Florian Brożek

A type design provided the motivation for this project. In an effort to put the new typeface to work, a story was written and illustrated. In summary: a bookbinder living in sixteenth-century Venice is witness to the uncanny animation of printed matter. Convinced that the renegade pages conceal a message, he becomes obsessed with their capture and study. Eventually, the local authorities catch wind of the bookbinder’s curious activities, and have him arrested on suspicion of witchcraft. Yet the conviction and punishment that follow seem only to intensify the bookbinder’s obsession, ultimately culminating in fatal and unexpected consequence.

The text for this book was printed letterpress. Photopolymer plates were used to translate the typeface from digital to physical form. This process involves exposing a digitally outputted negative of typeset text onto a photopolymer plate; light hardens the material, while the unexposed areas wash away with water, leaving behind raised lettering.

Processed plates are then affixed to a special aluminum base, bringing their combined thickness to type-high—a standard measurement ensuring the consistent printing of all letterpress media. After the base is locked into the press bed, the plate is ready for printing. The woodcuts were also printed letterpress, one block (color) at a time.

Collated into signatures of eight, the printed leaves were sewn together using the traditional kettle-stitch, and bound in purple Japanese bookcloth. Additional details include hand sewn headbands, and a title printed on the cover with grey ink. The book was printed in an edition of twenty-nine.