Etching Plate

Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal (the original process—in modern manufacturing other chemicals may be used on other types of material).

As an intaglio method of printmaking it is, along with engraving, the most important technique for old master prints, and remains widely used today.

Washing off the plate is very important, safety comes firs.

Etching room at york - printmaking department

Embossing Prosses

Embossing is the process of creating a three-dimensional image or design in paper and other ductile materials. It is typically accomplished with a combination of heat and pressure on the paper. The term "impressing" enables one to distinguish an image lowered into the surface of a material, in distinction to an image raised out of the surface of a material.

Paper has been slightly sprayed with water, once it dries, it starts to have waves that really hard to straiten. Stretching paper on wood panels allows it to dry straight and with clean final look.


Carved out image of the linoleum plate. By working with embossing I had to make sure that the pressure wasn’t too strong, or the paper would ripping, also wetting paper allows to get better image.

Evolution of the Project.

The book has been designed in very unusual shape all the way from the beginning, Because of its uniqueness this element hasn’t changed but everything else has been readjust to this specific proportions. The development of creating the dust jacket and box occurred all the way at the beginning and came to the final product of the book. Illustration were hand drown some over -raced in particular part, first the idea was to have them all black and white, after seen them in use, book looked very dull and boring, therefore having colored illustration was a must, after trying to create a page layout with colored illustrations, also wanted to add historical feel to the book, decision was made to use images carefully cut and placed on top of the page, similar to what has been done in the past. Hand drawn images were very expensive and were added to the book after.
With in the development of the book the name of the book was the biggest struggle in my case, I had to change and look for new ideas for the proper book name. “Botanicum” is Latin word for nature and botanical. Books typefaces had hard time feeling home in the book, therefore few different typefaces were used till the point the decision was made for body text of the book.

Consept of the book

The visual concept of the book is very unique, it’s designed as some one could place a flower right in-between the pages for it to dry. Its extra elongated vertical form very attractive as well as comfortable to use. Size 5.5 x 17 allows the page layout been very easy to read, almost like a bible, just for natural world. The book has bin created in 21 century but still has a very historical feel. Everything is well balanced as well as typography of titles and main names is centered, style that was appropriate in the past.

The book is made of paper with different characters, such as texture, colour and more. Each page has been careful designed with extra hand drown elements on some of the transparent pages. Therefore this book is one of a kind. The black colour of the book cover gives extra impotence, the jacket of the book is in light green colour that softens and works well with feel of nature. Jacket of the book has an image of the main plant that’s been chosen to represent “Botanicum”, this image has been debossed on to the page with use of old printing presses.


And most importantly is the box, that been structured to protect the book from sunrays, dust and other damaging elements that can occur through time. Designed and made of acid free materials spatial tools for book binding. Box has been decorated with metal plate that has been etched with an image of the same flower, that’s been mentioned previously used in the book and book jacket. Similar plate has been used and attached on the book spine with the name of the book “Botanicum” with in the engraving in the same typeface.

Botanicum

Botanicum

Botanicum is a book for everyone who wants to look in to history of healing plants that nature provides. The information of the book is divided in to 3 sections: intro, humans body, plants.
Introduction and History of botanical world, tells its readers the importance of healing nature, and how much people depended ok this knowledge in the past.
Humans Anatomy lets you use this book as a map to healing plant, images at the beginning of the book show numbers that are placed on different parts of humans body, that allows reader to find the right plant for dealing with health issues, such as stress, fewer, pain and so on.
Final part is the largest and most important, its vocabulary to the plants. They are planed to be located in alphabetical order from A-Z that will allow reader use it in many handful way. Each section of the third part of the book consist of the name of the plant, information of its origins, description of its healing features, and other ways that this plant could be used, as well as main illustration in full colour, in some cases additional drawings of important botanical parts of the plant.

Metal plate similar to the one that were used in history is placed on top of the Box.

Photos of the book that show the full size of the final look

Illustrations