Broken Pencil Issue 25
Printing presses generally try not to waste paper, but they’re often left with scraps (a.k.a. offcuts). Resourcenik Josh Thorpe figured out a way to publish a whole book (measuring 3" by 3") on off cuts, and Very Short Stories, the debut title from his Off Cut Press is a miniature collection of micro-fiction. With his environmentally and economically sustainable (i.e. cheap) method worked out, Thorpe’s set to publish several more titles this year and is seeking submissions for Very Short Stories II (see www.offcutpress.com). I asked Thorpe to demystify off cut publishing:
BP: How do you go about getting the off cuts from commercial jobs? Do you still have to pay for the paper?
JT: We supply the files and we get a book back -- the printer deals with the production details. In the case of Very Short Stories, the entire book fit in the margins of a single commercial job. We pay for only the time the printer puts in.
BP: Can anyone easily obtain off cut, scrap or recycled paper? Is a different printing process required to print on such small pieces of paper?
JT: It’s much easier not to print on off-cuts. I do it because it works for me as a whole project. As far as I know, any printer can do this, but there are always major limitations placed on size, colour, consistency etc. It requires problem-solving, luck, patience, and flexibility. It is an unpredictable way of producing work in a field that dislikes the unpredictable.
BP: Do you have any advice for zine and chapbook makers who want to follow your example?
JT: Beyond the obvious stuff -- re-using waste paper or at least using recycled paper -- there are all kinds of underconsidered materials floating around, some of them can do amazing things. Check out an artist named Tom Friedman; his material and formal invention is so touching. I love it when people really consider their materials and means.
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