Letterpress Apprenticeship

LETTERPRESS APPRENTICESHIP

LETTERPRESS APPRENTICESHIP

AMY WOODS

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9.19.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

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LETTERPRESS APPRENTICESHIP

My apprenticeship at Larkspur Press was made possible through a partnership between the University of Louisville Fine Arts Department, the Portland Museum, and Larkspur Press. My apprenticeship was part of the “Celebration of the Book: A year of Book Arts� at the Portland Museum in Louisville, that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Louisville Metro Council Member Cheri Bryant Hamilton, and friends of the museum. The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to the Portland Museum with tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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9.19.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

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My Letterpress Journey I grew up a lover of paper goods. I have always thought there is something special about things created by hand, whether it is a handwritten letter or a letterpress printed card. I am not sure when I was first introduced to letterpress but I always thought it was cool when you could feel the indention on the paper. During the Summer of 2014, I saw an e-mail from my Professor Skaggs about a letterpress apprenticeship and immediately responded.

While the University of Louisville has letterpress equipment, it was not currently being used. I wanted to learn about the process of printing and knew this would be a great opportunity.

The apprenticeship was created by Nathalie Andrews, the executive director at the Portland Museum. I would be working closely with her and Teresa Lee at the museum. It was arranged so that I would drive to Larkspur Press twice a week and learn under master printer, Gray Zeitz. Larkspur Press is near Frankfort, Kentucky which was about an hour drive each way. However, the days that it rained, I could not go because there was a chance the creek would get too high and I would be stuck. After the fall semester, I would work in the Beech Grove Press at the Portland Museum helping to get their letterpress studio up and running again. They used to run the equipment often, but it has been sitting for a while. The goal was to get the machines working and supplies organized. I was happy that I had access to all of their equipment and free rein as to what I could print!

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9.12.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Learning the Type Drawer I was very excited to get started out at Larkspur Press in Owen County and begin the work I was going to be doing this semester.

In the country, there is a slower pace of life and that is exactly what I need this semester, as I have a full schedule between school and work. I had previously met Gray Zeitz and Leslie Shane, but it was good to actually be working with them. Gray said that I would be learning the ins and outs of letterpress printing, just like the master printers learned back in the day. The techniques used at Larkspur Press are the original ways to print, which makes it that much more authentic. I have noticed a modern trend in letterpress printing that uses the older equipment with new techniques. I am really excited to learn the original ways before diving into that realm.

Today I was assigned the task of distributing type back into the type drawer. This may seem like a daunting task but it was actually quite helpful and relaxing. There were several pages of type that had already been printed and Gray wanted me to put all the letters back in their drawers. The type used was 14 point Garamond in regular, italic, and small caps. I am currently taking a book publication class in which we are working heavily with type so it was cool to see hands-on where the type terms were originated.

I also have a greater appreciation for the people who do this type of work because it is such a time consuming task. The type drawer is laid out with the lowercase letters on the left, organized by usage, and with the uppercase letters on the right, organized alphabetically, with the exception of J and U, as they were not introduced until later. I got to hold actual leads which are used in

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between lines of type, but most designers today know leading as a type option on Adobe software. I learned the difference between a copper, bronze, an M, etc. which are used for kerning and word spacing. It is also interesting to physically see the different sizes of type as opposed to viewing it on a screen. There are not any computers at Larkspur Press which makes it a great place to learn.

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9.15.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Vandercook Broadsheet Printing Today, I worked with the ATF typeface Uncia, in 18 point, to distribute the type for “The Wild Geese,� a poem by Wendell Berry. This was to be printed on a large broadsheet. It didn’t take too long to lay out the type. I did however have to make sure the lines were very tight because if they are not done properly, they will fall out when handling the type. Meaning, when I move the type from the workspace to the printer, everything must be compacted tight. We decided to check everything and prepare it for printing on the Vandercook letterpress machine. This is one where the type lays flat with the letters facing up. You use a roller to put the ink on the type by hand. The paper then is rolled over the type to print.

With this technique of printing, you have to carefully ink the type.

If there are areas that you miss, then it will not be evenly printed.

