Imperial Paper sizes
Imperial — 22.0 x 30 inches
Imperial Paper Sizes — UK (first draught)
Foolscap — 14 x 18¾ inches / Demy — 15½ x 20 inches / Medium — 17½ x 22½ inches / Royal — 19 x 24 inches / Super Royal — 19¼ x 27 inches / Imperial — 22.0 x 30 inches / Elephant — 23 x 28 inches / Double Elephant — 26½ x 40 inches / Atlas — 26¼ x 34 inches / Columbier — 23½ x 35 inches / Antiquarian — 31 x 53 inches
A specimen of ‘Grotesque’ metal types held in the case at Mr Smith’s Letterpress Workshop.
Based on the design of the Periodic Table of Elements — contained in a 12 x 8 12 pica grid — the work sets out to display the range of sizes & styles of each of the categories of types held in the workshop. The smaller type sizes being in the first columns — 6 / 8 / 10 etc — progressing to the largest in column 12 at 72 pt. There are 8 rows that contain the 8 different styles of san serif.
Contained within the structure are the three elements that make-up the material composition of lead type.
Made with care for the ’94 Elements’ project (an idea by Mike Paterson). Designed, set & printed with the help of the four ‘young turks’ at the Camberwell School of Art Press, — Alex, Freddy, Jake & Paul in 2012.
Designed, hand-set & printed Letterpress
Printed with Light & Dark Grey & 072 Blue ink on 280gsm BFK Rives Grey
Imperial size — 30 x 22 inches
(760 x 560 mm)
Go to Section 10 of the Print Shop
In printing, metal type is cast from a combination of three metallic elements. The percentage of each metal depends on the usage of the type but the general rule for type held in the case is:
74 percent Lead: heavy, poisonous, malleable & ducktile but soft & weak.
18 percent Antimony: brittle, but when alloyed strengthens the metal.
10 percent Tin: soft & ductile but wear resistant & fluid when molten to give a finer face to the type.
These letterforms are orphans . . .
They don’t belong /
they are oddities /
they arrived without a family /
part of a job lot /
acquired / swapped / donated . . .
But they are all well loved
& certainly well used /
together they don’t say anything /
but they look great
& work well as a team
& at least
they now have a place to rest . . .
. . .
Designed, hand-set & printed Letterpress /
with Wood letter /
in a limited edition of 12 /
Signed by the Artist
Printed in a special Green/Grey ink
on 280gsm BFK Rives Grey /
with a vertical blind de-bossed credit /
3 deckles & 1 torn edge /
Imperial size sheet — 22 x 30 inches
(560 x 760 mm)
Sold unframed as pair £350
Go to Section 6 the Print Shop
