Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Low tech letterpress


In the thick of preparing for  a New York show, technology decided it didn't like me.
The main computer died spectacularly, and the phone, printer, oven, iPod and even my camera went haywire as well!


What's a girl to do?


Embrace it! 
Go low tech.


I pulled the type for Ben's wedding invitation and changed fonts seven times!


The equipment in letterpress printing is wonderful. 
Even the names are an alphabet soup...

quoins and quoin keys

brasses and coppers

furniture of all sizes

em quads, en quads, wide spacing, galleys...

You check the kerning by hand, lock up the form in the chase and then do the make ready.


Then serious printing.

Oh, the clink and the rolling sounds of the press!
Music to the ears...


Back in 1905 this cast iron beauty was born, solid and steady. 
Every gear and wheel is precision.

Built to last, not like modern technology.





A long afternoon of printing (or weeding the garden or baking with the children or hiking) is just the thing when unplugging is what you crave.
Never mind the thousand things you SHOULD be doing.

Sometimes unplugging is absolutely necessary.