The first couple of times, I was making this mistake. All of the tools used for letterpress are somewhat delicate so you must take proper precautions when working with it. I was a bit timid when inking the type because I did not want to break anything but this led to uneven printing. I quickly realized this and fixed my mistake.

We did several test sheets with old paper, sometimes adjusting the leading or even the title text size. Finally, we decided on something that felt appropriate and we were pretty satisfied with, just in enough time for me to clean up for the day. The actual prints will be finished this week by Gray.

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9.19.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Pilot Press Printing Today I learned how to use the Pilot Press which is a hand operated tabletop press. This one is great for small projects that do not require a lot of sheets to be printed because there is no motor powering the machine and every print happens from man power.

I printed a bookmark that was to be used as a promotional piece for an author out in California. Gray printed books for him as well and this piece was used to promote them. I enjoyed this press because it was smaller and I felt a great sense of accomplishment after using it. The type was already set up for me once I got to the studio, so I got to jump right in. Although this press is small, it is still heavy! I was surprised by how hard it was to move it around.

We inked up the machine on the round plate with black ink. You do not need much to cover the entire circle. I got to learn about the furniture that goes around the type before it is locked in. Once the type was locked onto the machine, we set up the pins and made sure that the type would print right where we wanted it to. I did a couple of test prints to make sure it was just right. I went on to print about 100 bookmarks before cleaning up for the day. I had to be conscious of the ink so that it was always printing an even layer. I had to re-ink the machine twice. I only messed a couple up so I was pretty happy with the end results. The thing to remember when using this machine is to take your time and stay focused.

If you need to take a break from the monotony, then do so. You do not want to get distracted and then begin making mistakes.

Because this is all done by hand, you want to ensure that each print is perfect. So work at a pace which allows you to do your best work.

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9.22.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Machine Letterpress Printing This was my first day of working on a motored Chandler and Price machine. I was so thrilled when Gray said this is what I was going to be doing this Monday. The difference between this machine and the one I worked with on Friday is that it is much larger and it is powered by electricity. I still have to pull the lever to make the print, but the machine aids in the process and makes it a little bit easier. I was printing the return address label on postcards that would then be used for the Holiday open house at Larkspur Press.

There wasn’t a specific number that I needed to print because they would need more than I would be able to do in one day’s work. So I was just focused on doing the best work and do as much as that allowed. Just like the Pilot Press, you have to stay focused. This was more important with this machine because there is a chance that you could get hurt if you are not careful. The thing to keep in mind is safety while printing with a motored machine. I really loved working with this machine because it was more powerful and it has the capabilities to print large sheets. I can only imagine what I would do with this if I had one of my own!

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9.26.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Pattern Paper Making Today we changed things up quite a bit. I got to work with Leslie and make decorated papers. This was a chance for me to get really creative. They had a large stack of papers that we were able to choose from. The goal for today was to make some patterned paper that would then be used for book covers when I move on to book binding! I am really excited to get to learning that process.

To print on the papers, we used handmade stamps as well as commercial ones. We created our own ink pads with sponges and acrylic paint. After making a stamp, I chose my paint and got started. Some pages I used one color and others I used more.

The possibilities really were endless with the stamps and paint combinations that I could create. The more I made, the better they became. I was experimental with the different stamps and patterns, so some turned out really great and others did not. At the end of the day I had several that I really liked and wanted to use on the cover of my handmade books.

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9.29.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Bookbinding I am thrilled that Leslie taught me how to bind books today!

There is a bookbinding class at my school and I was upset when I realized I was not going to be able to take it next semester. I am glad that I got to learn here from someone who specializes in it.

This is the best way to learn because I get one on one instruction as well as access to all of the tools needed. Some of the tools they use were made for them by hand, so I might try to build my own equipment at home if I want to further pursue this as a hobby.

I began working by folding paper in half and then arranging it into four piece signatures. Each book will have six signatures and I was working on four books. After the papers were organized and folded, I poked holes in the crease and began to stitch the book together. I had to use a wooden device that was made for bookbinding and I carefully stitched the pages together so that all edges are secure. This was really cool to me because the books were beginning to take shape. We used long fiber Japanese paper to strengthen the joint of the book by gluing it along the seams. This also hides the gaps between the signatures. We used a wheat paste to do this. I had to let the books dry along an edge of a table.

