Continuing to stick to the beauty of unevenness and leaving the printing culture to the future [Tsukiji Printing]
Manufacturing
Creating things
Takumi's scenery
The site of this issue
[Occupation] Type casting craftsman
[Takumi name] Tsukiji type, first line to Omatsu
[Place] Minami Ward, Yokohama
Carefully, slowly, and thoughtfully.
A corner that introduces the site of manufacturing that makes use of handwork.
This time, the letterpress printing that once supported Japanese printing culture
Introducing the world of Even in today's digital age,
To "Tsukiji type" which is supported by many customers.
A well-worn wooden shelf called the "type room". More than 250,000 metal characters such as kanji, hiragana, and alphabets are lined up there. This is "Tsukiji Type", which was founded in 1919 (Taisho 18). In the back of the store, a type casting machine is making a loud mechanical noise. The raw material (ingot) is melted in a pot with a temperature of 350 to 400 degrees Celsius and flows into a concave mother die set in advance in the casting machine. . Mr. Omatsu, who has worked here since the age of 19 as a casting craftsman, is now 73 years old. Occasionally I pull down my glasses and look through the magnifying glass to check the freshly made type. This meticulous, high-quality work that has continued for more than 50 years continues to convey the appeal of letterpress to us today.
Right from Yoshinocho Station on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line. "Tsukiji Type" is located along the Nakamura River, which branches off from the Ooka River. When I opened the door, I was greeted by the loud rattling noise of the machine and the unique smell of burning oil. The true nature of the sound and smell is the type casting machines lined up in the back of the room, and Mr. Omatsu, a craftsman, never leaves his side to watch the movement of the machines.
This time, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Kiichi Hiraku, who is the 5th generation of Tsukiji Katsuji, who has taken over the type casting and letterpress printing business.
“There is something that my father used to say that I will never forget. ``The letters in old newspapers are easier on the eyes than the letters in today's newspapers. The subtle differences in color density on the surface give my eyes a rest.” I strongly feel those words even now.Therefore, in the modern society where digital printing is progressing, we dare to use “weight” I feel that it is my mission to bring to the world the skills of the craftsmen who make letterpress, as the unmistakable real thing,” says Hirako.
Mr. Hirako will guide you through various “tools” and “techniques” related to letterpress printing, which has been around for a long time.
This is the so-called "mother mold dance" that contains the "mother mold" that is indispensable for making type. When you open the drawer, the matrix of brass is lined up. It is said that more than 250,000 character types are stored at Tsukiji Type, but now that there are no more craftsmen to make them, what is stored here is a very valuable “treasure.” That's why.
A precious brass matrix is also stored in this "mother-shaped vault".
When the base metal (ingot) melted by heat is poured into this recessed part, it becomes a raised type.
The next thing I was shown was the so-called "type room" where the type made by Mr. Omatsu, a casting craftsman, was packed.
Why are the shelves stored diagonally? …When I asked Mr. Hirako, "The diagonal storage of the type on the shelf is an anti-earthquake measure. It is designed in such a way that it is well-balanced, so the type won't pop out even in the event of an earthquake. It's a style that has been passed down from generation to generation." Also, it seems that the way the type is arranged varies depending on the printing company, and here at "Tsukiji type", the character types are arranged in the order of the encyclopedia.
This is the 4-point type shelf, which is the smallest among all the types in Tsukiji type. There was no longer a job to type like this.
Next, I will take a look at the workshop of Mr. Omatsu, the craftsman who operates the type casting machine.
Ingots are the raw material for printing type. The material consists of 83% lead, 15% antimony and 2% tin.
In the type casting machine, the cauldron is heated to 350-400 degrees, and the ingots mentioned above are melted into a liquid.
The liquid metal is accumulated in the center.
Standing by the casting machine where the sweltering heat rises, Mr. Omatsu continues working for a long time while watching the state of the kettle.
A stick is placed in the pot in which the base metal is melted, and the specific gravity of the material and other factors are checked.
The metal melted in the kettle is then poured into a concave matrix.
The base metal that flows into the concave matrix is cooled with tap water (photo above) to create convex type.
The detailed work of checking the completed small type with a magnifying glass continues. This little type is useless once it hits the floor. This is because even a small scratch can spoil the beauty of the type.
There is also the danger of steam explosions due to contact with water, so the Fire Service Law requires installation of an exhaust duct above the casting machine.
And from here, Mr. Hirako will teach you the simple flow of letterpress printing. First of all, according to the prepared manuscript, select the type in the "type room" and put them in the "character selection box". After that, while adjusting the space between the letters, they put it in a metal frame called a “chase” to make a plate, but this is quite difficult. Not only manual work, but also craftsmanship called "connoisseur" is required, such as the exquisite use of space between characters and lines.
Finally, the “chase” is attached to a printer with rollers, ink and paper are set, and printing is completed.
"Tsukiji Type" also sells "type holders" that have been developed to make beautiful letterpress printing type more familiar and can be used for various purposes. “I want people to experience the joy of creating type and printing with this ‘small tool,’” says Mr. Hirako.
As an aside, I used to think that the appeal of letterpress printing was the deep unevenness that was engraved on the paper (even the back side was bumpy). While expressing beautiful unevenness on the front side, it is the ability to show off how well it does not show through and change the expression of the paper on the back side.” I heard many deep stories.
When I receive a letterpress business card at work, I can't help but pick it up and stare at it. Today I found out why. It's just a business card, but it's a business card, and it's a small square piece of paper that fits in the palm of your hand. How about incorporating letterpress printing into business cards as well as New Year's cards in the future? A New Year's card that makes people who pick it up fall in love with the beauty of the letters and want to gently touch them with their fingers.
