3D Printing in Contemporary Letterpress

An A23D block. (Ardagh 2014)

In my previous research for my proposal I identified the work of the Richard Ardagh and the A23D printed type project (2014). This was funded in part by an Arts Council grant and the pieces themselves were fabricated by model making specialists Chalk Studios using industrial machines. The designs were 3D printed as veneers and mounted onto MDF blocks to bring them to type height. As a project it is an interesting exploration of how detailed a 3D printed block can be, with the design of the typeface itself being custom made to explore how sharp and complex the strokes of a letterform can be printed.

Designer Jack Gover at Print My Part, a 3D printing service, has worked with Gordon Chesterman, a Letterpress Printer, to fabricate 3D printed replacement letters for an antique set of wood letters (2017). As with A23D these blocks were 3D printed from digital designs as veneers that were then mounted onto wood to have them reach type height.

The 3D printed replacement letters amongst the original wood letters.

Previously, I have been interviewed by Chris Wilson, a printmaker, design educator and doctoral candidate based in Newcastle upon Tyne as part of his Digilog PhD project. In his project he has been documenting and analysing the intersection between traditional craft and contemporary production methods in relation to Letterpress printing. Currently his website is offline while he finishes writing his thesis but it may be worth getting in contact to discuss my own project.

Alongside the production of the blocks for printmaking, other designers are addressing the need for the production of printing presses themselves. The Open Press Project was started when they noticed “intaglio printmaking is only accessible to a small group of artists, most of which don’t have the option to get themselves one of the very expensive and heavy printing presses or work in one of the very few printmaking workshops in art universities or private institutions.” (2019). The press they designed can be downloaded as digital files and printed and assembled anywhere in the world, enabling the democratisation of the intaglio process.

(Open Press 2019)
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