FRIENDS OF LETTERPRESS Design Project 1
Student Ananya Post-Graduate Graphic Design ananya@nid.edu
Faculty Guide Tarun Deep Girdher Senior Faculty, Graphic Design tarundg@nid.edu
REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE
1
CONTEXT
There was a time when Print Labs was the cornerstone of NID. The staff did award winning work and constantly pushed boundaries. But as graphic design became more and more digitally driven, Print Labs began to lose its relvance too. The current scenario is such that students only ever go there to cut paper or bind notebooks (or worse, as a passage). Most students are completely unaware of the rich resources available there and their potential for exploration. NID is the only design institute in India to have an operational letterpress setup. The origins of printing lie in letterpress and though the technology is obsolete commercially, the possibilities
of the medium are limitless, and so are its benefits. It is a very efficient medium of short run printing, uses minimal power, its tactile feel and human engagement is unmatched by any other form of printing, not to mention its an extremely fun activity. A strong need is felt by the student community of Graphic Design for a revival. Hands on learning needs to be brought back to graphic design. Its time to get off the computer and get our hands dirty. And what better to kickstart this initiative than letterpress printing.