Creating the artwork and packaging for Perpetual Motion
June 28th, 2009
This latest album is very special to me. Not that they haven’t all been special, but this one is especially special. As such, I decided to do some very special packaging. Hand-printed sleeves seemed to be an excellent solution. More interestingly, an analogue solution for packaging a digital audio medium in a digital world. I like that contrast.
The cover art was first roughly worked out on the computer, and then I sketched it onto lino, and began the approximately week-long process of carving the printing blocks with gouges and knives. For those not familiar with lino printing, it is very similar to woodblock printing in that an image is carved in relief, which is then inked and printed, either with a press, or in this case completely by hand.
When this was finished, I mounted them on an aluminium plate in a frame, and began making the sleeves.
For each individual sleeve, the blocks are inked with an oil based metallic silver printing ink. Then I print a piece of black card by placing it over the block and applying very hard pressure all over the design, while being very careful not to move it.
I discovered that printing on card turned out to be far more difficult than printing on paper, just in the amount of sheer strength required, but I still managed a good printing run. Lots of blisters on my hands today, but it was worth it! They look much better in person. The silver is nuanced and shimmery and doesn’t photograph well.
It takes between 24 and 48 hours for the ink to become dry to the touch, after which I can cut out each sleeve from the card with a knife, fold it into a CD wallet, and glue it together with permanent adhesive. Each sleeve is individually numbered inside, and is a unique work of art, due to the variable and individual nature of the printing process.
These sleeves are square, and are designed to be approximately the same size as most Japanese mini-LP sleeves. They will contain the two discs in inner mini record sleeves, and a lyric sheet, which will all be encased in a re-sealable Japanese mini-LP dust cover.
I still don’t have an exact release date I’m afraid, but it will be in July (unless something unforeseeable happens to postpone it). I will announce the release date as soon as I know. CDs will be available directly from this website.
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