1:4, a Letterpress Miniprint

miniprint 1:4, first run on the Vandercook SP-15Tonight is the opening of Miniprint 14, the annual printmaking show/exchange/fundraiser at the Alvin Gittins Gallery, The University of Utah. This is the fifth year I’ve been invited to participate. After the first year, I decided to re-use and re-configure the same elements. 1:4 marks the third year I’ve used the red, black, and metallic silver color palette.

The first run of 1:4 is a photopolymer plate that I permanently mounted to MDF to make a re-usable, moveable block.
first run of 1:4 compared to the digital compComparing the placement of the first run (metallic silver) to the marked-up digital comp.

SECOND RUN

vintage letterpress cut locked-up for run 2 on 1:4The second run is a vintage letterpress cut and two 8 pica brass rules, all from the Letterpress Daily collection.
registered proof of run 2, in black, on 1:4The registered proof of the second run.

THIRD RUN

wood type circle locked-up for press run 3 on letterpress print “1:4”Press run three is an 8 pica wood type circle printed over the top of the metallic silver.
close up picture of the third press run on letterpress print “1:4”Taking advantage of the translucency of printing inks.

FOURTH RUN

the red elements of letterpress print “1:4” locked up on the Vandercook SP-15My favorite Van Sons Dutch Fireball (Pantone 185) is the fourth press run. The three type high blocks include a 4 pica wood type circle, a 24 point metal type circle and 15 pica wavy brass rule, all locked-up on the Vandercook SP-15.
the registered proof of press run 4 for letterpress print “1:4”I love how the red pops, bringing the print to life.

FIFTH RUN

the fifth and final lock-up for letterpress print “1:4”The fifth and final lock-up is the most difficult. Registration of the thin brass rules and tiny black circles (three 24 point Spartan Medium periods) is crucially tight. The complexity is compounded by canting one of the brass rules using angled wood type furniture.
close-up picture of the final letterpress printThe numbered edition is 65 prints, plus artist’s proofs. See the full print, along with my miniprints from previous years, on my website. If you can’t make it to the Gittins Gallery for the sale (December 4–6), contact me for purchase information.