Final Prints
My first job of the day was to source some paper and trim it down to size. I wanted to experiment with different stock in order to see how the ink would take to different samples and also to see what combination of inks and paper worked best. I managed to get a bit of GFSmith stock from Amber which was fortunate. I also experimented using various bits of cartridge from the library. I measured up roughly how big I needed the stock to allow for trimming and prepared all the stock with the guillotine.
Pink Cartridge & Gold Metallic Ink
I was really happy with how this combination turned out. The vibrancy of the pink creates a great contrast with the metallic ink. The combination of colours really makes the design pop off the page. I love how the metalic ink shimmers in different lights. I found that the metallic inks were allot more opaque and sat on the stock really well. There wasn't much of the ink absorbed into the stock which makes the text allot clearer.
Blue GFSmith & White Ink
I like the blue stock however the white ink didn't work well at all, most of the colour was absorbed into the paper leaving a fairly transparent image on the stock which was a bit of a shame. It definitley didn't have the same affect as the metallic inks. I wasn't massively impressed with this combination.
Black Cartridge & Gold Metallic Ink
This combination was one of my favorites, there is something about black on gold that works really well. It has a beautiful contrast and really pops off the page. The shimmering of gold ink works even better against a dark stock making the text as clear as day. If I were to do this differently I would of tried thicker black stock ideally as this would look more professional and be a bit more sturdy than flimsy cartridge.
Blue GFSmith & Gold Metallic Ink
I liked this combination, however the paper seemed to slightly discolour the gold when mixed creating a fairly coppery orange, which is quite nice, however I don't think the colours compliment each other that well. It was interesting to see how the stock can change the colour of the ink but I wasn't overly impressed with the outcome on the whole.
Turquoise Cartridge & Silver Metallic Ink
This was another of my favorite combinations and reminded me of fish for some reason, kind of shiny and scaley like a fish. Once again I found that the metallic inks sat on the stock allot better than the others creating much clearer bold text which is the main focus of the design. Once again this would of been nicer on some thicker stock, but still using the same colour.
Purple GFSmith & Gold Metallic Ink
This combination had to be my favorite, it looks luxurious smart and the contrast of the colours works really well. It reminds me of cadbury slightly which I like. The stock is also really thick which means that the print will be more durable and won't bend or change with the application of ink which is great. Unfortunately I didn't have loads of this stock so I only managed to get around 4 or 5 decent prints on this paper which is a shame as it definitely worked the best in comparison the other prints.
Green GFSmith & Silver Metallic Ink
The green and silver combo also worked really well, I think this is mainly down to how opaque the metallic inks are when applied to the paper. It definitly makes the text stand out and pop more off the page. The stock is also of a good quality which helps.
Blue GFSmith & Silver Metallic Ink
Once again the metallic ink worked great on the GFSmith stock, this piece is also one of my favorites, the colours contrast really well and the phrases are easy to read and bold.
I tried other combinations as you can see above but they all had a similar outcome so I haven't photographed every one. I found that the white ink was probably the worst one to use and all the vibrancy was lost, I also found that the ink got pretty mucky and ended up quite grey by the end of printing with it.
This week has been really helpful and enjoyable as well. I found I lost myself in the print room not stopping for food and drink. This sounds pretty bad, but I felt so involved with the work that I didn't think about anything else apart from my type. It was almost like a puzzle, you are constantly searching and looking for letters and then trying to piece them together like a typographic jigsaw puzzle. I found that there were many problems that cropped up allong the way but I managed to tackle them as they came along. One of the main problems was making sure I had the right leading and also making sure I wasn't using letters upside down etc. By the end of the week I felt quite comfortable searching for type and setting it in the chase, there were many little things which made the process much easier. I am looking forward to experimenting more with letterpress when I have time.
No comments:
Post a Comment