Paper Ponderings: Still considering calligraphy

So I started to think that to be complementary to the letterpress works, (as pondered in my last post) the calligraphy probably needed to be smaller. So I got out my 3A Automatic Pen and some good ink and used them to do the same style of writing in the square, just a fair bit smaller.

But this time, I left room for the inclusion of an etched plate just in case I really wanted them to look even more alike.

More of the fabulous stencil material, cut to size.

A draft of the lettering - once again done on BFK Rives printmaking paper. The layout leaves a bit to be desired - it all gets a bit squishy towards the end. But a draft is a draft.

The ragged right thing didn't happen quite so much - think I was more conscious of trying to finish the line with strong strokes; but also the smaller writing makes it hold together better.

And because I started to think there might be something in this calligraphy idea - altho the style is probably not quite right yet - I did a test run on a scrap of the Gmund 300gsm cotton paper I am printing on.

It is a much whiter white; but I was happy to see it took the calligraphy ink well.

My final test for now, was checking to see how the Gmund 300gsm folded. I had assumed because it is quite heavy that it wouldn't fold well and I wouldn't be able to use it for the companion books I am planning to produce.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I cut a scrap and folded it and it made a beautiful crisp fold! The book planning has also begun; because once I start printing for the wall works; I need to also print for the books so that the inks etc are all the same, and I am really discovering how much planning goes into a printed production!

That means I need to know now, how big my pages will be; what sort of binding I will use; which leads to how I will place the prints on the pages in terms of layout etc, so once again my brain is beginning to boggle.