Letterpress
Letterpress printing has been a passion of mine for over 15 years. Ever since I spent a summer working in a print shop—exposed to the art of not just letterpress, which we used for embossing, debossing, foil stamping, etc., but also lithography and intaglio engraving. The first time I saw the Heidelberg Windmill press, I was entranced by its movement and intricate dance of pulleys and gears. Ever since then, I’ve had a passion for fine printing and bindery work. Knowing what it takes to make it work only makes it more interesting to me.
Today, via Make, I found a posting by a new employee of O’Reilly who took a class at the San Francisco Center for the Book on letterpress, producing their own book on a top-line proof-press. The work of a letterpress is antiquated and raw. It is, after all, the same technique that Gutenberg used to print the first movable-type. The principles are simple, but the execution requires a certain blend of artistic talent and engineering skill.
I still want my own letterpress, but until I have more space, it’s simply not a feasible option. If only I could find a local press to rent for a few hours here and there to do some work.
This entry was posted at 9:35 pm on 9 February 2006 and is filed under Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the post-specific RSS 2.0 feed.
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