After all of the books were sewn and glued, I picked my favorite patterned paper and to begin the case binding. This was an intricate process where you have to be precise with measurements and alignment. I chose a matching cloth that would go along the edge of the book and then cut the three pieces in the correct measurements. I used chipboard to make the book a hardback book. The patterned paper and cloth were attached to the

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chipboard with Yes paste. The sewn signatures were then glued in. I am amazed how professional the book turned out once it was finished. It had to go into a wooden book press overnight so that it will stay glued and take the correct shape it needs to be. I love the finished book and cannot wait to make more of these!

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10.20.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Bound Books Today, when I arrived at the studio, I got to look at my four finished bound handmade books. They turned out really great and I cannot wait to begin using them as sketchbooks and to give as gifts. I can see myself doing this in the future as a hobby. You can see the papers I made as the covers of these books, except for the fleur de lis paper which was handmade in Italy. I did get to finish the Japanese case binding book today as well. I like this technique because there are a lot of options with the stitching on the outside.

Leslie showed me several ways you can sew the books to give them more character. I did the traditional way on this one, since it was my first time. After I was finished with the bookbinding, I worked on the Chandler and Price machine and printed some bookmarks.

It was nice to be back to printing for a bit.

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10.24.14 // BEECH GROVE PRESS

Portland Museum This was my first day working at the Portland Museum and I was excited that the drive was much shorter for a change. Gray met me there and together we began to clean and organize the Beech Grove Press room. There is a lot of great equipment that hasn’t been used in a while, so it is our goal to get the press up and running again. The majority of the day I spent distributing type.

There is a lot to do to get everything working properly, but I have faith that we can get it done. I can think of many projects I would like to do with those machines. Nathalie, Teresa, Gray, and I were joined for lunch by Julius Friedman, who created “The Book” which is on display at the museum. This is such a wonderful piece that he created and I loved seeing the exhibition. We were also joined by Nick Baute and Robert Ronk from Hound Dog Press.

They have helped a lot with getting the machines working and also finding the right parts to make them work. I am very grateful I was given the opportunity to have lunch with all of these important people of the creative community of Louisville.

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10.27.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Holiday Cards I was back in Owen County today and I was working on the Chandler and Price machine. I helped Gray get ready for their open house event by printing holiday cards that they will sell.

The cards are blank on the inside and have a printed image on the front. The images are all hand carved engravings that were originally seen in books that Gray printed. I liked that the images are used again for a second purpose. This way if someone really liked them, they could purchase them in a different format. I printed three images on 115 cards each. With each image, I had to change the furniture in the case to make sure the image would be printed correctly. I also had to check that there was enough make ready under the card so that there would be a strong enough impression. While we do not want it super heavy, we do like to see some impression in the paper. It hasn’t been until recently when printers wanted a strong impression. Traditional printing is when the type or image simply “kisses� the paper. However, I think the impression is one of my favorite parts about letterpress, because you cannot get that texture from a digital printer.

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11.3.14 // BEECH GROVE PRESS

Proof Press Engravings I spent another two days working at the Beech Grove press at the museum where we continued to organize the equipment. There is a large collection of metal and wood engravings that belong to the University of Louisville. To get practice on the proof press and to organize these engravings, I printed out a good copy and some test copies. This was allowing me to learn how to do make ready for the proof press where the image is laying flat and the paper gets rolled over top of it to print the image. Sometimes, the areas of the image are not high enough to make a good enough impression.

With some of the images, we had to print with four layers of paper while others needed make ready only underneath the block. Each one is situational and that is why we printed test copies before printing on a good sheet of paper. I enjoyed doing this because I got more practice of hand inking and using the proof press. With each image, we had to clean them really well along with wrapping them up in newspaper and taping the image on the front. This way we can organize them better and have a good understanding what we have in the collection. There are many more to do but we got a pretty good start within the past two days of working.

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11.7.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Personalized Note Cards I was given the assignment to come up with a project that I wanted to make on my own using the machines. I love hand drawn type and calligraphy, so I knew I wanted to do something in that realm when I was told we could turn pretty much anything into a metal engraving. It took me a while to draw out my name exactly how I wanted it on paper with a pen. We sent off my design to a company who specializes in engravings. It took about a week for me to get it back. It was then time to print. Of course we had to set up the chase just right so that the image would be printed in the center.

