Category Archives: letterpress

‘What Face Wednesday’ Competition

Today I am launching a weekly series of typeface identification competitions, entitled ‘What Face Wednesday’. I will announce the start of each competition via my Twitter feed at a random time each Wednesday. A different prize will be offered each week and this week’s prize is any one hand-printed letterpress greeting card (including free International […]

Woodletter samples from the Typoretum

I am in the midst of taking proofs of my entire collection of woodletter and it has become a monumental undertaking! In the meantime I have designed and printed a poster that, although not exhaustive, shows the primary type styles held within my collection. The range of type styles is matched by the wide range […]

The Letterpress Exchange Group

The Letterpress Exchange Group was formed around 1992 by Claire Bolton of The Alembic Press as a forum that was exclusively letterpress, and small enough to make the task of printing not too onerous. Membership is strictly limited to twenty-five members and operates a policy that if one does not contribute, one does not receive […]

O thou beneficent Art & Mystery

Here is an interesting example of hand typesetting; from the back cover of the Spring 1937 edition (Volume XXXVI, No. 1) of The Monotype Recorder. Personally, I feel the mix of Albertus Titling (Series 481) and Sachsenwald-Gotisch (Series 457) is rather clumsy, although it is undoubtedly a striking piece of letterpress typesetting.

Accents in hand typeset letterpress printing

A short while ago some mystery objects fell into my possession and it soon transpired that they were, as I had suspected, tools used in the craft of letterpress typesetting. The tools in question are two beautifully handmade filing blocks, in which a piece of metal type can be firmly held so that the back […]

Letterpress work from JMG on Le Cool

I was delighted this morning to happen upon a wonderfully creative piece of letterpress work, by Ross Shaw and Jon Kielty of JMG, on the cover of the current edition of Le Cool. Ross, Jon and myself collaborate under the guise of The Occasional Print Club, along with Pat Randle, producing experimental letterpress work in […]

Stern metal type from the Rimmer Type Foundry

Following the release last July of the typeface Stern, designed by Jim Rimmer, a great deal of willpower had to be summonsed to prevent me from placing an order for the metal version of the typeface. Unfairly placed just above an image of a shimmering newly cast fount of Stern, the ‘Order’ button on The […]

…But I love Typography!

This letterpress printed postcard was sent to me, some years ago, by Masao Takaoka; proprietor of The Kazui Press in Tokyo. It is one of my favourite pieces of letterpress ephemera, that I have in my collection. I received it along with an enormous bundle of beautifully printed samples from The Kazui Press and a […]

Make-ready and overlaying on letterpress cylinder presses

I have been extremely fortunate to receive a day’s tuition from Phil Abel at Hand & Eye Letterpress, in the fine art of ‘make-ready’ and ‘overlaying’ on the letterpress cylinder press. After mentioning to Phil that I hope to achieve high-quality work on my Wharfedale press, once it is restored to working order, he kindly […]

The Occasional Print Club

The Occasional Print Club was formed in November 2008, in the corner of a thronging London ale house behind Fleet Street, by myself and three other typographers; Jonathan Kielty, Pat Randle and Ross Shaw. We were full of energy and enthusiasm, having spent that day at the excellent Letterpress: A Celebration conference at the St […]