Printing on original artwork

Go for it?

What are you asking?

Figure out how big an area you want the poem to fill. Measure that area and then start looking at your type options to see what you have that will fill that area and still be aesthetically pleasing.
Outside of that, without knowing what typefaces you have available, what sizes you have and more importantly what your monoprint looks like printed, it is hard to figure out what face/size will look good.

Having done something similar, I suggest you follow BDMetier’s advice. Pick a typeface that will be legible overprinting your monotype, set the block of type and see where it is best positioned for legibility and aesthetic approval. You may have to try more than one size type and different faces.

Hello Jeter,

I had three thoughts when I read your post. First, you’ll be spending quite a lot to have the poem letterpress-printed onto a single print. A plate that large will be expensive, especially if you’ll be wanting to purchase a quality typeface to suite the particular image on the print. If you use handset type, you’ll have to acquire several fonts to print 65 lines of poetry.

Second, you say the the print is “approximately” 15” x 20”. Do you have a particular press in mind? I’m looking at Paul Moxon’s new book, Vandercook Presses, and the maximum paper sizes for common models are 14 3/4” x 20” (for the SP-15 and No. 4) and 15 1/4 x 24 (for the Universal I).

Third, I’ve rarely produced a perfect print on the first try. Then again you might be printing one of those “grunge” pieces where the “distressed” look is what you’re trying to achieve.

If this were my project, I’d have a high-quality scan made of the monotype, make high-quality prints sized for my press, and publish a limited edition. (You may need to go to a professional scanning service and a professional printer for these.)

Barbara

I agree with Barb, I have yet to have a print perfect on the first run and being a monotype you really only have one shot. Unless you have printed several of the monotype and allowed for the deconstruction of the image as you printed.

Given the size, it will probably be easier to just hand set the type and lock it up in a chase then register the monoprint on that and use a hand barren.

I have a client, I print etchings ( 9 color) and than make a polymer plate and print text over it. For that, I scan the etching, design the Text to flow into the prepared spaces and make Film and plate and print,

I do not do any letterpress myself but am looking for someone - possibly “typenut” who would do this work for me…