Workshops

Creative letterpress / Delaware Art Museum
no prerequisite

6 working hours plus a light lunch & snacks

The Delaware Art Museum is sponsoring three creative letterpress workshops during the fall of 2010 at Lead Graffiti in Newark, Delaware (October 9, November 13, and December 11). Each workshop is limited to 6 people so that there is plenty of hands-on experience and assistance. The cost of a workshop is $95 for Delaware Art Museum members and $120 for non-members. Registration is handled through the Delaware Art Museum.

Each workshop has a theme and each participant will work with handset metal and wood type to design a spread of a small book. The printed piece will be a two-color broadside (a sheet printed on one side only). Through a creative combination of folding and tearing, each participant will produce one complete accordion-fold book with cover by the end of the workshop. In addition everyone will receive the materials to produce another two books which can be completed later. We will print extra copies which may be used or sold by the Delaware Art Museum.

The book will be printed using a Vandercook Universal III (automatic paper feed) flat-bed press. The Universal III prints an 18" x 24" image area and operates at the push of a button.

We will show a variety of samples from our portfolio as well as work from a variety of other letterpress shops that we've collected including YeeHaw, Amos Kennedy, F2, Hammerpress, and Hatch Show Print among others. We will also show examples of historial printing from the 1400s (called incunabula if printed before 1501) to the present.

All necessary materials will be supplied. Dress comfortably in work clothing for the weather and definitely wear comfortable shoes.

Completion of the workshop does not satisfy the prerequisite of technical workshops required for Lead Graffiti press rentals.

Workshop calendar

Here is a similar booklet produced without glue or sewing by six Wilmington
University designers who took a workshop with Lead Graffiti. We had copperplates
made of 10 "W"s for them to choose from. Each person brought a quote about
education which they interpreted in metal type. They produced one finished booklet
and then took home the printed materials and supplies to make another two.