PRIXEL: The playful side of modular printmaking
Anyone that loves typography and design can appreciate the beauty of printmaking but the real aficionados can also admire the complexity of modular printmaking systems. Recently, we came across one of them and it is a really playful one, called PRIXEL. The realm of PRIXEL is based on the concept that everything around us, from the blueprint of our house to the websites on our screen, is constructed by small parts that are combined to create a balanced whole.
PRIXEL - short for PRInting piXELS - is a groundbreaking modular printmaking system and also a very entertaining and creative toy. It's an enchanting blend of art, play, and construction. Inspired by LEGO, toy printing presses and construction toys, PRIXEL allows anyone to use its modular parts and design geometric type or anything they set their minds to, from posters to abstract concepts.
The journey of PRIXEL
The mind behind PRIXEL is Brandon Gamm, a graphic designer specialized in web design, iconography, motion graphics, and mobile UI/UX. A 2010 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Design, Brandon is now based in Hudson, NY.
Back in 2011, Gamm was experimenting with DIY label stamp kits and crafting abstract creations, looking for a way to add a playful twist to modular illustrations making. His research spanned from typewriter art, ASCII art, pixel art to modular letterpress type ornament sets. After ten years, in 2021, he finally managed to release the kit’s first version, including a square press, geometric shape type, and a font by Andrew Bellamy of Otherwhere Collective.
The next version was released in August 2023, with a rectangular press, designed especially for printing cards, alongside an idea book and some fresh geometric shapes. It was produced by contract manufacturers in the USA and China, with ink pads sourced from Japan. Moreover, each PRIXEL kit is meticulously assembled in the USA, attesting to the brand's commitment to excellence.
PRIXEL is more than a printmaking tool; it's a creative process that allows you to break down your world in little pieces and build it all over again. Unleash your inner ‘designer’ and play in total liberty with the modular printmaking tools of PRIXEL, here.
Tags/ typography, printmaking, modular, toy
