We start a short series of multi-subject interviews with three questions for a group of talented typographers, where we ask them a bit about their past, the current state of craft printing, and what they'd like educators to keep in mind while training future practitioners of the discipline.
#1
Qu3stions: What was the first typeface you owned or worked with? Was it metal or digital, and if you owned it, do you still - and if you still own it, do you still use it?
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Hugh Barclay, Thee Hellbox Press, Toronto ON: I started with 14pt Caslon roman and italic foundry type and still use them.
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Victoria Pohlmann, Senior Designer at Russell Design, NY: Helvetica was surely the first font I used extensively: I was trained as a designer in the ’70s, after all. I use it rarely anymore, completely burned out on it, which is a shame in some ways. Now more likely to use Franklin Gothic as a go-to sans-serif workhorse.
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Dan Clark, printer and typesetter, The Glasgow Press: Sixty years ago, at the age of sixteen, I started my apprenticeship as a Compositor with a firm of Colour Printers, Gilmour & Dean Ltd., in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland.
Most of my early years as an apprentice were spent hand-setting foundry type from typecases – I would reckon that there would be some twenty-two cabinets in G. & D. Ltd’s caseroom (each cabinet having four sections) and each section holding twenty typecases, working out at around 1760 typecases in that caseroom.
I can’t recall how many different typefaces there would have been. There was a lot, allowing for the fact that, e.g., Gill Sans series would have from 6 - 48 pt with all the sizes in between, and, of course, separate cases for bold, italic, bold italic, etc.
I recall some of the more popular typefaces in usage were Baskerville, Garamond, Times Roman, etc.
G & D Ltd. had a Monotype, but most of the typecases were filled with foundry type which was much more hard and longer-lasting than the lead and antimony that was used in making Linotype slugs or monotype. Founders-type had distinctive nicks on the facing-side as you set it up in your ‘setting-stick.
The specific question that you ask is “what was the first typeface I owned or worked with” – well, I did not own it, but the typeface I remember best, and liked most, was called Spartan. It was sans-serif and to me, seemed very regal. It did not have a lowercase, but did have small-caps and was mostly used in event programmes or special invitations.
At Glasgow Press we have cabinets of typefaces with Spartan type among them.
One of the memories I have of those hand-setting days was the need to go searching through galleysof past jobs to find an “e” or some other letter which had been used-up from the typecase. What a difference from the past when racks of galleys, with lead weighing tons were kept for repeat orders to today, when hundreds of jobs – invites, invoices, letterheadings, etc. – are stored on computer.
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Yvon Lantaigne, Studio Madillo and Fox & Found Press (also on Facebook), Vancouver BC: I lucked out in finding & buying 18 wood type fonts before even owning a press. My first project was a large wanted poster-style birthday card where I mainly used a selection of antique Tuscans. I have yet to get seriously busy with my printing, but I am fond of old Clarendons & Antiques.
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Paulette Myers-Rich, Traffic Street Press (also, boardmember at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts), Minneapolis MN: The first face I owned was ATF Caslon foundry type. I print letterpress, and still set by hand. I also have some Emerson metal monotype in cases from the Harold Berliner foundry that’s not available in digital format. It was designed by Joseph Blumenthal of the Spiral Press. These are both traditional book faces that I'll use from time to time. My house face is Perpetua, as I print a lot of poetry.
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Heather Wiese-Alexander, Bell’Invito Press, Dallas TX: For the life of me I don't remember exactly what it was. The first type I worked with in the non-digital world was on “the oldest Linotype machine this side of the Mississippi...” which is still owned by Alexander Printing in Delight, Arkansas. The san-serif metal type would drop in place with a ping after shooting across the rails of the tall, bulky,¬†iron machine. I still think it's such a beautiful piece of history. No making mistakes on that baby ‚Äì one mistype and you had to start over.
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Joe Borges, Pomegranate Press, Oakdale Ontario: Working in an ad agency the fonts I used were owned by them, but one of the very first digital fonts I ever purchased was Magneto from the Font Bureau. I was using it in a logo design for a coffee shop. Still have it, haven’t used it in many years. Seems so dated now. Now my first metal typeface was Clarendon 10 pt. What a classic font, love it, still own it and still use it. It will never go out of style.
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Jason Taylor, Thousand Pound Press, Richmond VA: The beginnings of my metal type collection came in the form of an entire cabinet of random cases. I was definitely drawn to the cases of Baskerville contained within more than any of the rest. I do still own it, and although I don’t do as much work with hand-set type as I used to, I still use the Baskerville from time to time. These days I'm usually printing client jobs, which means I print from digital files using either magnesium or photopolymer printing plates. Whenever I get a free minute in the shop to print something for myself I bust out the handset type and play.
#2
Qu3stions: What are your feelings about “craft” printing in this era of electronic prepress and document distribution? Is there room for real documents to be printed with the tools and techniques of the craftsperson, or is this kind of niche solely a fetish or collector's market?
