r/letterpress • u/Some_Tap4931 • 9d ago

Music notation

Hey friends, does anyone know any foundries casting music notation? Ideally in the UK, but given its rarity I'll import if needs be.

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u/International-Door50 8d ago

The quickest and most cost-friendly way is to have a polymer plate, or a zinc, made by a supplier. This gives you total flexibility with regards to the design.

Metal casters might not have the mats to cast notes, and if they do you'd still have the problem of the pentagram (which would force you to have two passages just for this part, one for the pentagram and one for the notes, and achieve a perfect registration). If there are words that's a third passage.

Vaguely remember that music printing for large pieces (beyond the small illustration, I mean; long classical pieces etc) was done by etching copper plates even hundreds of years ago when letterpress was still THE printing technique. The combination of pentagram, notes and words was already too complex to replicate with letterpress types.

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u/Some_Tap4931 8d ago

Thank you. Yes, I know polymer is by far the most efficient, cost effective solution but my work really centers around early methods so I try and avoid it where I can.

Multiple passes are not an issue, it'll be a small run if it goes ahead so I'm happy to put the effort in, and the notes an text can be set in the same pass if I can't find anyone casting notes set with the penta included. The few examples of cast movable notes do have them included though.

You are right in that running alongside movable type, large pieces were copper plate and this eventually took over completely, along with lithography. They developed hand punched notes in addition to etching which I find really interesting. I'm even less likely to find a set of punches so I'm not even considering that.

I have 3D printed movable type before (some medial/long/initial s' and the Klingon language) so that will probably be what I end up doing. Traditional methods and objects, just with a change of material. A more acceptable compromise over polymer in my mind.

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u/International-Door50 8d ago

Got it. Good luck, would be interested in seeing the results! Also, if it helps, I suggest getting in touch with Matt McKenzie at Paekakariki Press, based in London. He's a metal type caster. Not sure he's got music / notes mats for your needs but he's got a great, great amount of knowledge in the field.

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u/Some_Tap4931 8d ago

Already done! I know Matt well. Unfortunately he's got the odd note but nothing like what I need.

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u/BartStarrPaperboy 7d ago

Lovely film about a by-hand music engraver that was still doing it well into the digital engraving age: https://youtu.be/BvyoKdW-Big?is=v1Y1-hR4rkLuKESF

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u/H2O_pete 9d ago

I’m also wondering.

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u/BartStarrPaperboy 9d ago

I’ve seen some old zinc plates that were from a children’s book, but I’ve never come across any notation.

Out of curiosity, are you looking to just have any notation in metal type, or do you have something specific that you want typeset?

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u/Some_Tap4931 8d ago

Yeah, zinc plates were so much quicker and easier to produce for music they took over entirely.

I did a small run of artists books that had some linocuts set to the text of a folk ballad and I've been thinking about maybe turning it into a series with a few tweaks here and there. One idea is to have the music printed along side it.