Thursday, 7/17, at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
2-5pm:
Pressed for Time: A Brief History of Printing with Lyuba Basin
Level 4, Rare Books Classroom
Curious about how printing shaped the world? Drop by this engaging, informal rare book session to explore the fascinating history of printing, from Gutenberg’s movable type to the modern resurgence of letterpress. This session offers a hands-on look at key innovations, the evolution of print technology, and the artisans who have left their mark on the field. Whether you have five minutes or fifty, stop by the Rare Books Classroom to discover how printing revolutionized communication, fueled social change, and continues to inspire today’s designers and bookmakers. Bring your curiosity and an appreciation for the power of the printed word!
4:30-7pm:
Riso drop-in with Sara Luz Jensen and Book Arts faculty & staff: Gain familiarity with the Book Arts Program studio space and create low-stakes imagery in collaboration with other conference registrants. Grab a partner or work solo to use collage materials and simple mark-making to create an image that can be duplicated on the Risograph printer or select from various matrices (zinc cut, wood type, etc.) to produce a quick letterpress print. Working spontaneously, printers respond to constraints of materials and time to produce prints that can be passed on to other participants to add a layer. The print is finished when the time is up! Each roulette participant walks away from the conference with a wire-bound collection of collaborative prints.
Friday, 7/18, the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
8-10am:
Treat your Edges Right with Amy Thompson: Interested in applying color to the edges of paper projects? Edge treatment may be a closely guarded secret in the letterpress community but isn’t as tricky as it looks. This session provides the foundational skills to add some flair to business cards, prints, or text blocks. After a demonstration of the technique participants may take the airbrush for a spin.
10:30-12:30pm:
Praise the (sign) press with Tonja Torgerson: Provisional Presses are based on Showcards and Nolans, ergo they easily fall within the signpress family. Provisional Press was born during the covid-19 pandemic and the J. Willard Marriott Library Book Arts Studio has a small army of them that they loaned to students. Known as a user-friendly, affordable, and versatile option the Provisional Press has quickly become a superstar workhorse for any printshop—especially in educational environments.
In this class each person will have their own Provisional Press to work with. We will be demonstrating various approaches to using these machines such as: stencils, pressure printing, setting type, and Ternes Burton & Co pin and tab registration. Students will walk away with a good stack of prints and another notch in their belt toward using all the kinds of printing presses! Suitable for the novice to the expert.
Kitchen Sink Photopolymer with Carl Youngmann: It’s easy enough to send out to a service to have photopolymer plates made, did you know you can make them yourself? Carl Youngmann and Ellie Mathews appreciate the economy and quick turnaround of making their own plates. They will demonstrate the DIY methods they use in their own shop. Ellie will discuss the advantages and limitations of homemade polymers. Carl will cover the intricacies of printing inkjet negatives, exposure times, light sources, and washout. Together, they will demonstrate the nuts-and-bolts basics and share their enthusiasm for DIY methods. They will discuss high-contrast images—whether from photographs or scanned drawings. Working from digital files, they will select an example graphic, demonstrate software settings, and make an inkjet negative. They will expose a polymer to ultraviolet light and process it in tap water. Specific products, timing, and details will be covered.
Rare Books Presentation with Lyuba Basin: Printing has been one of the most transformative forces in human history, revolutionizing the way knowledge is created, shared, and preserved. This presentation will explore the evolution of printing technologies, from the earliest hand-operated presses to modern innovations. We will examine key milestones, including Johannes Gutenberg’s groundbreaking movable type press, the spread of letterpress printing, the industrialization of print in the nineteenth century, and the persistence of traditional methods in contemporary fine press and artistic printing. Along the way, we will highlight the women who have played a vital role in shaping the print industry. If you are fascinated by the power of the printed word, this rare book session will offer a compelling look at how printing technology has shaped culture, commerce, and communication over the centuries. Join us for an insightful journey through the rich history of printing and its lasting impact on the world.
2-5pm:
Papermaking for Printers with Emily Tipps: As many printers know, handmade paper can lend texture, character, and even concept to letterpress projects. Participants in this workshop learn about handmade paper’s distinctive qualities through engagement in the process—beating pulp, pulling and pressing sheets, and drying them down. Conversation touches on tools, materials, studio needs, and special considerations for letterpress printing. Come have fun splashing in the vat and head home with a few fresh sheets!
