OCTOBER 2014
Monologue Hello, still late this month, but still faster than before. Things are happening here. We are kind of having a problem on our schedule. As the project is currently on it’s 10 month issue, we are growing prouder than before. Happy and proud but exhausted.
As we had mentioned before this October issue is a continuation of a series from before. While we talk about how early graphics were produced, this time it’s about how early graphics are reproduced time, hence the issue’s name. Not really much a difference actually, we just want the wordplay. Last month, here in Indonesia there was a printing exhibition, just so you know. Graphic productions are expanding faster than we thought it could be. If we don’t catch up on the latest one, we’re going to be left out dead far ahead from others.
Anyways enjoy the publication. As we had fun on this publication. Cheers.
Contents
Living Graphics 4 Industry to Art 5 Offset 7 Final Remarks 9 Article References: 12 Image References: 12 2
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Last issue we mentioned wood block, moveable type, lithography, and this time we’re talking about screen printing and offset printing. It’s reproduction time.
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GRAPHIC REPRODUCTION
O
n the early times of graphic production, to produce one graphic is hard and time consuming, and to
reproduce them, such for publication, also takes a long time. But for every method created, the next one surely learns from it’s predecessor’s mistake, it’s in the human nature, we learn, we grow, and we make new things that were better. Living Graphics
the need of the market, it became
We always like to think the industry
faster, more efficient, more flexible,
(or art) of graphic production is
and perhaps more accessible
like a living thing. Note that we
and cheaper. Who knows later on
said it’s like ‘living’ not really a
producing a book would cost less
live in one way or another. The
than $100? Who knows?
characteristics of a living thing in elementary school science that it
The first Gutenberg bible costs a
has movement, respiration, growth,
fortune. Recorded as 30 florins –
excretion, needs energy, adepts on
around three year wages of a clerk-
their environment, and of course,
at the time of its first production.
reproduction.
Today, in Indonesia, we can buy a printed bible for just $4.78, far less
By all means the industry grows
than an hour wage of a designer
and adepts on the need of the
work, and you probably still can
market. It needs an input, it feeds
grab something at McDonalds (no
on something, and ‘breathes’ and of
advertisement intended). A digital
course it creates waste. It ‘moves’,
version is of course free.
not just in a way the machine
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moves, but it does not stay still, it
At the early of the Gutenberg bible
grows. And most of all it reproduces
production, it is scheduled for a
new things. It develops towards
total of 230 copies to be produced
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The Gutenberg Bible
in a five year time frame. The exact
the materials at that time are harder
number of copies produced were
to produce, today, paper is easily
not recorded. Today, an offset press
produced, very easy that it raised
can reach 50,000 impressions in one
the global warming issue, but let’s
hour, which one impression is equal
not talk about that.
to 38 inches x 22 inches.
Industry to Art See the time difference? Not to
Screen printing is a printing
mention about the labor, that time
technique which involves a wave
printers were an expert and skilled
and mesh material and ink blocking
profession, that needed time and
stencil in which the image is printed
practice to be able to be one. Not
in the media. The technique of
saying that today’s printer doesn’t
screen printing is recorded to be
need practice or time, but there are
first used around 960 AD – 1279
guides, and even schools dedicated
AD in China, the Song Dynasty,
to teach printing techniques. Also
and later towards Japan and the
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of printing. When the technique spreads to Europe, silkscreen printing wasn’t really popular since in Europe silk is not easy to find as in Asia.
Later on the technique develops itself, from using silk to using polyester as it’s mesh, and also using different kinds of materials, in which they had a different permeability. Different kinds (top) Screen Printing ; (above) squeegee
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spreads to the neighboring country
of squeegee and inks are also
in Asia. Initially the technique was
developed, creating a more diverse
called silkscreen printing, because
result than it originally was, however
in Asia they used silk as the medium
the principle of using one screen
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GRAPHIC REPRODUCTION
for one color still lies the same. True you can mix inks in the screen to produce a gradient like effect in one screen, but the effect is somewhat uncontrollable.
There are also printing effect techniques that use screen printing, such as printing glue to the media with screen print, and then using velvet like substance to create a (top) Guy Maccoy ; (left) one of Guy’s serigraphs;
different effect on t-shirts.
People at the National Serigraphic Society coined the term serigraphy, in which seri, from sericum means silk and graphy from graphein means to write or to draw. The
able to play with production as he
term was used to describe screen
also works as a printer, being able
printing that is used for artistic
to understand and manipulate
purposes, where at that moment,
production gives Guy a distinct
the term screen printing is closely
style than others, as he is able to
associated with industrial aspect.
experiment and keep learning as he works. In 1981, Guy passed away
Speaking of serigraphy, the “father”
from the now famous ALS. Guy is
of serigraph is Guy Maccoy, is the
considered a pioneer to modern silk
first person to produce and display
screen as a fine art.
serigraphs. Guy works mainly as a printer, and also an artist, he
The Printer’s National Environmental
also teaches. As an artist he is
Assistance Center Assistance
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Offset
described that
Offset printing is a printing
screen printing
method in which the inked image
is considered
is transferred from a plate, to a
one of the most favored printing
rubber blanket and then to the
technique, as it is easy and
printing surface. So the inked image
affordable, so that even novices
doesn’t go directly to the media
can manage to perform it, and it
like screen printing. Basically that is
can print to various medias, not
the foundation of offset principle.
only limited to paper. Some famous
Several process can also be
items that are screen printed are
combined with the offset printing,
t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags.
such as lithography, in which the
Examples of items that use screen print as their production method.
