An interesting read about printing and paper being the novelty and climbing the ‘cool’ ladder as the need for real-time blogs and social media becomes the norm. Love it or hate it, there is something about holding a piece of design, turning the pages and admiring the paper or printing techniques.
Old is the new…..new is the old
For a while, we lost ‘touch’ with print, with the popularity and proliferation of high tech online interaction comes an unexpected phenomenon: The nostalgic sentiment for times gone with a desire to use printed products.
Paper, as a communication medium is having a resurgence, Social media and the way media is delivered to us electronically have had a serious impact on how we now consume information. Increasingly, we are turning to online resources such as blogs and online magazines for our regular fix. The need for real-time live feeds can be somewhat overwhelming. Getting information delivered quickly has now become the norm. Chances are, once read that it may be easily forgotten. The power of print will always be here to stay. In what can be seen as a backlash to the mass-market digital design, style, paper has slowly climbed the ‘cool’ ladder, reminding us that all you really need is a simple piece of paper and a little creativity.
Back in 2011, Sydney experienced its very first paper festival, the aptly named A4 Paper Festival. It was a huge success and proved that there is an exciting paper movement emerging.
In Chicago, the Centre for Book and Paper Arts, which is part of the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College, offers both graduate and undergraduate studies in Book and paper Arts. It publishes a critical journal and artists’ books, mounts exhibitions, hosts artist residencies and sponsors public programs. The centre also provides advanced study through workshop programs dedication to the research, teaching and promotion of the practices that support the book arts and hand papermaking as a contemporary art media.
One recent exhibition featured contemporary artists who are producing artwork using new printing techniques based on the traditional letterpress. Letterpress dates back from the early 1800’s up until the 1970’s when it became deemed commercially obsolete. Part of the driving force behind the resurgence in letterpress is the increased availability of low-cost, ex-industry equipment. This has fuelled experimentation in artists studios, presses and print shops around the world. In Australia demand for letterpress is increasing, thanks to folk like Sydney’s Watermarx Graphics, Melbourne’s Taylor’d Press and The Artisan Press in Byron Bay, among many others.
An alternative to letter press is digital raised printing. Developed by Kodak for its NexPress digital production press, it uses dry ink particles to create raised printing effects. Digital raised printing brings the print to life with the raised or three-dimensional effect creating a high-impact tactile and visual experience, setting the printed piece apart from other printed matter. This technique allows the designer to mimic the textural qualities of different types of materials – such as leather, canvas, wood grain or even old school vinyl. You can create frosted looks, raised borders and a host of dimensional printed effects.
Unlike traditional thermography, digital raised printing can be layered, giving the designer complete flexibility to set variable heights, which gives more creative freedom to enhance graphics, text or full-colour images. The dimensional toner can be applied directly to the substrate and doesn’t require special paper stocks. Being fully recyclable, the toner is safe and eco-friendly.
Other recent developments in digital printing also open the door for other new design and communication possibilities. Variable data direct marketing being one of the most important. A design piece can be fully personalised specific to the market, a very powerful tool indeed.
Sourced from GSM Magazine Issue One
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