Watermark Designs

I made a set of five watermark designs from garbage bag twist ties. The wire was bent, manipulated, and formed by hand. Modern day logos were made to show the process of watermark design. The wire was flexible but created challenges when attempting to create 90 degree angles and flat areas of the logos. This limited the complexity of each piece; other logos with intricate details would require a steady hand. In addition, with excessive bending the wire’s durability proved to have its own limits as earlier attempts with multiple twisting broke the wire in pieces.

Watermarks were used by the 13th century in Italy. These recognizable images and patterns are translucent emblems that are visible when paper is held up to the light. Watermarks were made by forming and shaping thin bent wire. These flat designs were then attached to the surface of a mold used in paper making, and produced by pressure.