ImPRESSive
Issue #33
Printing with finesse: the ancient art of letterpress
By Susan Beal
Published: September 1st, 2007 | 12:00am
Letterpressing is an old craft with a distinctly new flavor as more and more people, especially women, are printing their own original designs. Traditionally, rows of wood and metal moveable type were arranged to create lines of text for books and newspapers. But modern printers are also using engraved plates, wood or lino-cuts, and textured objects (like keys, leaves, or wire) to letterpress visual designs on those same vintage presses — producing unique stationery, artwork, chapbooks, posters, and business cards.
Carye Bye, an artist in Portland, Oregon, publishes her vivid hand-colored woodcut-and-type postcards and calendars under the name Red Bat Press. “I love getting to be a designer in the tradition of working with moveable type,” she says. “I can have an idea in the morning and publish it myself by the end of the day.”
Maria Vettese prints a collection of limited-edition cards for her Port2Port Press line, regularly updating her shop with new designs. “My work is simple and understated, inspired by nature and everyday living,” says the Portland, Maine, artist. “I appreciate color, form, and good design.” Her advice to beginners: “Print for fun and don’t worry about knowing how or following rules — just experiment and do it your own way.” Working with a mentor or teacher helps, Bye says. Letterpress classes are offered at museums, colleges, print studios, and book arts centers nationwide, from one-time afternoon workshops to semester-long seminars.
THE LETTERPRESS LOWDOWN
• Briarpress.org is an online letterpress community with listings for workshops, classified ads for supplies and presses, and a forum for questions and advice.
• Flickr.com/groups/letterpress has more than 1,000 photos of members’ designs.
• Find Carye Bye’s letterpress work at redbatpress.com and Vettese’s designs at port2portpress.com.
LETTERPRESS CLASSES
• IPRC in Portland, Oregon (iprc.org)
• New York Center for the Book Arts (centerforbookarts.org)
• Make Workshop in New York (makeworkshop.com)
• Goose Fish Press in Boston
(goosefishpress.com)
• School of Visual Concepts in Seattle
(svcseatttle.com)
• San Francisco Center for the Book (sfbc.org)
• Amory Center for the Arts in Pasadena
(amoryarts.org)
• Minnesota Center for Book Arts
(mnbookarts.org)
• Atlanta Printmakers Studio
(atlantaprintmakersstudio.org)
Comments
Please login to be able to comment on this article.
more