Printing Workshops at SFCB

Interested in learning about letterpress? Want to try your hand at printing on a vintage Vandercook press? The San Francisco Center for the Book is the best place to start. Their talented team has come up with a great lineup of 2013 workshops and they are available for registry now! As owners of a Vandercook and letterpress lovers, we know how fun it is to crank your own prints.

Visit the SFCB online for a list of workshops, or stop by their NEW location at 375 Rhode Island Street (between 16th and 17th Streets) in San Francisco.

On Press: Broadside

This week James is operating the Vandercook and pressing a large broadside for a custom print job. The press is a No. 4 proof press from 1947. This video shows him setting up his guides and adjusting the furniture around the base for a perfectly positioned print. Next, he applies ink to the rollers and inks the polymer plates. Finally, after printing, he carefully cleans all the rollers.

Studio Snapshot: Personalized Stationery

One of the many perks of working in a letterpress studio is the access to the presses (and quality printers!). Kristine and Christina both fell in love with the same personal stationery design, but put their own unique twist on the concept. Christina's version (above) features a "from the desk of" line along with a feather motif, while Kristine (below) favored a more simple approach.

Both designs were hand-printed on our 1950's Vandercook press.

Now get to those handwritten notes girls!