Leeds Print Festival 2012 - A weekend of amazing print.

The Leeds Print Festival was a exciting break in the midst of a digital module. The opening night was fantastic - followed the next day by the print fair - where I bought an amazing print "You're not my Type".. I was most excited about the talks on the final day featuring, Generation Press, Si Scott and Anthony Burill. It was amazing to see both Anthony Burill and Si Scott talking about their work - both are so down to earth insanely talented and a pleasure to listen to.

Here are my notes during the talks:

Generation Press
Print today - commercial value - has to give more.
Our interest is keeping it alive - how is print working in the digital age
In the 70's there were 3 or 4 printers per village and today they're replaced by web designers
Traditional print skills - but then came the mac - formal training and technical ability
Quality - pride - detail
Name change from Hewitt and Sons to Generation Press
Innovation and creation
Sustainability and ethics
Not leaving a mark on the planet
1999 - choosing the product that had the least impact
Not about proving that they're ethical - it's about not impacting on the environment
Using Vegetable based inks
soya based inks
Wasnt made to replace solvent based in.
Best ink they found - German more pigment in ink - pigment is the most expensive part
Elmwood branded tea
Has been coffee
Passion for coffee
16c grade 1 listed barn
now built a new barn
Sheep farm
Design and manufacture
Manufacturing a design - making the relationship work
Quality control
Print getting bad press by printers who are giving up their beliefs just so that they can survive
Print no longer a commodity
Web - communication today
Value is coming back into print
print is more expensive that digital - higher financial risk - more investment
Quality control
print has to be right - giving back to the clients
pushing to have the best
Work for build
Brochure - hi res photos on news print
Saturation of the photographs fibre of newsprint - dot gain
Technology
combining processes - giving print value
V&A combination of almost everything
Colour edging
Hand crafted process - most people do it by machine
Relationship between designers and printers
Business cards - key business tool - cant replace it - has to be creative
Calendar
Litho
Letterpress
Collaborations
GP / GFSmith / Kent Lyons / James Cropper Paper mill
Pulp paper
Michael place - build
Relationship between creative and manufacturing industries
Designers are wankers - printers are tossers
Challenging art for arts sake - no branding
Generation press branding
own paper - colour plan - green
There brand is important because other people are trusting Generation press with their brand
What makes a great designer? someone who really engages with it

Si Scott
Always draws
College - letterpress - screen print
Learning about type
Likes doing the work - not interested in the industry
Trying to create own style
Hand draw - scanned cleaned up - not vectored
Concept driven
Got to be passionate about what you do
Craft - attention to detail
Design from the heart - warmth
design that is rushed always feels cold
Print - dont just send an email
send something physical
Something tangible
Selfridges 100th anniversary
Ongoing advertisement
Paper scissors stone
Making work beautiful
Always over analyses everything
never happy with work
Madonna - greatest hits
Zadie Smith - book cover
Designers against humans rights abuse
Hate breeds hate
Always give more than a client has asked for
Greater manchester film festival

Anthony Burill 
Technical drawing rather than art
Leeds Polytechnic - Now leeds met
1986/89
London - Royal college of art early 90's
Paul Neil
Jonathan Barnbrook
Collecting signs
everyday environment
Hand crafted photocopy books
sent them out to people
Eric Hessels - dutch art director
Hanks brinker budget hotels
Clean typography
Advertising
Wasn't cross between graphic design and illustration
Collaborations
As students - need to collaborate / form groups / friendships
Simple vector style
screen printed
type becomes more important
British Library
Screen prints
Make something as real as it can be
Keeping a purity to the work
Be interested in loads of different things
Rye - currently living there
traditional place
Adams of Rye
Works as local printers
woodblock letterpress
Work hard and be nice to people - 03/04
I like it, what is it?
Think of your own ideas
You know more than you think you do
Make your mark on the world
Geometric simple shapes
Visual Identity
London fashion week - Jenny Packham - printed by generation press
Design museum
Awards ceremony
British council
no days off studio
Oil and water dont mix
Mexico
Cranbrook Academy

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Thanks to Amber for organising such an amazing few days of print!