The printing press is one of those inventions that's immodestly (if not inaccurately) credited with revolutionizing the history of the world. Created by German engraver Johann Gutenberg in 1440, a printing press works by applying intense pressure to an inked surface so that the ink transfers neatly and permanently to a sheet of paper. In other words, it's no coincidence that the historic printing machine is called a "press," because that's precisely what Gutenberg's machine was designed to do.
But living as we do in the Modern Age, there are other ways to achieve a similar effect. If the goal is to print the old skool way by applying intense pressure to a page, there are other devices that can get the job done. For example, Gutenberg did not have access to a two-ton steamroller, but it turns out that this mundane piece of road construction hardware is ideally suited to the task of creating large-scale prints. Who knew?
Frankly, the thought had never occurred to us. Nevertheless, Telstar Logistics was able to watch this process in action during the fourth annual "Roadworks: Steamroller Prints and Street Fair" which took place last Saturday here in San Francisco to benefit the San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB).
The mechanics are simple: A select group of artists were commissioned to create linoleum plates. These plates were then coated with ink, covered by a sheet of paper, and padded with some blankets. Finally, a 4,000 pound steamroller was slowly driven back and forth over each plate to produce a print. Voila! Gorgeous work of art!
Lots more photos of the event, and prints, via the photoset link below. If you'd like to buy one of the prints, mark your calendar: They'll be auctioned off at SFCB's Gala Dinner and Fundraiser in November, and we're told that prices run from about $500 to $2500 per piece.
LINKS:
Steamroller Printing (Flickr photoset by Telstar Logistics)
San Francisco Center for the Book (offical website)
(Photos by Telstar Logistics)
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