valentin nguyen
information

IMPRINT

Book Design
January 2022 to March 2022
Advisor: Erin Cooney

IMPRINT is a book about seven found objects found in Los Angeles. Through printmaking and many days of scavenging, this book dives into the story of each object and documents the mark they left on the world.

I made IMPRINT for a book design course at UCLA taught by Professor Erin Cooney. The prompt was to design a book that highlights the landscape and environment in Los Angeles.




We see random objects all the time — on the streets, in our homes, in other people’s homes. I wanted to celebrate the marks that found objects left on their environment. 

For this project, I gathered some random objects and used their forms to recreate their “marks” through relief printing, a printmaking method that is similar to stamping. 





To make the prints, I used a wonderful 3D-printed printing press made by the Open Press Project. I quickly found that relief printing was a great way to see the details of each of the objects that normally could not be seen with the naked eye, like the creases in a flower petal or the wrinkles in plastic.

When designing the book, my approach was to make an organic identity system using intentional grids, colors, typefaces, and materials.







As someone who loves printmaking and bookbinding, I enjoyed the whole process of making this book — from designing the pages to binding the book together by hand. 

In addition to the main book, I created a miniature accordion booklet to display the actual prints. This accordion exists to allow for better viewing of the mark each object made.










last project

forever under construction