In my work I use small metal type and the act of repetitive printing in order to create shapes, textures, dimensions, and patterns. This piece is made with 8 point Caslon number 8s. The type is set vertically in a small circle that I printed, then moved, then printed, and moved over a hundred times. To get the curves at the top and bottom I rotated the form with an angle chase. For the long straight sides I moved the form down the press bed by building up thin pieces of spacing (slugs). Before I started printing, I measured and set this up so I could do it as a work-and-turn. In other words, I printed once then turned the paper 180 degrees for a second pass before moving the form.

Metal type, ink, letterpress printed

Ingrid Ankerson