Monday, August 10, 2009

dreaming about wood type patterns

> Patterns are really popular right now. Digital files, printed papers, and fabric are covered with flourishes, swirls, dots, florals, and layered textures. You can even buy digital files where the edges are designed to align, creating repeating patterns, so you can duplicate and make them as expansive as you'd like.
> In my eBay treasure hunts, I found a couple items that fascinate me. I've got a couple of fabric printing blocks that I "won" on eBay that are now decor in my office. Back in the early days of printing, when type was set by hand, patterns were also created using the same technique. Wood blocks were hand-carved—some in painstakingly fine detail, inked, and pressed onto fabric or paper again and again to create an all-over pattern. The blocks are notched out in just the right places so the printer could mark and repeat the pattern as often as necessary.
> During a fitful night last week when I wasn't able to sleep, my mind wandered instead of shutting down and letting me sleep. The up-side is that I came up with some ideas about how I could use my collection of type and wood block patterns, to create...well, stay tuned...

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