Author Archives: Brian Lawler

About Brian Lawler

Brian Lawler is an Emeritus Professor of Graphic Communication at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and was a Guest Professor at Hochschule München from September, 2021 to September, 2022. He writes about graphic arts processes and technologies for various industry publications, and on his blog, The Blognosticator.

The Linotype and Intertype catalogs

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Brian Lawler

In the previous post I described how I published these out-of-print booklets. These are links to the PDF versions of those publications. Please feel free to download them.

Posted in Gadgets, History, Printing and Printing Processes, Restoring antique printing machines, Technology, Typography | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Cal Poly, Intertype matrix, Intertype matrix catalog, Linotype matrix, Linotype matrix catalog, Shakespeare Press Museum, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Of molten lead and ChatGPT

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Brian Lawler

At the core of The Blognosticator are posts about the graphic arts, printing processes, solutions to printing processes, and related items. The blog was originally an arm of Graphic Arts Monthly magazine, who hired me in 2000 to write blogs, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Software, Technology, Typography | Tagged AI in the graphic arts, Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Cal Poly, ChatGPT in graphic arts, Intertype machine, Linotype machine, Shakespeare Press Museum, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Rejection, again!

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Brian Lawler

Chapter 3 – To read from the beginning of this saga, please click here. The rejections came, and quickly! Both the grading and building permit applications were incomplete. The county planners asked for more complete soils engineering plans. I contacted … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Building things, Woodworking | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, building permits, construction, Steel building, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Outright rejection!

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Brian Lawler

In the first installment of this story, I introduced my new shop building, and introduced you to the County Planning Department. They looked at my initial set of plans and threw them back at me. Too big, they said. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Building things, Education, Woodworking | Tagged architectural drawing, Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, building permits, Steel building, The Blognosticator | 2 Comments

I’m building a new shop!

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Brian Lawler

I have had a fabulous workshop in my friend Jim’s barn for the past 18 years. It’s the best workshop on earth, and I have enjoyed making things there. It has all of my tools in it, and it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Building things, Woodworking | Tagged building permits, engineered building, New shop, Steel building, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Finally!

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Brian Lawler

I started writing The Blognosticator in July, 2011. At the time I was unable to acquire the domain blognosticator.com. That belonged to a nice woman who had bought it and was holding it, hoping that someone foolish enough to create … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Education, Web | Tagged Brian Lawler, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

Rack one up to success!

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Brian Lawler

This is the third of a three-part post. To read the first part, please click here. To read the second part, please click here. I finished the bike rack clamps yesterday. I drilled and tapped the holes that needed threading, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Bicycling, Building things, Gadgets | Tagged adding a rack to a carbon-fiber bike, Brian P. Lawler, CNC machining, CNC machining of aluminum, machining aluminum, machining bicycle parts, Superstrata, The Blognosticator | Leave a comment

A small, but fatal error in part positioning

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Brian Lawler

In my last post I discussed making parts to hold a rack on the back of my Superstrata carbon-fiber bicycle. To read Part 3 of these posts, click here. I have been machining those parts, and it has been a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycling, Building things, Gadgets, Mistakes you can avoid | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, CNC cutting aluminum, Managing tabs in CNC machining, Mistakes in CNC routing, Solving CNC problems | Leave a comment

Getting ready for Burning Man 2024

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Brian Lawler

This is part 1 of a 3-part post on machining aluminum parts for a bicycle. Click here to read Part 2. I have a gorgeous Superstrata electric-assist gravel bike. I bought it a couple of years ago (actually four years … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, Bicycling, Building things | Tagged bicycling, Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, Burning Man, machining aluminum, Superstrata | Leave a comment

I have gone to the dogs

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Brian Lawler

I had the opportunity to photograph dog racing this weekend. I have never seen this activity before, so it was intriguing to me. The event was a gathering of several members of a dog racing group called CCASH – The … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures, People, Photography | Tagged Blognosticator, Brian Lawler, CCASH, Central Coast Association of Sight Hounds, dog racing, dog racing photography, high-speed photography | Leave a comment