Shop Show & Tell with LEAH

Welcome to the second installment of ‘Shop Show & Tell’; a blog series dedicated to sharing our favorite stories, projects, and even objects from the studio (Check out our first post). This month, we’re checking in with our designer and printer, Leah Roobin. Leah began as an intern while studying graphic design at FAU, looking to explore all things letterpress. She has been our lead designer since January 2020, adding a fresh take to IS Projects and Nocturnal Press branding, artists’ books, invitations, show posters, and more.

Leah Roobin is a graphic designer based in Fort Lauderdale, Fl, originally from a small town in Jacksonville, Fl called Atlantic Beach. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Florida Atlantic University in 2019.

In her own practice, she explores how digital and analog processes can work in symbiotic ways. Utilizing the strengths of computer-generated work as well as the tactile experience of physical material, she seeks to understand how to unpack and intersect the different technologies and techniques in hopes to elevate both digital and physical media into new immersive experiences.

Check out a few of Leah’s original designs and prints below and visit www.leahroobin.com for more info.

Which project have you learned the most from?

“A personal project - My keep on trucking postcards.

Lessons learned:
- Don't lift a form onto a galley trey, no matter how tight you think the string is
- The color will not print the same as your drawdown so just get it on the press already
- If you're going to use photoshop as a registration tool, make sure the scan is scaled correctly
- It will always take longer than you think”

What’s your favorite press?

“Sam, our SP20 - Because he believes in me even when I don't.”

SAM

What’s your 'MVT' (Most Valuable Tool)?

“The Pica Pole because it keeps me in check”

If you were an IS Projects typeface, what typeface would you be?

“I’d be Mansard (No. 121) because its got European flare with some southern charm to it”

What's your favorite print hanging up in the shop?

“The Tuscan Extended Poster because the colors and typeface are just too good. Also, I get lost every time I try to follow the type spiral.”

What's your favorite image cut from the letterpress collection?
*Bonus: what would you print with it and why?

“There's this cut that's a photo of a boy playing baseball that I’d use to make a Father’s day card with.”