A Short Philosophical Video Essay on Printing

A few years back, Tim O’Donnell of Pixela Pictura interviewed me at the Bow & Arrow Press, talking about printmaking, the reasons to print things, and many other subjects besides. Both of us forgot to do anything with the footage until just recently, but the result is a pretty interesting little philosophical amuse bouche. Please enjoy!

New Type Coming In!

This week I found a lot of Century Schoolbook up on eBay for a good price; after discussing things with the seller, I got even more Century Schoolbook for a better price. Here’s the first (very heavy) box of new-to-me type!

Aldus Manutius Type Sample

A couple weeks ago I took my students to the Houghton Library at Harvard to show them samples of letterpress incunables. I saw this example of exquisite letter design by Aldus Manutius from around 1510 and had to share. Those ligatures just slay me.

Further Antique Concepts in Printing

The newest idea I’ve had for modern antique hipness: letterpressed gummed labels. Lick and stick your very own address labels to all of your epistles, correspondence and missives.

Wood Type Now Organized!

I was perfectly happy to have my wood type organized by letter, which meant that you’d have to dig through several cases to find similar typefaces for proper typesetting, but was a quick and easy organizational principle. Amazingly enough, one of my renters and letterpress compatriots told me he loved doing that kind of work, so we now have a full cabinet (and some plastic bins) full of wood type organized by typeface.

What wonders! I’ll be able to fit in the new wood type I got from friends who went to Brimfield Antique Market a couple weeks ago and decided I didn’t have enough.

Antique Tunes for Antique Printing

Got some music equipment up in the studio. Since I’m that age, component stereo is the only way to go. Spare integrated amp, old AM/FM tuner, free speakers and a $10 Salvation Army disc changer and we’re ready to jam.