of either rotation of square pieces.

Thanks for checking out what I am up to.

Bryan Baker (Stukenborg Press)