The smaller details of everyday objects in life often get overlooked. As sad as this statement is, it is unfortunately the brutal truth. While the average person may pick up a book, newspaper, or poster and admire the quality or ‘it’ factor that they cannot quite describe, but know that they like; there are far less people who look at these everyday objects/prints and question its origins and processes of creation. Being a primarily design focused group of students, I am sure that the majority of us had previously thought about these objects past their surface appearances. However, for those who have not given this subject matter much thought, or are just interested in further information, the Tipoteca Italiana foundation is an incredible resource.
Being able to readdress the amount of work and meticulous processes that are necessary to print even just one simple page makes one have a deeper appreciation for these prints that unfortunately have the tendency of being overlooked. The foundation explained the original processes of ‘copying’ and ‘printing’ documents and then went further into the benefits of the machine age and technology for these techniques. Little do most people realize, many of these traditional processes are still very much so apart of modern printing. With everything nowadays revolving around technology and digital printing I feel as if the classic principles get lost and the techniques that were once used lose their appreciation.
Visiting the foundation and being reminded of the processes involved in printing and copying, as well as the creation of fonts, was extremely eye opening to designs/prints that are often taken for granted. The process of designing our own poster as a collective group also reiterated all of the work that is involved in printing. The design and production are a huge part of the process rather than just the context itself being the main focus. Choosing the correct fonts and placements and then beginning the process of trial and error in printing with the press is more of a procedure than most may think. In the end, the wealth of knowledge at the Tipoteca Italiana foundation is remarkable and the appreciation that one gains for design prints after visiting is imperative, in my personal opinion.
