“One of the hidden gems of screen-printing is the beauty of the “test print.” Because screen prints are created one color, one layer at a time, the artists often test each layer before they start the print run. They often use left over prints, pages from old runs, and even misprinted paper. The test prints slowly gather more and more layers of color and artwork from dozens of different jobs. It’s not unusual for a test print to find itself run through the press more than two dozen times. The resulting prints are always unique and are always surprising. Because test prints are a pragmatic by-product of the actual printing process, these pieces of art contain a spontaneous and reckless emotion that is impossible for an artist to plan. Once a print is started no one knows exactly what the end results will look like. The process itself allows for so much randomness that the imperfections are embraced rather than shunned and accidents frequently become the highlight of the piece.”

- Eric Nyffeler and Michael Nielsen, curators of “Fuck Up” exhibition in Nebraska; an ode to the test print.

These guys put together a 16 layer print with the test prints from the artists in their show. Sweeeeet. (via: For Print Only)

4 layers/11 layers

14 layer/16 layers

these peöple multi-layer screenprint anyone? …joe can send us his layer from Maryland!

A series of videos from a collaboration between the producers of Beautiful Losers and design agency Wieden+Kennedy.

(via Le Blog de Yoland)

awesome anti-advertising by Amsterdam based kessels kramer, good luck using their website, it’s a cryptic page that changes each time you refresh,  and the links to any of the actual work are hidden in each joke page, placed randomly every time. These guys just take the piss but it’s all too good. The Hans Brinker Budget Hostel has seen a turnover increase of 46% since this campaign. Their advertising for Diesel jeans is hilarious too, if you can find it…

Here are two virals for the hostel done by kesselskramer. Next time you’re in London check out their store/office/studio at the KK Outlet.

This advertising campaign is a brilliant fuck you to the normal approach. Kessels Kramer are advertising to a generation raised in the age of the consumer. They are fully aware that us kids know all the tricks of the trade, and this is how they’re getting our attention, it’s working!

My favourite album art recently, and a great record. The Pastels are a group from Glasgow, UK, which we of course love. This compilation was released by these guys in 1994.

http://www.sheepish.org/pastels/

What’s your favourite album artwork today?

Architect Davide Marchetti of Rome proposed an office building with a punctured rammed-earth facade for a competition in Leeds, UK, AKA Awesometown.

The main idea is to create a solid, and “sculptural object” by simply carving out a complex and articulated shape out of a volume: what seems to be a banal gesture becomes rather a way to obtain a “dramatic” environment.

Rather than be massive, somehow monumental, the architecture wants to suggest movement and tension. Some parts of the building just lean out of the block overhanging the river Aire: others reach out but do not touch. The original tool comes from a simple 4 by 4 meter module: different volumes stacked in different heights and directions generate a geometrical method to have large terraces and flat roofs.

from Dezeen Design Magazine, a great online resource for inspiration of all kinds.  Do check out the great Graphic Design section, defiantly a site for the bookmarks folks!

Craig Gleason (blog not for the faint hearted..!)

Great letterheads found on diskursdisko.de

Thanks to email, the letterhead is a bit of a billy no mates. All i think about when it comes to letterheads in a Microsoft Word template from windows ‘98 anyway. 

You gotta check some of these out on letterheady.com. Letterheady is an online homage to offline correspondence; specifically letters. Those guys have a great sibling project called Letters of Note too, Letters of Note is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos.

cute!

The Criterion Collection is well-known for restoring rare, unique and cult classic films from famed directors like Akira Kurosawa, Jean-Luc Godard, Luis Buñuel, and Wes Anderson. Equally respected is their cover art and supplements to their DVDs. For 25 years, Criterion Collection has been pairing art house films with strong design. From typography to photography, they elevate box art to poster art with work that never cease to impress.

from Grain Edit

It’s no surprise these beautiful covers inspire copy cats. Auteurs, Criterion’s sister site for film geeks, embraces it and encourages people to post their redesigns in the forum, “The Auteurs’ Fake Criterion Covers.” More here.

“Michal Bartlomowicz is a design, typography and illustration specialist from Katowice, Poland and we recently stumbled upon his awesome black-and-white hand-made collages. He uses paper cut-outs and some other prepared materials along with a Xerox machine to create these celestial scenes that are slightly abstract and intriguing cool…” (via definitivetouch)

Following Phaidon’s success with the Wallpaper* City Guide print series, their “top 10 bestselling Wallpaper* City Guides” are now available on iTunes as apps. The international cities include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Milan, Rome and Tokyo. The retail cost for one Wallpaper* City Guide is £2.39 but the Berlin edition is currently offered as a free download.

from Sticks & Stones Magazine