World’s Largest California Job Case
This collaborative project was completed by me, 10 other students, and our professor over the course of nine days. The assignment consisted of creating a large-scale example of the layout of a California Job Case, which is a common system for storing metal type in letterpress printing.
Each of us was assigned a variety of type, and we printed on smaller sheets to be tiled together to create the layout. After working in shifts, 24/7 for the final push, we completed two versions—each approximately ten by twenty feet—to be hung in the atrium of our building.
I created the “Y” letterform by allowing the negative space in the design represent the letterform. These are two of 26 variations I created while working on the California Job Case project. The “Y” design I contributed to the collaborative project features the black typesetting over a white background.
The question mark is comprised of three overlaid sans serif designs, printed in pink and yellow. The work is intended to clearly show the character, while slightly obfuscating where one begins and the other ends. The question marks were laser cut and made into veneer wood type, then printed in sequence. The “5” was created using the same process. By overlaying cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, I also created orange, green, and purple hues in the design. The “5” also features 38 additional, smaller 5’s printed in black ink.
This collab was the most fulfilling experience of teamwork. In addition to the more clichéd outcome of a deeper understanding of determination, I gained a community of printers, forged new friendships, and developed a fond affection for letterpress printing.
