Process




Assembly of Book

Printed pages were joined into folios. Matching hinges were cut into each folio and inside cover spine. Folios were attached to each other and to inside spine with shaped dowels. 

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Breaking Cloth

Cloth is broken down for making pulp: veterans cut into pieces uniforms donated for the pages of the book and for the cover. This is an emotional moment for some. Invariably, memories are triggered, stories exchanged and much sharing happens.

Beating Pulp/
​Sheet Formation

Broken down cloth from uniforms is fed into Drew’s portable Hollander beater. Each uniform is beaten in a separate batch. We were careful to monitor beating so that pulp ended up with some visible strands of fiber in each batch. End result were seven separate batches: for the six individual pages (World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Afghanistan) and the cover/lining of the book.
Sheet formation was shared by Karen and Drew. Karen made individual pages from pulp of uniforms from Word War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan as well as inside lining of cover. Drew made the cover papers from a mixture of all uniforms which included the pulp printed title.

Printing Pages

Respective name of conflict was silkscreened onto the back of each page.
Introductory text and colophon were printed on the letterpress from polymer plates.
The title on cover was pulp printed.
​Silkscreening and letterpress by Karen. Pulp printing by Drew.