Letterpress Notes & Queries

Query first, to the general Internets: Anybody know anyone who is printing books on a letterpress and then hand binding them (or not)?  Most of the presses I've found do stationery and occasionally prints and broadsides, like Studio on Fire. The other interesting fact I've noticed is that the vast majority of them are owned by women, with a few exceptions, like Studio 5. Why is that? Any thoughts?

Some tidbits in the news, too, in case you missed them:

A great article in the Boston Globe about Shelley Barandes and the Albertine Press. Just the pictureof her studio, with the eight presses she owns, makes me sick with jealousy, even before I looked at her work. Check out her blog, too.

Another in The South Side Journal about Firecracker Press (run by a man! Surprise!)

Nice little piece on Hello! Lucky on spotting quality letterpress work. It's about wedding invitations, but the criteria apply in general, it seems to me.  The first thing mentioned is a "Detailed impression that “kisses” the paper. One of the lovely things about letterpress is the tactile impression the plate leaves after it has been pressed into the paper. However, it is possible to go overboard. Less experienced printers often press the plate so hard against the paper that the type or design punches through the back side . . ." I gather there's some disagreement about just how deep an impression should be, and I'm not going to weigh in on it because I don't have enough experience. I will say that in some cases, I like a fairly deep impression, but never one that engraves the back of the paper.

Dolce Press has a lovely blog about nitty gritty of letterpressing, complete with photos. The blog covers advice about disassembling (!) and moving your Chandler & Price, using make-readies, paper,  impression depth and more.

Letterpress: It's not just for type.  Take a look at these cool prints done by Green Chair Press (one of my personal favorite shops).

And finally, here's a lovely little mini-documentary on Firefly Press in Somerville, MA. [Via Matt Sung's Inspirations at design:related]

I'm keeping an eye on things letterpress, but won't be getting back into myself for a while. I want to get the bookmaking well started first. But this little video about Firefly Press sure made me hanker for type and ink and clunking machines.

Comments

[Meliors]

You probably know that I have spent the last year printing artist's books on letterpress and hand binding them. To see most of my letterpress books, follow the 'Look what I made' tag on my blog Bibliophilia, www.meliors.net. There's more to come too, letterpress on handmade paper (this year's new skill goal!).