Fly in under the radar for a sneak peek at the latest goings-on here at Angel Bomb and inside my crowded cranium. You might find photos of a killer project about to hit the press, a rant about the state of design in the digital age, the inside scoop on an upcoming art opening, a recipe for succulent beef tenderloin in port-rosemary sauce, or something completely different.
The Blog is updated on a predictably unpredictable basis, so check back often to see what’s bubbling up to the surface.
Friday, February 18, 2011
One Color Beauty
A local designer, brought me this design to print for him and his fiancé. It’s a simple, yet beautiful execution in a single color which just goes to show you that you don’t need lots of ink colors to make a memorable piece. The couple splurged on the paper using the heavyweight Lettra 220# stock allowing a deep impression on both sides of the pieces. You can see the salting evident in the area of large ink coverage on the main piece which gives a textured look as paper fibers show through. It can be a nice effect when considered as part of the design, but if it’s unacceptable to you, then letterpress may not be your best option. There are some ways to minimize it, but in this case, the designer was happy with the look. It’s a great invitation that anyone would be happy getting in the mail.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A Reception with King Kong
A couple recently came to me looking to have King Kong on their wedding reception invites and that part of the invite would punch out to become a coaster. These were people with vision! None of those stuffy store-bought invites for them; not this happy couple. They wanted something fun to celebrate their day and something fun is what they got. They were looking for a bit of a re-enactment of the original King Kong poster complete with diamond ring. What a great way to commemorate their day, by giving their friends and family something they could set a drink on and remember the occasion. Your invites don’t need to be stuffy and if you need help making them fun, drop us a line. By printing this on coaster stock we could get a really nice impression as well. Just check ‘em out.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Some of the coolest cards around
My old friends at Shinebox were hitting me hard the end of the year with their letterpress needs. And that’s A-OK with me. They were looking for some splendid business cards to showcase their creative capabilities, and these, I believe, do the trick. You may not quite grasp the complexity from the photos, but these square cards required first some offset printing for the nice solid flood of ink on the front, then a couple rounds of letterpress to deboss all the type on the and add some ink for their names. Then, on to the back where three more letterpress inks were hammered into the heavy stock. Finally, each person’s card was edge painted with four different colors. They’re classy and impressive, just like the folks at Shinebox.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Insuring your Table-top’s Finish
Right before the holidays, Beganik Design + Strategy came to me to print some coasters for one of their clients. A whole lotta coasters. They designed a set of four, vintage beer label-inspired coasters that had me hoppin’ on press for a few days. Two colors on the front, three on the back plus a die cut thrown in for good measure. Why don’t more insurance companies give out coasters for their clients? Now that’s a good question.
At the expense of embarrassing myself, I share the following in case you’ve ever wondered just how dedicated Angel Bomb is?” During a press check by my client, the little finger on my right hand happened to get caught in the press and was, as my doctor said, “pulverized.” The client got queazy at my forlorn digit, but I endured and the job was completed without further mishap. So be assured, when you hire Angel Bomb, neither rain, nor sleet, nor disfiguring injury will keep me from meeting your deadline.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Good Ol’ Holiday Gifts
A good friend of mine and his significant other designed some custom stationery for their parents that they wanted Angel Bomb to print. I’d hoped to be able to put them to work letting them print them on the studio’s new Vandercook while I oversaw the operation. Alas, it would take more work to get the Vandy up and running with accuracy, so they had to settle for watching me print them on Kaiser, the Windmill. They turned out fabulous; a simple one color design with matching printed envelopes. What a great gift to give your loved ones; something you helped create that was made locally. No extra shipping necessary, no big box stores, much less waste and a whole lot more care. Just a thought, people.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Devil’s in the Detail
And just check out that detail! Here’s some crazy-tight registration cards designed by Renee of Ribbons of Red fame. First, I laid down some dark grey, knocking out the ever so small type on the front of the card. Then I had to go back and print yellow in the last name, blind deboss his first name, and finally hit the passport stamp with a lighter tone of grey. This pretty much defined the term ‘hairline registration’. The natural salting that occurs, that is, the paper fibers showing through in large areas of ink coverage, was an effect they were looking for on the cards. Printing the back of the card was a piece of cake after that! This was all done on some sumptuous Lettra 220# stock; so stiff and thick, you could poke your eye out!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Letterpress Visit
On the way to spend Thanksgiving in Indianapolis I made a little sidetrip down to Asheville, N.C. to visit the folks at Blue Barnhouse. I got to meet Brandon Mise, proprietor extraordinaire, and Emily Wismer who also goes by the name of Lady Pilot Letterpress. They were both very cool peeps, indeed. I think it’s great to connect with fellow letterpress printers to talk shop and swap stories and keep the letterpress community alive. Local printers seem to be fairly protective of their domain, which, to a degree I can understand, but since our respective shops aren’t even in the same time zone this wasn’t an issue. Hell, if you can’t drink beer with people of your own ilk, then what’s the point? Not only did we drink beer, but ate some killer ribs at 12 Bones. I hope someday to return the favor if they’re ever in Minneapolis. Check out their website, they’ve got some hilarious cards which are on sale for the holidays! Below is one of my favorites. And be sure to order your copy of Brandon’s new book, Adventures in Letterpress which features the work of yours truly.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thank you to Shinebox
There’s a relatively new design shop in town and they’re doing great work if these Thank You cards are any indication. Greg Meyers over at Shinebox created these cards for their clients and I just love the tagline, “Old-fashioned work ethic. New-fashioned work.” It makes even more sense since they printed their new-fashioned cards old-fashionedly on Angel Bomb’s windmill, Kaiser, which is almost as old as the hills. The cards have a great color palette and look great on Lettra 110# stock. Watch for more new-fashioned work from this great group of creatives.
