We are back from a truly marvellous and rewarding time at the cottage in the Scottish Highlands. It is a special place for us and we miss it already; but are feeling the joy and magic of being home as well, so I feel ever so fortunate to have two special places in which to spend time.
It is hot here now, a stark contrast to the Highlands, and we are moving back into our lives slowly and gently.
As I tried to get my head around what commitments I have, what I need to do, what has to be done and then turned my mind to things I'd like to do as well, I felt as if I came up with an answer the met both the criteria so I could get started on that.
We stopped in Singapore briefly on the way home and were fortunate to visit Yao Yu at TypesettingSG - the only traditional typesetter and letterpress printer in Singapore. We had a lovely visit and I was inspired by his sample cards - showing the sizes and typefaces he has. I made a commitment to myself to make my own before Christmas, and so began to print in my spare moments this week.
You would not believe the delaying tactics I have used to NOT do this project for so many years. I have always struggled with how to bind them - would I come up with a bunch of typefaces on a single page and make a pamphlet? How would I order them? Alphabetically? Serifs all together? Sizes I have? Would I print the whole alphabet or just a few letters upper case and lower case? I felt so often that I couldn't work out the perfect solution, that I procrastinated and got no solution whatsoever.
I had landed on the idea of printing on postcard sized cards, and then using a single circle binder (there is are name for it that I can't recall) which would allow the whole thing to stay together, yet would also allow me to take cards out if I sold the type; or print new ones and put them in if I bought new ones without having to re-print every page kind of thing.
So Yao Yu's cards just reinforced things for me. Altho his were just loose and heaps of fun to sort through and shuffle!
And it has begun.
In the end I decided to print 5 postcards of each typeface and fount that I have. That way there would be some for students to sort through independently when they were in the studio; and it would also allow me to to have one set alphabetically and one set by type size which helped settle me. Laugh.
Here is where I have gotten to so far - I have managed to print 8 founts of type. I began alphabetically and here we are.
In the middle of the night the other night I also thought - brilliant - I can set aside one set and pop 4 of them on a copier at a time and then copy them onto card, then cut the A4 card into 4 postcard sized shapes and I will have spare sets as well - I could have a set by serifs, san serif and fancy, and all of the combinations and permutations my heart might need. Delight and Joy was mine!
It is hot here now, a stark contrast to the Highlands, and we are moving back into our lives slowly and gently.
As I tried to get my head around what commitments I have, what I need to do, what has to be done and then turned my mind to things I'd like to do as well, I felt as if I came up with an answer the met both the criteria so I could get started on that.
We stopped in Singapore briefly on the way home and were fortunate to visit Yao Yu at TypesettingSG - the only traditional typesetter and letterpress printer in Singapore. We had a lovely visit and I was inspired by his sample cards - showing the sizes and typefaces he has. I made a commitment to myself to make my own before Christmas, and so began to print in my spare moments this week.
You would not believe the delaying tactics I have used to NOT do this project for so many years. I have always struggled with how to bind them - would I come up with a bunch of typefaces on a single page and make a pamphlet? How would I order them? Alphabetically? Serifs all together? Sizes I have? Would I print the whole alphabet or just a few letters upper case and lower case? I felt so often that I couldn't work out the perfect solution, that I procrastinated and got no solution whatsoever.
I had landed on the idea of printing on postcard sized cards, and then using a single circle binder (there is are name for it that I can't recall) which would allow the whole thing to stay together, yet would also allow me to take cards out if I sold the type; or print new ones and put them in if I bought new ones without having to re-print every page kind of thing.
So Yao Yu's cards just reinforced things for me. Altho his were just loose and heaps of fun to sort through and shuffle!
And it has begun.
In the end I decided to print 5 postcards of each typeface and fount that I have. That way there would be some for students to sort through independently when they were in the studio; and it would also allow me to to have one set alphabetically and one set by type size which helped settle me. Laugh.
Here is where I have gotten to so far - I have managed to print 8 founts of type. I began alphabetically and here we are.
In the middle of the night the other night I also thought - brilliant - I can set aside one set and pop 4 of them on a copier at a time and then copy them onto card, then cut the A4 card into 4 postcard sized shapes and I will have spare sets as well - I could have a set by serifs, san serif and fancy, and all of the combinations and permutations my heart might need. Delight and Joy was mine!
I think I have a severe case of letter envy
ReplyDeleteI can understand that Jac - I feel fortunate to have saved so many lovely typefaces and it is good for my soul to see them printed as well!
Deleteoh oh oh ... I absolutely love this! And the backstory makes it all the better.
ReplyDeleteStay tuned, there is plenty more to come! The back story is so typical of me - dithering here and there and being indecisive for no good reason. It feels good to have committed to doing it, and to have found ways to solve my dilemmas!
Deletelove the way the letters sink into the page
ReplyDeleteYes Mo it is ruly appealing, and yet not too much, so I have to go gently or I might destroy the type by too much heavy handedness.
DeleteSo many of us have projects that we haven't actually started because of all the "problems" like those you analysed. It's been so useful to read about this one, and the happy outcome - or at least the work in progress. The point being that it's now actually In Progress!
ReplyDeleteMargaret - so true, that is exactly the point! Yes, to be "in progress"is so much better than "deferred yet again"...I am enjoying it greatly and am excited to think I will have a couple of excellent products at the end of the process. Go well.
Delete