Letterpress Digest

Welcome to the first episode of Letterpress Digest. Jordan is a novice printer and will talk to the experts to hear exciting stories, gather helpful tips, and just talk shop.

Hear how Jessica White, co-founder of Ladies of Letterpress, snuck into her university studio at midnight to print letterpress for the first time. She also talks about her first press, learning to print, and flying planes.

Who else has a font designed for Microsoft based on their handwriting? Brian Allen does. Hear him talk about the letterpress progression through the most recent decades and his love for type.

Hamilton Wood Type is a ubiquitous name in letterpress printing. Hear Jim Moran, the museum's director, talk about the company's history and how they preserve that legacy today.

Most letterpress printers have heard of or use a Boxcar Base and clear photopolymer plates. Harold Kyle, Boxcar's president, talks about how those came about, his affinity for moving large presses, and so much more.

Designer and entrepreneur Micah Whitson talks about starting The Old Try, and how he designs and sells letterpress prints. He does not, however, print them himself — hear him explain why in his own words.

Eli is half printer, half designer, and fantastic at educating people on letterpress. You'll learn so much in this episode, with a few laughs along the way.

Erin Beckloff & Andrew Quinn created a documentary about letterpress printing called Pressing On. Hear about the multi-year process, from Kickstarter to its debut at Hatch Show Print.

Adrian Ramos of Ramco Roller gives us the rundown on all things rubber — the history of letterpress rollers, the superball, and even the option for strawberry-scented rubber rollers. What?

Paper. Steve Varvaro has over 30 years in the paper business. We spend the hour talking about all things paper as it applies to letterpress — text vs. cover weights, thickness, finish, grain, and so much more.

Britt Rohr is the Master of Quoin. She runs a custom letterpress shop called Swell Press Paper Co. in Los Angeles, and her forte is watercolor dip-dye and deep impressions.

Paul Moxon runs the Vanderblog and travels teaching folks about Vandercook presses while helping to repair them. He's got experience in mechanics, history, and the arts — and shares a lot during this hour-long conversation.

Jen is the proprietor and creative entrepreneur at Starshaped Press. She's been printing like it's 1929 since 1999 and is one of the foremost artists pushing the fold to creatively use old type in new and energizing ways.

Andrew Steeves gets a bit philosophical on us as we discuss the inner workings of letterpress printing, publishing, and more. So much wisdom shared in only 1 hour.