Letterpress Artbook

My letterpress artbook explores the theme of motion through visual imagery and personal narrative, telling the story of the solo marathon I ran in 2020. Laser-cut lino blocks were used to create the linework imagery, and the colors of the Saucony running shoes I wore the day I ran the race inspired the color scheme and paper. Titled "First," the book reflects the various firsts of my marathon experience, from running my first full marathon to navigating the challenges of the pandemic.

Project Scope
Layout Design, Type Setting, Illustration, Laser Cutting, Book Making

The Asbern Company was a Danish printing press manufacturer active from 1945 to 1980. Asbern presses are known for their sturdy construction and high-quality printing capabilities.

To make my linoleum blocks type high, I mounted them onto an MDF board and a thin slice of chipboard after cutting the images in reverse for correct printing on the letterpress.

To activate the pages in the accordion display, moments of connectivity through type and imagery are explored.

Because the sizing of the accordion book was a little funky, I carefully designed the layout in Illustrator before cutting my paper and printing. For type, I selected wooden 15pt Plain Gothic for full spreads, metal 10pt Neon Century for information paragraphs, 18pt Garamond Italic for headings, and 10pt Garamond for numbers.