Workshops

[Note: Please forgive the extensive exposition, but it is necessary for cleaner, livelier posts in future that they not be cluttered with explanations.]

The Print Shop is holding two workshops this semester, one called "Introduction to Letterpress" and the other "Advanced Letterpress and Book Arts." Mike Kaylor, our Master Printer, runs these workshops.

Introduction to Letterpress involves a number of excellent lectures on the history of printing, the history of paper, the history of fonts, as well as lectures on the technical terms and procedures for setting type and printing. The students are working on making their own postcards.

Advanced Letterpress and Book Arts is for anyone who has completed the introductory workshop. At this point, students work on real jobs in order to gain experience and keep up their skills. In between the real jobs, they learn to make and bind books in the Bindery.

I take the Advanced workshop as a separate activity from my work at the Print Shop, but I do end up helping Mike with jobs that extend beyond the time commitments of the workshop, especially because the jobs are real jobs required of the Print Shop.

This semester, we're focused on three major jobs.

The first is a run of 350 broadsides to be distributed in schools around Kent County in celebration of teachers and teachers of writing.

The second is a run of 350 broadsides that celebrate the re-dedication of the Literary House that is scheduled for February to cap off the completion of an extensive renovation.

The third is a design for a new bookmark or postcard, to be used for demonstrations to prospective students, and other interested visitors or students.

The deadline for the first job looms. The first workshop has only met twice. We have done extensive research into appropriate and striking quotes, we have reviewed samples from the archives for inspiration, and we have sketched out our design ideas and submitted them to the Master Printer for review.

The next step is to envision one or two final drafts digitally, with the help of Adobe InDesign, on our brand new 30" monitor.