Fall Classes!

We've finalized our workshop schedule for the fall. Here's a list of what's coming up... note that we've got a couple new cross-studio classes coming up! As always, register at Pyramid's Workshop page and/or contact us with any questions!

Using Photopolymer for Letterpress  
Date: Saturday September 17, 10am-4pm

Instructor: Julia Louie

image credit: Alyson Hurt

Tuition: $130, Enrollment: 5-8

Description: Are you a graphic designer that loves letterpress? Learn how to print your own designs using photopolymer plates! They are a great way to do letterpress printing with digitally created designs. The workshop will cover basic press operation, printing with photopolymer plates, designing for letterpress printing and how to create the appropriate files to order plates. You will use the Vandercook press to print a handy information sheet and have the opportunity to show the instructor any specific project ideas. Familiarity with Adobe Illustrator is preferred but not required. No letterpress experience required. 

 

Introduction to the Vandercook Letterpress
Date: October 8, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Leslie Smith
Tuition: $130 + $5 materials fee payable to the instructor
Enrollment: 5-8
Description: Get started with letterpress! This workshop will cover the basics of letterpress printing antique lead type on a Vandercook flatbed cylinder press. You will learn how to set type, operate a Vandercook press and clean and maintain the press. Each participant will set a few lines of text of their own choosing and print a small edition (10-15 prints).

Meet the Press (Tabletop Session)
Date: Wednesday October 12, 6pm-9pm
Instructor: Julia Louie
Tuition: $70 + $5 materials fee payable to the instructor
Enrollment: 3-6
Description: Already acquainted with the Vandercook? Get to know our other type of press, the tabletop platen press! This short workshop is for students who’ve already taken Introduction to the Vandercook Letterpress and are interested in learning what the tabletop press has to offer. Students should be familiar with setting type. You’ll set 1-2 lines of type independently, then learn how to lock up, print with and clean up the tabletop press. Each participant will print a small edition (5-10 prints). Also serves as a good refresher for students who took workshops or lessons long ago.

image credit: Gretchen Schermerhorn

Make Your Own Journals - Letterpress & Bookbinding
Date: Two Mondays, October 17 & 24, 6pm-9pm
Instructors: Julia Louie & Patricia Lee
Tuition: $220 + $20 materials fee payable to the instructors
Enrollment: 4-8
Description: Make your own journals in this two-part class! In the first session, you will print three customize-able journal cover designs on the Vandercook letterpress. In the second, you’ll bind the journals using three different pamphlet binding methods.  You’ll be able to experiment with various binding materials, including wire, beads and natural elements. No experience in letterpress or bookbinding required.

image credit: Jim Kuhn

Introduction to the Tabletop Letterpress
Date: Saturday November 12, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Melanie Karlins
Tuition: $130 + $5 materials fee payable to the instructor
Enrollment: 3-8
Description: Have you ever fantasized about having a small letterpress in your home? This workshop will cover the basics of letterpress printing antique lead type on a Chandler & Price Pilot tabletop platen press. Students will learn how to set lead type, operate the tabletop press, troubleshoot and clean and maintain the press. Each participant will hand set a few lines of text of their own choosing and print a small edition (10-15 prints).

Letterpress Your Own Personal Stationery
Date: Two Thursdays, November 17 & December 1, 6pm-9pm
Instructor: Melanie Karlins
Tuition: $250+ $20 materials fee payable to instructor
Enrollment: 3-4
Description: Do you love handwritten notes? Are you looking for an excuse to send more mail? Then join us to letterpress print your own personal stationery and learn more about the letterpress studio at Pyramid Atlantic. In this two-part class, you will learn how to use two presses, a Chandler & Price tabletop press and a Vandercook press. In the first session, we will use photopolymer plates on a Vandercook to print a background design. In the second session, you will learn to set your name in type and print it using the tabletop press. You’ll take away your own set of 30 flat cards and envelopes.

Meet the Press (Vandercook Session)
Date: Saturday November 19, 10am-1pm
Instructor: Melanie Karlins
Tuition: $70 + $5 materials fee payable to the instructor
Enrollment: 3-6
Description: Already acquainted with the tabletop press? Get to know our other type of press, the Vandercook flatbed cylinder proof press! This short workshop is for students who’ve already taken Introduction to the Tabletop Letterpress and are interested in learning what the Vandercook press has to offer. Students should be familiar with setting type. You’ll set 1-2 lines of type independently, then learn how to lock up, print with and clean up the Vandercook. Each participant will print a small edition (5-10 prints). Also serves as a good refresher for students who took workshops or lessons long ago. 

Make Your Own Holiday Cards - (Papermaking + Letterpress)

image credit: Gretchen Schermerhorn

Date: Two Saturdays, Nov. 12 & Dec. 3, 10am-4pm
Instructor: Laura Kinneberg & Melanie Karlins
Tuition: $250 for both session + $20 materials fee payable to the instructors
Enrollment: 3-6
Description: Completely customize your holiday cards

this year in this two-session workshop that will get your hands dirty in both the papermaking and letterpress studios!

First Session: You will learn basic sheet-forming techniques to make postcard or note card sized cotton paper. You will be able to further customize your paper using pigments and inclusions. Make and take as many sheets as we have time for. No papermaking experience required. Bring waterproof shoes or galoshes and expect to get wet. Second Session: After the paper dries at Pyramid, you will return to print your holiday cards on your handmade paper. You will learn how to set type and how to print using a Vandercook proof press. You will then choose matching envelopes to send your holiday greetings in style! No letterpress experience required.
Note: There is the option to register for both sessions together or for either session as a single workshop.

