Assignment 4
Assignment 4
Potato letters
Identical printed words
Try movable type
1.
In a previous era, I would have been apprenticed to a Master Printer. In our era, YouTube was my teacher. It is fascinating how this “classic” technique has been contemporized – many current crafters suggest cookie cutters instead of hand-carving for making perfect patterns. I chose the completely hand-crafted protocol, using two blades for this project.
2.
Drafted word: I designed my letters with font proportions and kerning in mind. The cut potato surface set the size. I linked a potato’s shape to a letter, and then traced each surface onto a paper before sketching my stencil.
3.
Potato working: Drafting on paper is not the same as carving into potatoes. I matched the height of the tall letters, but carved the shorter letters at two-thirds the height instead of half. The knife’s sharp edges are a safety hazard. The development of metalworking must have improved this process!
4.
Print test: My intention is to eat these potatoes, so I used water as my ink and fabric napkins as my medium. Printing with stamped letters means inverting the type. I became mildly dyslexic as I tried to figure out which way to hold the potato to print out a proper word.
5.
Duration: The whole carving process took about 15 minutes to complete. The letter “h” was the most time-consuming, as it had the most twists and turns. The printing process took about 20 minutes. A Master Printer’s tips on inking, spacing guides, pressure, and blotting would have made this a quicker task.
6.
Technology: I now understand how movable type revolutionized printing. When hand-stamped, the tilt and spacing of my letters shifted. When set as movable type, the words came out identical, though the inking was dissimilar. I also moved from fabric to paper – this experience is another proof for how hands-on learning promotes understanding!
