Dates: March 13 and 14th, 2021
Cost: $250 non-members $224 members plus pate cost
CLASS IS LIMITED TO FOUR PARTICIPANTS
Materials include ink, card stock paper,
Pate cost varies by the square inch. Expect to pay $35.
DESCRIPTION:
The Language of Letterpress is taught by Alex Giffen, Master Printer at Flatbed. She has a love of letterpress and will teach and guide you through your first lettpress project! This class will serve as an introduction to letterpress printing and will allow students the opportunity to learn file-making, single color printing, and operation of our Vandercook SP-15. Students will need to do a fair amount of preparation, and Alex is ready to assist as much as she can virtually. During the class, you will use both days to go over the machine, mix inks, and make prints! Work with Alex before the class by email to get your file ready for plate making. Class registration will close ONE WEEK before class to make sure plates are made in time. You may contact Max Koch who makes our plates directly at mhkoch@gmail.com or ask for our assistance.
If you are feeling stuck in file creation, Alex suggests to play with type as forms. Look for fonts that bother you, fonts that elate you, fonts that make you say, “Dang, I’m so glad I can read.” Look for the elements of these shapes and exaggerate them, isolate them, push and pull. Make something out of a language you have been learning, maybe the words you say the most. It doesn’t even have to look like real letters, but letters are a great form to work with on a letterpress.
GOALS:
For students to create a successful digital file and have a letterpress plate made
For students to become familiar with the Vandercook SP-15
For students to mix ink, experiment with orientation, and make successful prints
SPECIFICATIONS:
This class will be a little faster paced and require students to do a fair amount of prep work prior to class. During class, we will go over press operation and troubleshooting, set up and break down. A base will be provided for printing, PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL FILES ARE 4.5 X 9.5 INCH OR SMALLER. If your files are larger, we will have to resize them so please make sure they are within the specified measurements. We will have basic cardstock for printing on, or you can feel free to purchase some letterpress paper. I recommend www.lcipaper.com as they have an extensive collection of letterpress papers. A simple google search will result in additional letterpress paper vendors.