the Bloom Screenprinted Journal

For me, the little details make a big difference. I can spot an offset print in a pile of Xeroxes a mile off. I immediately noticed when skate deck graphics started being applied with heat transfers instead of screenprinting (it was back around 2000), and I can tell the difference between super8, 16mm, and 35mm film (and video, of course) at a glance. And don't even get me started on optically printed vs authentically captured slow motion (am I alone on this one?!?). So when I first spied a box of these bad boys on the floor at Bloom Press in Oakland, I knew I'd struck gold.

Technically, this publication has no title. It occupies that foggy landscape between zine and journal and art book and book-as-art. It is only knowing that its creator, Nat Swope, encourages us to contribute to the book with our own images and writings that I designated it the Bloom Screenprinted Journal, although I don't think that title really does it justice.

What few constants there are in this publication are that it is 5.5" x 8.5", about 40 pages, saddle bound, with quality paper covers and a custom embossed Bloom logo. Within those boundaries, the content of each copy of the journal is a seemingly random mix of multi and single color screenprinted artwork, photocopied art, skateboard photos, found ledger and graph paper, vintage newspaper classified ads, various colors and textures of paper, portions of serigraph tests and misprints, political posters, completely blank pages, and other tasty treats. No two journals are even close to being the same.


Nat spent many years screenprinting the T-shirts for most of your favorite bands before he struck out on his own seven or so years ago to start a sticker, poster, and fine art screenprinting company, Bloom Press. Bloom is know for its service and proficient craftsmanship, so the quality of the journals surpasses many mass-produced papergoods. Nat also notices and cares about the details.


You are lucky to even get a silkscreen cover these days, so to have a book like this that features bold, multi colored, screenprinted artwork throughout is a real treat. It is hard to sum it up with just a few photos since each spread of each book is unlike another. Even the covers are unique.

The big finish is that the Bloom Screenprinted Journal is only five bucks. Only somebody running an awesome printing business could price these so low. You can order your copy from the Rowan Morrison online shop here. One will be sent at random and it may or may not feature some or none of the images in this blog, but they are all awesome. If you live in the Bay Area you can browse the batch of them in person in the gallery. Or, contact the master over at Bloom Press to order directly. I bought 3 of 'em.