Reviving Moveable Type: 3-D Printing for Letterpress with Joshue Molina:
This hands-on workshop explores the intersection of traditional letterpress printing and modern fabrication techniques through 3D-printed movable type. Participants will learn about the process of designing and printing their own type using 3D printing technology, gaining insight into how contemporary tools can expand the possibilities of letterpress printing.
Fleeting Beauty: Theory of Paste-up with Jess Snow: Join Jess Snow as she shares the origins and rise in popularity of (wheat) paste-up culture as a relevant and important form of public art that bypasses traditional institutions and brings art directly to the people. Paste-up has a rich legacy; she’ll share why it’s a natural extension for many printmakers and printers, including herself. Importantly, she will address ethical considerations to keep in mind when working in marginalized or heavily surveilled spaces. This talk is a precursor to the next day’s hands-on practice of printing and pasting!
7-8:30pm (offsite location tba!): Letterpress as a Business discussion panel with the hosts of the Hot off the Press Podcast
Saturday, 7/19, the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
10:30-12:30pm:
Fleeting Beauty: Paste-up in practice: carve/print/paste with Jess Snow: Have you been curious about trying paste-up? Maybe you’re already a paste-up pro? All experience levels are welcome as we create a collaborative, paste-up mural at the Marriot Library! Throughout the hands-on session, Jess will provide tips on tools and materials used by paste-up artists as well as techniques and best practices. We’ll be creating new work using type and images on the theme of “Freedom to Read”. Bring your ideas to the wall as we show big love for libraries, literacy, and especially banned books! Registrants are encouraged to bring their own lino tools, if desired!
10:30-12:30pm:
Paste-up in practice: carve/print/paste with Jess Snow (continued)
Handmade paper for custom packaging with Lisa Beth Robinson: Learn how to expand your deluxe packaging game by using handmade paper to create a project-specific box or package. After sharing various material resources, we’ll work with unique templates for the mold and deckle, forming sheets that wrap around shaped foam boards and shrink to the foam as they dry. Each participant will receive a sample to take back to their print shop.
Alternative and ancillary methods in letterpress (cyanotype!) with Oscar Maynard: This workshop will take you through a series on non-type options for printing images, backgrounds and textures. We will experiment with varnish as a resist, applying washes over the varnish. The hands-on portion will focus on cyanotype wash over high gloss varnish.
2-5pm:
Printing Poetry with Ellie Mathews: Letterpress poetry broadsides call for their own design considerations, including respect for reproducing someone else’s creative work (translation: You don’t get to edit the poem while setting the type.)
This hands-on workshop will include examples of real-world solutions to specific challenges. The focus will be on typography. Practical issues such as alignment, capitalization, readability, permissions, citations, and uncooperative line breaks will be discussed. We will work on short poems (20-25 words!) Bring your own or choose one that’s provided.
Ex-Libris book plates using vintage photoengravings with Christa Carleton: Books are meant to be shared, but have you ever loaned a cherished book from your personal collection only for it to never be returned? Perhaps you need to create your own ex libris or bookplate! An Ex Libris (roughly ‘from the library of’) is a decorative label pasted into a book, often on the front endpaper, to indicate ownership. One of the earliest examples found in a book is from 1480, with the tradition continuing to gain popularity in the 16th century.
In this workshop you will be able to design and edition your own Ex Libris with the extensive collection at the J. Willard Marriott Library Book Arts Studio. We’ll be composing relatively small prints so that your design can be pasted into smaller sized books. Participants will begin by browsing through some of the 20,000 photo engravings which will be our main source of inspiration. Each person will be able to set type with images and lockup their design to be printed on a flatbed cylinder press. You should walk away with a good stack of prints by the end of the class for your library. This class is suitable for beginners and experienced printers!
Case-bound single pamphlets with Marie Oberkirsch:
Learn the basics of bookbinding by making a pamphlet stitch cased-in book. Learn to score and tear paper, stitch a single signature pamphlet, paste decorative paper (use up those cool letterpress misprints and proofs!) and book cloth to book board to create a small blank book. Materials will be provided and tools will be available for use during class.
Sunday, 7/20, the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
11am-5:45pm:
Vandercook Repair and Maintenance with Paul Moxon: Participants will learn the maintenance, cleaning, and lubrication points to be prepared for future problems and make or direct repairs. We will also discuss all models of interest and other brands as warranted. Whether you use studio presses, own a press, or are thinking of buying one, this workshop will provide excellent direction for your future presswork. Bring your questions, photos, and broken parts. This workshop requires a $75 additional fee!