In design, things are often aligned just above the horizontal center because that is where our eye perceives the actual center to be. My art work is right heavy but I didn’t mind that. We still centered it vertically in the center. I chose to print with red ink because I love using color. I printed 100 flat cards which then need to be folded in half once they are dry. After I was finished printing, I set the type for my return address. I printed this on the back side of matching envelopes. It is really nice to have a custom and handmade set of note cards and envelopes at such good quality!

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11.10.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Envelopes for the Museum I did not realize this but today may have been my last day out at Larkspur Press as Gray has a lot to do to get ready for the holiday rush and his open house. I spent the entire day working on return address labels for the Portland Museum on a new type of envelopes. These are the self closing type that do not require licking to seal them shut. Because there is an extra flap, it made printing a little bit more challenging. We actually spent about an hour running test proofs and changing the furniture in the chase to get it just right for the envelopes. This is what Gray and Leslie call design—correct placement so that the spacing is perfect. Once we finally got this where we wanted it, I printed away. I printed hundreds of envelopes, yet they need many more so that they can get everything sent out.

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12.7.14 // BEECH GROVE PRESS

Portland Museum Open House This past Sunday was the Portland Museum’s open house. There were a variety of makers who were all selling wonderful handmade items. You could have gotten beautiful artwork, letterpress goods, baked goods, soaps, candles, and so much more. Attendees were able to view the museum and The Book, which is still on display. I got the privilege to work the table top Chandler and Price machine for the day for letterpress demonstrations. We invited people to make their own Holiday card.

Gray went ahead and printed the image on the cards before Sunday so all we had to do was add the text. We got to the museum early that morning to set the type up in the chase. This did not take too long. When the show started, we had the press in the studio room. But since people did not know to look for it back there, we moved it out in the open where all of the other artisans were set up. This got us more traffic. I guided the people in making the card. I told them to place the card in the pins and then pull down the lever and gently release it. I loved seeing people’s reaction after they saw the text printed on the card. They were all very impressed. I am glad we got to show the public that the museum has a letterpress studio that is now working again.

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2.12.15 // HOUND DOG PRESS

Hound Dog Press Tour Today I got to shadow at Hound Dog Press. As I begin my semester working at the Portland Museum in their Beech Grove Press, I want to learn about the different styles of letterpress printing. I am thankful that my apprenticeship at Larkspur Press taught me the traditional way of printing, as I firmly believe in learning the basics first when learning a new skill, but I hope to use my short amount of time trying out different techniques.

We began on one of their table top presses where Nick was printing a linoleum block. Hound Dog Press often will carve these blocks to print and it is impressive the amount of detail they can get into each one. I do not have a background in print making like Nick and Robert but I can still appreciate the hard work that goes into it. What I have learned with letterpress is that it takes time and attention to detail to create really great work. It is not something to be rushed because you sometimes only have one chance to get it right. With the linoleum blocks, they will print one color and then carve more out of it to print another color. Therefore, they cannot get back what they had before.

The only way to do that would be to carve another block. Nick printed several sheets and then turned it over to me.

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After helping out on the tabletop press, I got to watch Joanne Price on the Chandler and Price. She was working on a wedding invitation suite printed with polymer plates and a metal base.

She taught me how to add adhesive to the plate so that it can be attached to the metal base. She also showed me how they mix the ink to get Pantone colors. Another technique I wanted to learn about is using polymer plates. With polymer, you can design anything on the computer and have a plate created on which you can print. This really opens up the possibilities as to what you can create. I have found that I really like working with vectors in Illustrator so this would be a great way to print my designs.

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4.7.15 // BEECH GROVE PRESS

Hand Carved Linoleum Prints After visiting Hound Dog Press, I knew I wanted to create my own block prints. I have not carved a linoleum block since I was in grade school so I had to remember how to do so. I got the harder linoleum because the blocks needed to be able to withhold the pressure of the machine. While Nick and Robert both have backgrounds in print making, I have not even taken a print making class. I was glad I got to try out this art form again. I spent two days printing, but many more creating my blocks at home. I found it to be much more difficult than I expected. I think it did make a difference that the carving tools were the cheapest ones at the art store. You do need to be careful when working with the tools as they can be dangerous. While the sweet tea print looked good in sketch form, I had a hard time carving the letter shapes just right.

