Our Wall Clocks, now printed here in Glasgow
The idea for our well-loved clock was simple: clean, legible design using sustainable, durable materials. The latest iteration brings production one step closer to home, with dials now screen-printed in Glasgow.
The dials – previously digitally printed in England – are now produced by local artist Matthew Rich, founder of M.A.R.S Studio. We first worked with Matthew on our OH no Wall Clock (a collaboration with type foundry OH no Type Company), and wanted to extend the refined quality of screen printing to our core collection.
The traditional screen printing process brings a more hands-on approach: ink is pushed through a fine silk mesh, with multiple layers used to build up opacity and relief. We caught up with Matthew to learn more about his journey into screen printing and the challenges of printing clock dials.
We caught up with Matthew to learn more about his practice:
What first attracted you to screen printing? How did you start off in the business?
Completely by accident.
I went to Manchester University to study electrical engineering in the late seventies. It didn’t suit me very well. I dropped out early on and joined a small print shop making posters for local bands like The Fall and the newly opened Hacienda club.
Tell us a favourite project you have worked on.
In 2015 I worked with Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason, to make screen printed reproductions of his bass drum skins, which were originally hand painted in the late sixties and early seventies.
How has the screen printing world changed over the years?
Graphic screen printing – of posters like the ones I made in Manchester, signs and point of sale materials – has been almost completely replaced by digital printing, but screen printing is still going strong in T-shirt decoration and as an important part of the production process in the electronics and glass industries.
Putting images onto screens, mixing inks and hand printing has changed very little in 40 plus years. Origination of artwork has changed hugely though: from hand drawn or cut letters, rubbing down Letraset, and a lot of time in the darkroom enlarging, exposing and developing, to Photoshop and Illustrator on a MacBook.
There always have been, and still are, a small number of highly specialised fine art screen printers around the world – that’s the field I’ve been in since the early nineties.
Is this the first time you have worked on wall clocks? Were there any challenges, surprises, or parts you particularly enjoyed?
Yes! First clock face printing for me. I mostly print on paper and that paper is almost always a square or a rectangle. Circles are tricky, especially when colour layers have to be precisely fitted together. But I had some previous experience with the Pink Floyd drum skins!
I almost always work with water based inks which are great on paper, but was less sure they would stick to the aluminium-based Dibond the clock dials are cut from. I thought I may have to go back to the smelly old days of oil based inks but I have an extremely knowledgeable ink supplier – Chris at Screentec – who found me a range of water based inks I knew nothing about, and it seems will stick to anything!
From concert posters in Manchester to clock dials in Glasgow, Matthew’s story reflects the value of creativity rooted in craft, something that aligns perfectly with the Paulin ethos.
The first batch of screen-printed clocks are now available here.