Some projects require a more personal touch. Sometimes it’s because the print run is small and doesn’t align well with the economics of professional presses — though with the advent of digital printing, presses have become a lot friendlier to low-quantity jobs. In addition to quantity, there are times when some hand work is necessary to give the piece a finishing touch. More often, though, for us, it’s a matter of having a bit of fun. I’m old enough that I didn’t get into graphic design to stare at a screen all day. The hand work keeps us connected to the craft of design, and makes me less grumpy when I have to return to arranging pixels. —Bill
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A hand-bound program designed and created by Sheryl for a collaborative event with the Gamble House and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center. I believe we cut, folded and sewed over 40 books.
This piece was conceived as a poster and back-board for a line of T-shirts we produced based on the signs of the Chinese Zodiac. The Ts were done by commercial silkscreeners on American Apparel shirts, but I set the poster/board up as a three-color job designed on the computer but created as type-high metal plates and printed on our Vandercook proof press. We did hundreds of shirts but I believe the run of these posters was less than 200. My arm got tired.
This is a cheat, it’s not really for a client or commercial job, it’s one of my learner projects that I produced at the Armory Art Center under the tutelage of Denise El-Hoss. I have a small collection of wood type and had never used it. So made a few dozen books as an exercise in setting up the press and testing pressure, etc… It’s for lookin’, not readin’.