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Center or PNEAC,
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offset uses a flat image carrier
developed for printing paper. In
which the image that is going to
the beginning of 20th century,
be printed receives ink from the ink
photography became a popular
rollers, while the area not printed
medium of illustration, hence
receives a water based film, keeping
forcing lithographic firms out of
the not printed area free of ink.
the business. Rubel uses low cost lithography process to produce
Development of offset printing
copies of photographs and books.
includes the media to be printed.
Rubel discovered in 1901, by
In 1875 Robert Barclay developed
printing from the rubber roller
offset for printing on tin, and
instead of the metal, the printed
in 1904 Ira Washington Rubel
image was better in quality, clearer
An offset printer
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and sharper, hence the foundation
into disaster. But still despite the
of offset printing principle.
various parameters, the result of offset printing is magnificent.
Today offset is one of the most common ways to create print objects such as books, newspaper and magazines. It is used because
In the industry in the United
of the fast pace and also the
States, offset consumes half of the
economic advantages when printing
industries printing plate.
a large quantity. Several advantages of offset compared to other printing
Final Remarks
methods are the consistency of high
Production and printing probably
image quality and the cost. The cost
is the work of a printer. Designers
of offset is low when printing a large
don’t need to be overly concerned
quantity since initially you need to
about the printing parameters,
create films for the print, and the
though knowing about the process
film, easy to be maintained and
is a great plus. Some designers we
has a longer life cycle than other
know are ‘blind’ about production.
films, are made once, unless it’s
They keep assuming that
broken. Once you have the film, the
their design will turn
remaining cost are the electricity,
out 100% as they
ink, paper, worker’s wage.
Technically, offset has many things to consider, the machine condition, the media condition, the ink condition, the film, the plate, the printer environment. A slight miscalculation or off setting can make the whole printing
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had designed. For us that kind of paradigm is very misleading.
Especially when they talk to people that don’t know anything at all also, such as clients. ‘Blind’ designer don’t sell lies, they simply don’t know that after going through production, colors will change,
quantities will change, or some effects could not be achieved with production, or at least with their budget.
We initially described about living. As a designer does your knowledge
be a designer that grows, that keeps developing not only their skill and knowledge, but also their mentality.
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‘lives’? Learning new stuffs and
are harmless to the nature, also
trying new stuffs keeps your
consider recycled or recyclable
knowledge alive, keeps the creative
materials for production, perhaps
juices flowing.
the price doesn’t really differ, or perhaps even a bit more expensive,
Speaking of living, perhaps if
but it’s nice to be known as a
you are concerned for the world
designer that has responsibility.
and environment, you can start producing your works with printers
Being a responsible to the nature
that are eco-friendly, those who
makes you more responsible as
can manage their waste at least. If
a designer as, we are sometimes
possible, also try using materials
considered the profession that
that are friendly to the nature,
creates many wastes. Let’s change
nowadays there are inks that
that, one step at the time.
Article References: http://www.saburchill.com/chapters/chap0001.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutenberg_Bible http://www.gutenberg-bible.com/history.html http://www.whatisscreenprinting.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_printing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Maccoy http://www.guymaccoy.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offset_printing#History
Image References: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Gutenberg_Bible,_Lenox_Copy,_New_ York_Public_Library,_2009._Pic_01.jpg http://guymaccoy.com/miscimgs/gm_screening1.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Archives_of_American_Art_-_Guy_ Maccoy_-_2252.jpg http://guymaccoy.com/biography/index.html http://www.thisisprintshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/home1.jpg http://www.screenanddigitalsupply.com/store/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/ df6b7fc24878f9c84ea30ee6dfaaecfe/e/r/ergo_squeegee_assembled_001.jpg http://www.jsws.com/assets/img/clients/pneac_grey.png http://assets.inhabitots.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bluesiltshirt1.jpg http://claireabellemakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/screen-printed-bicycle-tote-bag. jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R1_sBgZp8DA/Tj33n6J3ekI/AAAAAAAABZQ/WouEqDuW5Hc/ s1600/P8010017a.jpg http://images.digitalroom.com/offset-printer-01.jpg
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Next Discussion: We’re going to close the production and reproduction jokes aside now. We’re gonna start clean, something new, since we are going to try some new stuffs too.
The rough idea is to discuss about designers again, but this time in a more detailed as we try to describe also our experiences as a designer. We are also planning to invite some friends on board for the next publication and discussion. So yeah, it’s going to have a new feel to it perhaps.
Talking about the next publication, the next one will be a stand alone, no series no part two or anything, since there are stuffs we’re preparing for December already. but still looking at the last three months, we wouldn’t want to openly share too much since things do happen and force us to delay and to renew our plans.
Hope it won’t happen anytime soon for the next publications. See you guys at the next publication.
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