So for the next prints, I decided to do the bow tie and glasses which were simpler shapes.

They were also hard to carve, although there was not as much detail. However, I do really like the grain and texture that is left from the imperfections of my carving skills. This gives the prints some character.

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4.9.15 // BEECH GROVE PRESS

Milan Typeface Prints In my Letterforms II class, we were assigned the project to create a typeface. For my typeface, I wanted to create a font that is similar to Bodoni and Didot but is designed to work on a letterpress machine. This style of font has a high contrast between the thick and thin strokes. With letterpress machines, you have to be careful about how it inks the different strokes and the amount of impression it will make. As I was developing my typeface, I decided to test out different stroke weights for the thin lines. This would then give me enough information on how to create the other letters. I chose the word tan and created a polymer plate from Boxcar Press. These three letters had a lot of the shapes found in other letters so they were good to test. I tested six different stroke weights as seen in my polymer plate. I decided that the third weight was a perfect combination so I went on and created the rest of the font with those proportions. After the typeface was complete, I created more polymer plates to create a postcard and a mini square card showing how the typeface will print. It is great to see the typeface in use, even if it was not turned into actual lead type.

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4.10.15 // BEECH GROVE PRESS

Ampersand Prints Similar to my typeface prints, I created this ampersand in Illustrator and had a polymer plate created. I drew the ampersand as a vector and sent off it to Boxcar Press. Their polymer plates come with adhesive on the back so I just had to stick it on the metal base and I was ready to go. These prints are some of my favorite because what designer doesn’t love a good ampersand? I did not get a lot of impression with this print even though I added several sheets behind it. I think this is because there are large areas of solid black. However, I think they still turned out great.

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2.5.16 // HOUND DOG PRESS

Letterpress Business Cards For Portfolio Day, we needed business cards and I knew from the start I wanted to get letterpress cards. I made a few last year while I was still at Beech Grove Press, but I completely redid my personal identity. I created a hand lettered, vector mark for my logo to go on my portfolio site, résumé, and business cards. I was really happy with how this turned out and hoped it would work well on a letterpress machine. I talked to Robert at Hound Dog Press about getting some cards printed or printing them myself. They said they would let me print them and I was thrilled! That will make my cards that much more unique. I designed the rest of the card in Illustrator as well. It has the same elements as my résumé. I sent it to Hound Dog Press and they had it turned into a polymer plate.

When I came to print, it took a while to set up the Chandler and Price machine and get the correct color of ink. I had only printed with solid ink before and never used the Pantone books to mix a color. We ended up with a peach color instead of the darker coral I intended on using. Once the machine was set up, I printed the peach first. They had about 200 blank cards for me to use, made out of their leftover scraps. I really liked the paper because it was a thicker stock and bright white. Once I was finished, I had to completely clean the press and align the next plate. I was then able to use solid black ink to print the following information. By far, these are my favorite thing I have letterpress printed!

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3.31.16

The Journey Continues It has been my dream for a while to have my own stationery brand.

Within this brand, I’d love to make and sell a variety of products, including letterpress items. There are a lot of websites who have made it easy to get customized stationery, such as wedding and party invitations. I realize that this has changed the world for stationery companies so I would have to think about the type of business model I would want. I think it would be awesome to have a wholesale stationery company that is sold all throughout the nation. Of course, I would have to begin small and grow. I am always on the hunt for my own letterpress machine and equipment to make this dream a reality.

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9.19.14 // LARKSPUR PRESS

Title: Baskerville Regular, All Caps, 18/28 50 pt tracking Name: Gotham Book, All Caps, 11/14 50 pt tracking Header: Gotham Book, All Caps, 9/11 50 pt tracking Subtitle: Baskerville Regular, 18/21 Body Copy: Baskerville Regular, 9.5/15 Page Numbers: Gotham Book, All Caps, 8/11 50 pt tracking

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