Kinetic Steam Works (KSW) is an all-volunteer arts and education group that collects and restores a variety of historic steam-powered equipment, including vintage turn-of-the-century printing presses. We demonstrate the equipment at events around California and produce posters and beer coasters that we give away. I've been a member and designed for them since 2017.
Kinetic Steam Works
MEMBER 2017-
THE PROCESS
THE DESIGNS
We have a few repeating events each year that I make designs for. We have a press trailer with four letterpress machines so I can only use a maximum of four colors in the designs. There is also a high minimum line thickness for the type of stamp we use, so quite often these factors will influence the designs. We generally produce standard size beer
coasters and give them away for free, but
we have done up to 10x8 size posters
for special events.
EVENTS
Open Sauce
Maker Faire
Edwardian Ball
Soiled Dove
Pigeon Point Anniversary
Roaring Camp Harvest Festival
Treasurefest
Art & Wind Festival
Building the Design
Whenever we have an event we are told the theme and what copy needs to be one the design. The other designer and I take turns for the different events, and help review to give feedback.
PRe-Production and Pre-Printing
The designs need to be seperated into different layers for each color that we are printing. If
we are using our press trailer we can print
them assembly line style, otherwise we go to our workshop in west oakland and spend
each night before each event printing
each color layer.
PRINTING
Once we arrive at the event, we prep our printing presses, this involves aligning all the plates, making test prints, and generally dialing in all the parts of the design so we get a repeatable good print to start mass production. Depending on the event we will power the press with hand power, electric motor or our steam engine Pappy, pictured below!