Wood Type Poster class

Found some evidence from Leslie's Wood Type Poster class around the studio:

 

And some photos from Jim's blog from the class:

Wish I'd been around that day to see the other projects!

Tabletop Class photos

A long overdue post with photos from Melanie's May 7 Introduction to Tabletop Letterpress class!

Here was Lauren Emeritz's project for the day:

And some action shots:

 

And a great photo from Jim's blog of his lockup in the C&P:

Mini-Workshop on Pressure Printing

This weekend Moira and I were in the studio noodling around with Beck and Ben, trying out some different things. We ended up doing some pressure printing (with a rainbow roll to boot). It was a fun afternoon and inspired me to offer a mini-workshop so more people could join in!

Here's a photo of Beck and Ben's pressure print of Ben's cat, Birthday:

 And a print of some wood type with lead ornaments using the same rainbow roll:

And now the workshop details:

When: Wednesday May 11, 6pm - 9pm
Cost: Just $20!
RSVP: Email me to let me know you're coming!

**UPDATE:  This workshop has been postponed to Wednesday June 1**

Saturday May 7: Tabletop Class!

Melanie's Introduction to the Tabletop Letterpress workshop on Saturday  May 7 still has available slots! This class is great for those of you considering buying your own press (since they are more affordable and take up less space than a Vandercook).

Students will learn about lead type and then typeset a few lines of their choosing, then learn how to print on Pyramid's Chandler & Price Pilot tabletop platen press. Doesn't Miranda look like she's having so much fun using the press in the photo above?

A couple benefits of printing on a tabletop press (vs. a Vandercook):

• Being able to print on smaller paper. Hate trimming business cards? Buy pre-cut cards and print on the tabletop! That's how Moira printed her calling cards!
• Being able to double print more easily. Letterpressing onto dark paper is difficult, so one way to acheive a brighter/darker print is by running your print through the press twice. On a Vandercook, you have to line up your print exactly the same way, which can be difficult. On a platen press, you can re-ink your typeform and print again without ever moving your paper! See a business card that was double printed with gold ink from How Magazine.

Sign up for this class (and others!) over on Pyramid's Workshop Registration page!

Tabletop class

I happened to be at the studio while Melanie's Introduction to Tabletop class was going on. It's  always great to see a group of new and enthusiastic letterpressers! Here's a few shots of the class:

Introductions:

 

Going through the basics of setting type (with volunteers Miranda and Maggie to help):

Students plugging away at setting type:

Locking up in the chase:

 

Maggie helping some students with their lock up:

The first student, getting ready to print:

Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of the prints that were made. I hope to see everyone in the studio again soon!

Next Saturday: Photopolymer class!

Intimidated by the process of designing and printing with photopolymer? No need to be! I’ll be teaching my photopolymer class this coming Saturday March 19. This class is designed for those who’ve printed with metal/wood type before and want to learn the basics of using photopolymer, which allows us to print digital designs on the presses. I’ll go over how to set up plates on the press and everyone will print a page of useful tips to take home with them. Then we’ll go over how to design for printing with polymer, how to order plates from Boxcar Press and take a look at individual projects. Register for the class here!

Here are some photos of a photopolymer project taken by Aly Hurt. Aly was a student in my polymer class last year and designed the January page in the 2011 Pyramid Atlantic Letterpress Calendar:

 

 

Members Only Workshop

On January 28, we held our first Members Only letterpress workshop! This workshop was a part of a series of monthly workshops that are free to a limited number of Pyramid Atlantic members (registration is on a first-come, first-served basis). For our workshop, Leslie had the idea to have people scratch designs into negatives to create their own homemade polymer plate for printing on the Vandercooks.

Unfortunately, I was a little busy during the first half of the workshop and forgot to take pictures. Here are the few action shots that I did get!

I love Leslie's expression in this photo as she's making rounds checking on people scrubbing their exposed polymers:

And here are some photos of the prints that were made. We inked up the presses with Pantone Warm Red and Process Blue and had a variety of papers available to choose from.

A lovely heart design made by Melissa Livingston, printed on handmade paper:

Dawn Hershberger's design, printed on wheat-colored Canson Edition:

A really interesting design, also printed on wheat Canson Edition. I didn't catch the name of the artist:

Clare Winslow's space-inspired print, on handmade paper:

Gary Arlen's print on champagne Canford card:

Bonnie Lee Holland's print on French Muscletone Kraft paper next to her scratched negative:

A photo showing the three stages of Juraj Mihalik's design:

Marj Hollis's turtle. Originally, two of the flippers didn't show up because the lines were scratched too thinly on the negative. Luckily, Marj had time to go back and scratch a little more into the negative and make a second plate:

Morgan Ward's self-portrait on Stonehenge:

Here's the same plate printed on bright red Canford cardstock (though the photo doesn't really do it justice!)

Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to get everyone's prints before they left. But overall, I think everyone had a great time and came away with some pretty amazing prints!

More workshops:

• To be attend these free monthly workshops, you must be a Pyramid Atlantic member. Sign up here! The next Members Only workshop will be on Friday, February 25 (topic TBA).

• Check out the schedule of our other letterpress workshops here!