I don't know about you but for me a bit of crap printing holds great appeal. All that low production value stuff: Rubber stamped messages, postage marks, letterpress or dot martrix overprinted tickets, typewritten texts, stencilled lettering, badly printed cardboard boxes; all that kind of thing.
And fruit crates are another thing. Most of these were scavenged during our honeymoon in Italy (yes, I know, should have had other things on my mind) although the last one I actually found last weekend here, or rather just along the coast a bit.
There's something about the way the ink and the wood work together, the ink bleeding and blurring. Beautiful.
And, they remind me of this:
Years ago, probably one of my first significant design projects was to develop a corporate identity and packaging design system for a salad grower in the south of England. Most of their produce was delivered to customers in packaging unsympathetic with fine print: plastic bags, vacuum sealed packs, cardboard trays and boxes. The trays and boxes were key things because the contents had to be easily identifiable in market and wholesale situations where they would be stacked high. Some would be exported so language was an issue. We thought they needed illustrations but we knew they'd be badly printed so opted for a wood/lino cut style that would actual look better badly printed. The style worked beautifully, even on the vac-packs and bags.
Years later I was surprised and thrilled to see a box side, torn off and disgarded in the gutter in Greece. It still looked good.
What I really liked about the project was how unavoidable restrictions were imposed but we embraced them and turned them to our advantage.
Hi, every week i check this website, and is really good to know that someone invest time to make type more then simple things that exist without explanation.
For that reason, I want to give you a hitch: there’s a portuguese design consultants that do some pretty interesting things since a long time with type and patterns. Very fashion now, I gess!
http://www.vestigio.com/9.php?area=7&div=2&id=200
Posted by: Ana F. | 02 June 2007 at 08:12 PM