3779287075001
London's New North Press is on a mission to bring letterpress into the 21st century. To combine the oldest form of print technology with the very latest innovations, the Hoxton-based studio turned to Scott Williams and Henrik Kubel of A2-Type to design a letterpress font that could be 3D printed. 'It was really important to us that the design was something that challenged the notion of what letterpress could be and tested what 3D printing was capable of,' says Richard Ardagh, a New North Press partner. 'When Scott and Henrik presented their design of the letter forms being a wireframe, I knew we were in new territory that felt exciting.' The A23D font was fabricated by specialist model makers Chalk Studios and is now a working part of New North Press' library of type. The project has been documented by Adrian Harrison, whose film – a shortened version of which is previewed here - will premiere at the Victoria & Albert Museum on 13 September as part of London Design Festival's Graphic Weekend.
Victoria & Albert Museum, Seminar Room 1, Learning Centre Screening times: 12:00, 14:30, 16:00 & 17:00
Creating a 3D-printed letterpress font was a way to 'feed new energy into the craft and really look to the future of letterpress,' says Richard Ardagh
New North Press worked with Chalk Studios to 3D print the A23D font
A2-Type have created a font in which the letter forms are wireframes. 'We chose to go with something that referenced the production method by being 3D looking,' explains Ardagh.
The fonts were created by polyjet 3D printing, which builds up layers of liquid photo polymer, cured by a UV light
The font's first use is the specimen posters, designed by A2-Type
Each of the four posters comes in an edition of 50
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Five things we loved at ICFF this yearFrom ceramic sconces to inflatables, here's the furniture and lighting that caught our eye
-
‘Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s’ explores the creative resilience of the decadeNoguchi and Nakashima are among those who found expression and innovation in the adversity of the 1940s; take a walk through the Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition
-
Ludmilla Balkis’ organic, earthy ceramics embody the Basque countrysideThe sculptor-ceramicist presents a series inspired by and created from found natural objects in a New York exhibition
-
Designer Danny Kaplan’s Manhattan showroom is also his apartment: the live-work space reimaginedDanny Kaplan’s Manhattan apartment is an extension of his new showroom, itself laid out like a home; he invites us in, including a first look at his private quarters
-
New Superhouse show captures the rebellious spirit of Dan Friedman’s Manhattan apartmentIn the late 1970s, graphic designer and artist Dan Friedman transformed his apartment into a Day-Glo laboratory of ideas. Now, a new exhibition at Superhouse in New York revisits his vibrant, rebellious world
-
From migrating elephants to a divisive Jaguar, was this the best Design Miami yet?Here's our Design Miami 2024 review – discover the best of everything that happened at the fair as it took over the city this December
-
Design practice Astraeus Clarke is inspired by cinema to tell a story and evoke an emotionIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Chelsie and Jacob Starley the creative duo behind Astraeus Clarke
-
California cool: Studio Shamshiri debuts handmade door handles and pullsLos Angeles interior design firm Studio Shamshiri channels the spirit of the Californian landscape into its handcrafted hardware collections. Founder Pamela Shamshiri shares the inspiration behind the designs
