We have been printing gift cards and thought it would be nice to share the process of creasing cards. The photos below show some of the process.
We crease gift cards using the Squintani Model 5 treadle press. Each card is individually creased by hand and as you see in this short video, it is a quiet meditative process. Enjoy the video and take a little time out with the gentle roll, click, crunk of the treadle press.
In his paper, “On the fine perception of colours etc.”, William Colenso describes the use of colour by pre-European Māori from his first-hand experience of having met and observed the work of elderly Māori still alive at the time. The legacy he provides offers a rare glimpse into how ancient Māori created and used colour, shape, and texture for various purposes. We have tried to bring to life Colenso’s legacy by applying elements he describes in a contemporary frame; using colours described, creating letterpress printing inks from natural sources to produce prints, making use of printing substrates made from locally produced materials, iconographic representations of the source materials and artefacts produced by those that Colenso worked with.
As any who run an older machine of any kind, there are challenges in keep them operational. So it was when we were about to start printing the Fennel series that instead of the satisfying whir of the inking drum motor, there was a single ominous click, then … nothing.
The Korrex Berlin Hand letterpress proofing press exemplifies German engineering. Made in the 1970’s at Max Simmel Maschinenfabrik, in Berlin, Germany, the Korrex press even now runs as smooth as silk.
