Progress continues on my letter “v” design for The Every Letter Project… thank you to all that gave feedback on my first round of tangram designs. It was very helpful to learn which designs resonated with people, and why others did not. It also gave me the chance to take a break and come back to the project with fresh eyes.
This next round of designs started with digitizing the tangram designs that were most liked, focusing on those that lend themselves well to a 2-pass design (one of the requirements of the project). In a 2-pass design the paper only goes through the press twice, regardless of the ink colors used or the number of blocks carved.
While the shape of the letter forms worked nicely on their own, I wanted to give them some context so that the viewer understands that the letter was formed from tangram shapes. I decided to dedicate one pass to the tangram puzzle in its original state, and the second pass to my type design.
Here are some of designs that have made it into the final round. The number in the top left corner corresponds to the design’s number in the first round.
Color studies for Design #6
Color studies for Design #10
Color studies for Design #13 (flipped horizontally)
Color studies for #35, a variation on Design #16
The colors are still under consideration; I want the original tangram puzzle to be visible, but not so much that it obscures the letter form of the “v” in the second pass. Some color combos work better than others.
My next step is to finalize a design and get the linoleum blocks carved… with printing on my Colt’s Armory press following shortly after. Thanks to Evan MacDonald, the project’s coordinator, I am already in possession of 100 sheets of white Mohawk Superfine, smooth finish, 130lb double thick paper (graciously by Mohawk).
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With over 17 years of experience in agency and studio settings, Amy Redmond is a visual designer who thrives on variety, creating print and interactive work for corporate and non-profit clients. To keep her creativity refreshed, Amy balances digital design with time in her letterpress studio (Amada Press) in Seattle. She also teaches at the School of Visual Concepts.
