Square Peg in a Round Hole: Printing Wood Type with Circular Masks
Video presentation is allowed to be used for educational purposes.
Masking wood type to isolate specific anatomical components promotes the discovery of new typographic forms and advances letterpress printing as a distinctive artistic medium. However, using a mask to crop elements of a letterpress printing form increases pressure inconsistently to the matrix’s surface. The additional pressure applied by the thickness of the mask material can deboss the printing surface and cause permanent damage—an unacceptable risk when working with fonts of historical wood type.
The isotype (a portmanteau of the words isolate and type) printing technique solves the problem of variable pressure. Custom packing, paired with a corresponding frisket, allows the printer to crop select elements from the matrix safely.
Early applications of the technique used hand-cut rectangular packing and friskets. As a result, every masked edge is rectilinear. The author theorized that altering the shape of the packing and frisket would expand the range of formal possibilities.
This presentation will focus on the methods and digital tools used to enhance the isotype printing technique making it possible to print wood type compositions with curved and circular perimeters.
David Wolske is a typo/graphic designer, artist, and educator. His hybrid practice combines the traditions of letterpress and printmaking with digital tools and design thinking. Wolske’s work is exhibited and collected nationally and internationally. He is a 2020 LHM Educator Fellow at the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography at ArtCenter College of Design; the College Book Art Association 2018 Emerging Educator; 2016 Visiting Artist at Hatch Show Print; and a 2014 Utah Visual Arts Fellow. Wolske is currently an Assistant Professor in the College of Visual Arts & Design at the University of North Texas.