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Hugh Barclay: There are 20,000 titles printed in Canada each year, of those only 20 are printed letterpress and only 10 of the 20 are printed on acid free stock, only one or two books a year are printed on handmade paper. Now you decide which to collect, a Kindle books, throwaway books from Amazon etc. or letterpress books that are art forms that will last for 500 years or you get your money back. To add to this, by my count, there are only 6-10 letterpress studios in Canada printing books, there are many more presses, however, they choose to print broadsides, cards etc. not that there is anything wrong with that. I think that the more educated the readers become they will begin to appreciate the “outside the box” skills and dedication of letterpress printers.
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Victoria Pohlmann: There is definitely a place for the craft of bookmaking and letterpress, but it will by definition be a niche, but a valuable and enduring one - not going away anytime soon, I think. Wonderful to be able to buy hand-printed posters and other items from artisans all over the world, from their websites - love that irony of taking a very local hands-on craft global.
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Dan Clark: I feel, personally, that there is real beauty and true art in the work that can be produced by letterpress printing, which litho or digital printing could not compete with.
As a young printer starting out on my own with two old Heidelberg platens and a fair selection of typefaces, I then welcomed the introduction of an AB Dick litho machine and a platemaker – this got the job done, quicker and cheaper, and kept the customer happy.
Now, thanks to a greater selection of paper and board, colour and quality - allied to what can be achieved with modern techniques in platemaking and traditional type, and of course not forgetting the skill of a good machine-minder, you have not only served the purpose, but you truly have a work of art.
In fact as has been said, “a work of art and joy forever, its loveliness increases and it will never pass into nothingness.” Not a fetish!
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Yvon Lantaigne: Notwithstanding the current popularity of letterpressed invitations and greeting cards, I believe and hope we will have fine printing for generations to come. Just as new printmaking presses keep being manufactured, perhaps we'll see the day where someone will undertake building a modern relief printing press for letterpress aficionados & the folks that buy their fine printed work.
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Paulette Myers-Rich: I’ve been a letterpress printer, book artist and teacher for 20 years and there are always wait lists for letterpress classes at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. I practice fine printing as a part of printmaking, but I have friends who have small commercial job shops and they are always busy. There is nothing like letterpress when it comes to special occasions or identity pieces. It’s not a fetish market in Minnesota. People here know it and love it and use it all the time because we have some amazing designer/printers here, including a serious fine press book community. The combination of digital design and letterpress printing is in common use thanks to polymer plates, so commercial letterpress has actually expanded.
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Heather Wiese-Alexander: I wouldn’t say its solely for a collector’s market, but artisanal printing is definitely reserved to a discerning clientele, specifically because of the cost incurred by producing it. Bell’Invito was born out of appreciation for the craft and the desire to educate people about a dying genre of truly exquisite papers and the techniques employed to produce such hand-made products.
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Joe Borges: I think like everything else, craft printing has its place and I truly believe will survive. Sure the number of presses may swell and then deflate, but even through all the changing times, being in fashion and then out again, we’ll still be here.
In the end, with all the “electronica” we have, people still like to print off their digital files, we may even be printing more now than ever because it’s so easy to rip a laser off. And because it’s so much easier to print now, there are more books being produced, but are they all great books? Just because you can now make an eBook and sell it for less does it create better quality or just degrade what’s out there? If you’re going to typeset and print a book (using letterpress) and spend the time, effort and money, it better be a great book. And a book like The Sentimentalists which just won the Giller Prize here in Canada shows that it can still live in this current world. It was a fully letterpress-printed book and it’s sold out. Not sure they’ll be able to meet the demand now that the prize has been announced. Even though the Giller is given for the writing not the printing, it’s still it’s nice to see letterpress at the forefront. I just hope the fact that it’s a time consuming process and there weren’t enough copies isn’t what gets remembered.
In the end, that’s what letterpress is about: smaller runs, quality craftsmanship and more of a first-run or collectors item. Letterpress can’t meet the demand of a “million copies sold” book. But then again maybe that’s OK, it makes the books that are produced this way that much more special. Just like a hardcover to a paperback, you’ll buy a special copy of a book but you may also buy the cheaper paperback for the cottage, or a digital version for commuting. Either way there is still a place for letterpress printers. Besides, if the world ever goes off-line through some awful crash of the electronic world, how are we going to communicate ;) ? So yes, absolutely there’s room. Now more than ever, people are starting to realize technology is wonderful, but with a catch. I have a new Mac, the iPhone 4, AppleTV – I love gadgets. But I also value the ways we used to live. My wife and I love to garden, it keeps us grounded and connected to nature. And that’s what letterpress can do too – keeps us grounded. We don’t use any motorized presses, all ours are hand-powered. It’s OK to slow down a bit and enjoy the craft.
I want to see where the future of letterpress goes: contemporary design, sustainable practices and a little bit of current technology together with letterpress – that’s the sandbox in which I want to explore.
