Fiddling with the letters

I was merrily working my way along with the embossed lino cut and managed to create a nice frame for the letterpress type. All good.

Then I had to work out how to get my type to fit, and so another rather long process got underway.

I knew the quote I wanted to use and the size of the frame; I just needed to work out if I had the right amount and right size of type to do it. I also wanted to fully justify it - to help retain that solid sense of the frame.

So I began with the type on the left. But it was too square and didn't quite fit. So I went and tried the bold version, which became a bit too heavy and strong (even though it took up more space). Feeling a bit like Goldilocks I was.

The other challenge was did we have enough pieces of type to do the quote? So I had to do the maths on how many of each letter I would need.

The bold type really did look too heavy and squat against the lovely long thin lines of the tree trunks.

Here are a few of the options I tried.  Also getting the attribution for Mabel Thynne in properly was proving a bit of a challenge.  Again very Goldilocks-like: too high, too low, too big...

I landed on this layout, but couldn't work out how to sort out the big gaping holes. A note to self here - maybe hand emboss after printing?

I went to proof the text on the Adana and for whatever reason, it just wasn't working. I turned the chase around and tried to proof sideways - and damaged my type.  I had forgotten to check if the paper arm holders would hit the type and I got my answer for sure. They most definitely did.

Lead type is quite soft it seems.

The top line was most affected - the s, the e and the o.
This was a bit of a worry as I only had one more s and one more e in the case!
For some unknown reason an r disappeared from 'are' as well, and that used up the last r in the case! A close call.

 I wondered where Mabel's name should sit and it clearly was a bit wobbly when I sat it up higher.

It also didn't finish the frame edge off firmly up there, so I decided to drop it down and use lead not spacers to keep it firm

I inked up a dark green and it looked pretty good,  But those gaps were still a worry.

I had originally thought I would need to print the words first, then wait for them to dry, then put the print through to emboss it and therefore lining up would be tricky and hence the thought re hand embossing afterwards.

As I proofed the type on a proof emboss I realised I could emboss first, then print the type because the type print process wouldn't flatten the emboss. Technical issue which no one else would care about but it did make me very happy.

So I cut the lino again with fingers crossed that this was where the tree trunks would run; and went ahead and embossed first. I was working towards an edition of 5.

And I got them!

It is really hard to get the deep green colour of the ink in the photos, but there's a hint of it here.

I was pretty happy in the end; after all the thinking and problem solving. The print looks like it is mine; the quiet emboss and the words are all there is.