The Typeface Made Out of Wood

CreativePro Staff

Press Release
P22 Preissig Scrape was digitized in 1997 from samples of an alphabet designed and hand cut by Vojtech Preissig in 1914 for a book project that was never completed. The book called “The House” featured lino cut illustrations and the lettering reflected the angular and organic lines of the lino cuts. ??
In 2010, Bill Jones of Virgin Wood Type purchased the original patterns of the American Wood Type Manufacturing Company. After producing a few faces from the American collection, Bill discussed the option of producing a P22 digital font into wood type. P22 Preissig Scrape seemed like a design that would translate well back into a format that undermines digital precision and connects to hand creation and hand printing. ??

This is the second venture for P22 into analog type. The first project was the 2008 collaboration with Jim Rimmer that featured the first ever simultaneous release of a metal and digital font, RTF Stern Pro, and it proved that there is a serious interest in what some might consider obsolete formats. Stern in metal is no longer available, but the documentary film, Making Faces: Metal Type in the 21st Century, detailing the process of making that face, is now available for pre-order on DVD and select screenings. ??
The bold expressionistic Preissig design is offered as a wood type font to letterpress printers and collectors and is now available directly from Virgin Wood Type. Click here to learn more about Virgin Wood Type and this project or to place an order for Preissig Scrape wood type. ??
The digital version of Preissig Scrape and the Czech Modernist font set are available from P22 at a 25% discount through March 31, 2011. Click here for the digital version.