Originating for the 1430s engraved printing in contemporary times is a popular form of bespoke calling cards, invitations, and envelopes for royalty, the rich and famous.

From Wiki engraved printing  –

Gravure printing is an intaglio printing technique, where the image to be printed is made up of small depressions in the surface of the printing plate. The cells are filled with ink and the excess is scraped off the surface with a doctor blade, then a rubber-covered roller presses paper onto the surface of the plate and into contact with the ink in the cells. The printing plates are usually made from copper and may be produced by digital engraving or laser etching.

Gravure printing is used for long, high-quality print runs such as magazines, mail-order catelogues, packaging, and printing onto fabric and wallpaper. It is also used for printing postage stamps and decorative plastic laminates, such as kitchen worktops.

Engraved printing is a time consuming and luxury process that requires a designer and client in touch with past printing technologies and willingness to let the technique dictate the outcome. The physical result accommodates the finest of detail and lightest of touch. A thoughtful design accompanied with fine, even bespoke papers, raised inks, rich dense colour, pin sharp detail, fine embosses and guilt edges offers a rich palette.

David Hayes from The Engraved Printing Company is a rare breed of printer who is more an artisan than trades person. Trained in what Dave labeled as – a dying trade, in the United Kingdom – Dave’s training, experience and client list read like a state event which include royal families, monarchs and world renowned families.

The printing plant is filled with rare and ancient machines, a quiet hum and spotless floor. The machines are made ready by hand, along with the work which is hand feed, checked, racked, finished, trimmed and packed.

Designers seeking fine and luxurious outcomes will love Dave’s passion and will find the process exciting and highly rewarding for skilled designers willing to collaborate, wait and then pay luxury rates.

Visit The Engraved Printing Company here

Final poster – 4 x A0 plan prints, double sides tape and silver streamers

Established in 2006 Eye Saw invites designers to respond to a theme in the poster format. Eye Saw is overseen by Mark Gowing Design – it is an invitational poster exhibition held in Omnibus Lane, Ultimo, Sydney.

This year the studio was honored to be invited to produce a poster for Eye Saw. The brief invited participants to consider the theme humanity/equity.

Posters design is an individual process and it is difficult to develop a poster image that speaks of the idea, means something to its designer and connects with an audience. We thought of humanity/equity in terms of grooming compassion, nurturing our hearts. Everyone knows that to care for a plant you have to think to water it regularly for it to grow, so we twisted this metaphor and invited viewers to nurture their hearts.

The poster was cost effectively produced as four A0 black and white plan prints with fine streams of fine silver light plastic streamers flowing from the watering can’s spout.

Thanks to Simeon from Anagram in Sydney for installing our poster. A big thank you goes out to our friends at Melbourne studio Hofstede Design for pitching in on the day, while installing their work in Sydney, and helping Simeon with our installation. We are very fortunate and privileged to have peers like Simeon King, Wendy Ellerton, Dom Hofstede, Paul Garbett and Mark Gowing who share their ideas and pitch in from time-to-time – even from great distances.

Jasper claims our site

Wendy and Dom in action, Simeon on oranges

Wendy and Dom continue...

Dom shows us how to exploit chalk...

Hofstede’s completed “Equality” chalk piece

Wendy installing Hofstede’s – Flag piece

NaughtyFish explore equality

Toko smash out pixel doilles

Walter Wakefield’s interactive response

Omnibus Lane, work by Eskimo right.

Eye Saw 2009
Humanity / Equity
Omnibus Lane, Ultimo, Sydney
9 to 16 August 2009
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Visit Eye Saw here, Hofstede here

This crest came as a little surprise when it presented itself in a suburban side street. The Salvation Army with it’s red shield, of which one has given money too, can also be a spiky crown and wheel, dots, swords, crucifix, an S and “Blood and Fire” in shouting capitals no less. It shocked me and I had to jump on the internet to put this story straight.

Some organisations like the Salvation Army have two forms of identity – a formal crest (appropriate for building facades) and a brand mark appropriate one for the officer’s casual uniform.

The Red Shield is a brand most of us are familiar with and one can imagine how poorly the Red Shield appeal would go if it was the “Fire and Blood” appeal with a gold red and baby blue winking back at you.

External signing – overall presentation

External signing – entry detail

External signing – window detail

External signing – internal detail

The studio was commissioned to develop a range of outcomes from print to apparel, posters to badges for Jardan’s big day in Sydney.

See this set of numbers in 100 years.