CrankyLog

Spot color as far as the eye can see.

We will be jumping on the Instagram bandwagon soon but personally I like old fashioned photography so will stick with that and let the kids mess around with the new fangled snaps.

So today's mini posting is a letterpress business card job for Amara Photo shown above. 3 spot color printing front and three different ink color changes on the back. Pantone-a-rama on Lettra 220# cover stock.

Digitally assisted letterpress printing production.

Apart from advancements in photomechanical dies and platemaking, modern letterpress technology has largely remained stuck in the past somewhere between the 1920's and mid 1960's. This has left letterpress a slow and laborious process.

Frustrated, the aproned team at Cranky Pressman set out to change all this. Introducing computer enhanced letterpress, bringing the speed and precision of digital devices to letterpress capabilities and thus bringing letterpress firmly into the late 20th Century!

Should the snake get his job back?

Unfortunate news to report!

Because of the continued tough economic conditions and stressful times, we made the decision last month not to produce a 2013 Cranky Pressman promotional wall calendar. This was not a choice taken lightly but one we believed best for all parties.

There are however those who do not respect authority and take matters into their own hands despite potential consequences. Our pressman Jason Vaughn was one such person.

Last week, the aforementioned worker was caught printing the letterpress calendar shown above on company time and without management's knowledge. This is strictly against policy and left no other choice but to immediately terminate his employment.

Apparently, 2013 is the Chinese Year of the Snake. This somehow made it acceptable in Jason's mind to use valuable paper stock and ink materials for his hand-set wood and metal type serpentine creation. He even used a perfectly good sheet of linoleum to carve the slithering varmint. All this could have been better used for a paying customer's project.

It is quite clear the only real snake in this case was Jason himself.

Making the most of your letterpress work.

~ A labor of love ~

Over the last 5 or 10 years there's been a lot of hoopla about folks making things again. Laborers, crafters, artisans and just plain old makers are sexy nowadays. Being letterpress printers we appreciate this newfound interest in handmade crafts. That said, we also believe final production and execution rely heavily on the thinking, planning and creative work that comes first.

The very best finished work depends on the choices and decisions the designer makes. Conceptualizing, sketching and noodling away on the computer may not be physical labor but it is hard work to get right and crucial for a project to turn out its very best.

Here's a look at what goes into 'making' and ways of making a letterpress project better.

Mind your Ps and Qs at the Cranky Camp.

The first Cranky Pressman Letterpress Workshop of 2011 recently took place in Salem, Ohio. We've agreed to endure several of these events this year. They are in association with AIGA Cleveland and the classes are limited in size so griping and discipline can be handed out judiciously. The next camp is on July 23, 2011. Look for more details and enrollment information here. Book early to avoid disappointment. There is no crying in letterpress (unless of course you drop a heavy ass piece of lead on you finger).

To sweeten the pie and lessen the pain we've created these certificates to give to anyone who satisfactorily completes the workshop. Designed and wickedly illustrated by Oliver Barrett, it gives you something to show your dad and prove you are not just sitting around doing nothing all day. Keep reading for a detail shot and production notes.