Observation: Layers

Letterpress is an excellent medium to see layers at work. Printing only 1 color at a time means the design must be deconstructed front-to-back. This not only causes colors to mingle in a completely unique way — as physically separate, translucent layers — it also creates a complex surface with an almost tactile depth. Hierarchy and scale must be considered carefully as background often involves more than a simple, solid color — becoming an active participant in the what reads first, second, third... Lastly, old-school wood type letterpress, like these examples from Hammerpress, embraces imperfection and relishes in the "accidents" of misalignments, overlaps and surprises that result from this highly physical process.

You can see how layers are built in this animated gif.