Boston-Based Printing & Instruction in the Antique Art of Letterpress
Production, design and classes using antique lead type on vintage hand-pulled machinery in Boston, Massachusetts.
Invitations, menus and broadsides digitally designed & printed on full-rag artist papers.
If your project demands the rich presence and tactile feel of letterpress, please give us a call.
Discover Art at StoveFactory Open Studios: Dec. 7 & 8 This December, immerse yourself in the vibrant arts scene at the StoveFactory Open Studios in Charlestown! This two-day event, happening on December 7th and 8th from 11 am to 5 pm, offers a unique opportunity to tour three floors of artists‘ studios and an art …
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Maintaining the Ludlow Typograph: Tools, Techniques, and the Art of Keeping It Running Smoothly At first glance, the Ludlow Typograph might seem like a complex piece of machinery, but it’s known for its durability and ease of maintenance, even decades after production ceased. For those still using this reliable machine, keeping it in peak condition …
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The Composing Stick: A Key Tool in the Ludlow Typograph System In the world of letterpress, the Ludlow Typograph holds a unique place for its ability to cast slugs on demand. Unlike traditional typesetting, where individual pieces of metal type are arranged by hand, the Ludlow system uses a composing stick to assemble matrices, which …
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Currently, Reflex Letterpress offers two avenues for trying out the art of typesetting. We partner with Albertine Press to offer themed intro classes taught at the Reflex studio in Charlestown, and we have general intro classes available (usually) weekly in the shop.
Once you’ve gotten the bug, we have more advanced classes for a range of interests and ambitions. There are traditional typesetting projects, technical production training, and fine art printmaking. Private instruction is also available; book a group for a substantial discount. For more advanced classes, cheduling is as-needed, please contact Ted to figure out the best times.
Intro Typesetting Class Availability
Four Easy Pieces Month-Long Class
Themed classes are available through Albertine Press!
The Stove Factory building is not designed to be completely accessible, but accommodations can be made. Please contact us with questions, and check out the PDF with images showing what wheelchair access we have.
Ted Ollier has been dealing with design and printing since about 1995. He has been working with digital layouts from Aldus Pagemaker to Quark XPress to Adobe InDesign to Affinty Designer. He has dealt with standalone RIPs to imagesetters to ferric etchings to transparency masks. He has designed fonts, business cards, wedding invitations, CD covers, trifold brochures and curriculum booklets. He was trained as a traditional printmaker — intaglio, relief, silkscreen and lithography — at Texas State University and Massachusetts College of Art. He has been teaching letterpress since 2008 at the Bow & Arrow Press. He can pretty much set you up with what you need to get something printed.
He is also a conceptual artist, and you can view his artwork at Mindhue Studio, and the Internet Swadesh. He lives in Medford, Massachusetts, with a patent attorney, a silly goose, a red tabby and a fluffy chow-mix.