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Jason Taylor: Honestly, I struggle to put a name to what type of printer I am – craft, art, industry. I print a fair volume of business items, and think that things like business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and so on are not outside the reach of letterpress. The “niche” is growing, and people are realizing that perfect, flat, computer prints are not what they really want. Imperfections add warmth. The bite from the press leaves texture and brings a volume to the page that you wouldn't otherwise have. People have been so bombarded with unnatural, unrealistic perfection through print, web, and other media that they are readily embracing letterpress.
Long story short, the machinery that I use makes me feel like I am an industry printer. The techniques that I employ make me feel like a craftsman. The design and thought behind what I do make it feel like an art. Maybe I am all three.
#3
Qu3stions: Do you have any suggestions for educators in the world of design / typography / printing / bookmaking - that is, can you think of anything that you’d like emphasized or introduced that you don’t currently see as part of these subjects’ curricula?
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Hugh Barclay: Philosophy to be taught: a) don't take yourself too seriously, b) look for the good and build on that rather than looking for faults and weaknesses. c) Allow your visual mind to create the design during that period between the first and second sleep. d) Tradition is valuable but progress is more important.
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Yvon Lantaigne: More and more art schools are adding actual letterpress programs within their design curriculum, I would like to see this expand to other non-art-specific institutions, high schools, colleges, as a subject of interest. The younger generations would benefit tremendously from being exposed to older methods of doing things, and develop a better appreciation for the electronic tools they work with today.
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Paulette Myers-Rich: If you teach graphic design, try to introduce your students to metal type and hand setting. Find a shop or class in your area where they can try it themselves or at least observe it being done. Among other things, it illustrates the origins of terms like leading, em space, upper and lower case, etc. Also, in letterpress, a font is not the same as a face. A font is a package of metal type, containing upper and lower case letters and figures (punctuation and other elements) and they are distributed in a California job case where the type can be kept for hand setting. Check out the MCBA website for more info or resources at mnbookarts.org.
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Heather Wiese-Alexander: As with most things, experience is the typically the best part of education. As an art major, I learned nothing about business. That was the biggest hurdle I had to jump as I transitioned from an employee to a business owner. All of us “artistic types” (as my dad puts it) would love nothing more than to produce and never have to worry about selling, but let's face it, the materials cost money‚ then there’s your time. So, excluding those willing to work for free, some practical knowledge of efficiencies of production and weigh in in cost, time, and market competitiveness would turn any great artisan into a stellar, promotable employee, or even successful shop owner.
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Joe Borges: Don’t forget to teach how things used to be done. Some of the technologies my be dated, but the theory and thinking behind it can add some needed tools that may be missed by just hitting the computer. Ideas should always come first, which may mean putting the mouse down and not just hitting Google for inspiration. Take a real pad of paper, a pencil and then create. If you’re a designer or an art director and can’t draw... learn to. It will give you an edge when you can figure stuff out a head of time. Remember the computer and Adobe CS are just tools. I see that as a missing piece in some schools and it’s sad. It’s as bad as someone who can’t tell time unless it’s digital.
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Jason Taylor: I would like to see more crossover between each of these fields. I teach letterpress and love it. My students keep me on my toes, force me to think critically about the numerous things that can go wrong in a print shop, and provide hours of entertainment. For future classes I have been trying to devise a curriculum that would incorporate the work of type design students, woodworking students, writing students and my printing students to form a giant collaborative. The woodworking students can use their skills to produce wood type of the designs created by the typography students. The printing students can produce works written by the English majors using the type created for the class. While each student will have his or her specific role in the project, they will also learn more about the entire process of publishing through working with the outside departments.
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And my own response to my question: I took a number of design classes in the undergraduate program at CSU Sacramento, and spent my entire sophomore year slowly and painfully taking apart, cleaning, and putting back together the previously-nonworking press in the design lab. I came back to school the following semester to find that the department had sold it to the great printer Judith Berliner (daughter of typefounder Harold Berliner in Nevada City, CA) of Full Circle Press. I certainly don't begrudge her taking the department up on the offer, but it was a sad day for the program, one they've never really recovered from in terms of their attention to typography, and I fear that more and more programs are cutting back drastically on the letterpress and typography foundations – or rather, what should be the foundations – of any serious undergrad design program.
A similar thing happened at my high school: after the old school building was torn down in favor of a new, ostensibly earthquake-proof structure, all the (beautifully maintained!) Linotypes, C&Ps, proof presses, type and ornaments were sold off. The Navy-trained printing instructor, who had spent years teaching two or three generations of designers and typesetters how to do run anything from a composer to a platen press, retired ... and that was the end of it. I'm worried that more and more the discipline is being moved from its necessary place as the foundation of typography and design training to a precious, cutesy side project, something to be oohed and aahed over in a museum setting.
I personally believe that the lack of design training at the high school level and the emphasis on technology/tools over craftsmanship in college programs means that most school-trained graphic designers from here on out are going to be missing the most important skillset they could possibly have.
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