Notes, Observations and Research
With my digital tools progressing and the sets of components defined I have begun to make my final tool, the blocks. These are 3D printed blocks that can be printed with on a printing press.
The components being printed and dried before curing.
The resin blocks are the same height as wooden and metal blocks so the print has accurately produced prints that are 0.918inches in height.
While creating the stamps I also created a selection of stencils created from the various components I have made. I grouped these together by style and provided multiple widths and lengths.
The use of stencils to explorer the creations of letterforms could definitely be an inexpensive way of interacting with the shapes in a physical way. These stencils were cut from 3mm clear acrylic, the transparency was helpful as it allows you to line up you next shape with the previous one but I think the fact that it’s completely clear makes it harder to see the forms on the stencil. A transparent coloured acrylic may be more helpful here. As I have found in some of my earlier experiments, it is the odder shapes that push you to explore the concept much more that having a full set of every shape in every available size and width. I think one stencil of multiple, related but still distinct forms will be more useful than a series of stencils based on each style of component. The benefit of the stencil over the stamps and blocks is that the user can choose to draw only part of a shape, so in fact presenting one shape in many different lengths and widths isn’t needed.
Based on the above reflection I have produced my final stencil that combines various different shapes. I have laser cut it out of transparent orange acrylic as well as mylar, a thin but strong plastic that is used in the creation of stencils. This allows me to offer two price points as the mylar is only £1 per sheet in comparison to acrylic which is £6.
The current idea for Glint club originates from the exploration of the Glint border and ornament. Writing on the glint club blog in 2015 the authour explains “In April 1956 David Bethel submitted his design for the Glint border & corner to Monotype, the designs becoming B1309/10 in August of the same year. Beatrice Warde was at this time working as the corporation’s publicity manager & developed a self-confessed ‘mania’ for ‘working out combinations’ of Bethel’s new border. Warde went on to invent the Glint Game, encouraging others to ‘experiment & invent’ new Glint combinations, she claimed to have discovered 75 such combinations in collaboration with her personal assistant Sarah Clutton.”
I find the idea of exploring two simple components in all their different permutations compelling. The restrictions of the rules creates a space for intensive exploration, discovering new possibilities for alignment and pattern creation.
After analysing the forms of the glint ornaments I composed 2 of my own variations and tried to print them alongside some other blocks that were experiments in the creation of halftone blocks. The halftones didn’t work but the glink did.
The forms of glink blocks were also informed by the metal swash ornaments in my own collection. Due to their L shape they can be organised and printed in many different orientations.
This week I have been exploring the use of resin 3d printers to be able to generate printable blocks from home without the need for other tools like laser cutters/routers etc. The results so far have been promising – producing blocks that are sturdy enough to print with regularly at a detail that allows very fine design work to take place. Most interestingly, I feel, is the ability to free the shape of the design from the constraints of it being a conventional rectangular block, as would be the case with most traditional cast or routed methods of creating a printable block. In these designs you can see me experimenting with a range of simple modular forms. The blocks are printed to be type height and are divisions of an inch so can be combined with lead and metal type easily.
These original blocks were based on the elementary shapes as defined by the Bauhaus school, the square, circle and triangle.
