Steamroller Smackdown

08/2017

News

Since 2008 Turnstyle has been participating every year in the Steamroller Smackdown poster competition, a great tradition started by the School of Visual Concepts. Design groups from across Seattle come together at the South Lake Union Block Party to print huge 3' x 4' posters. 

A steamroller being operated at the Steamroller Smackdown poster competition at the South Lake Union Block Party, with large printed posters visible on a building in the background.

Each team designs their poster in advance and carves it into a sheet of linoleum by hand. Then, on the day of the Smackdown, a steamroller is used to press the posters. It's always a great time, and a good way to rub elbows with other talented designers from around the city.

Each year, the event has a new theme that's shared by all the teams. This year's theme was "where the music matters," so we reimagined our new building as a boombox. The steamroller process adds a lot of imperfections to the print, giving each poster a distinct character.

Turnstyle's Steamroller Smackdown entry: a large-format letterpress poster featuring a bold boombox illustration printed in blue.
A hand roller being used to apply ink to the boombox relief printing block in preparation for the Steamroller Smackdown.
The Turnstyle team posing around the freshly inked boombox printing block at the Steamroller Smackdown poster competition.

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