Art 366. Letterpress

Students learn fundamentals of typesetting and principles of typography, and use movable type and hand-operated printing presses. Using movable type and hand-operated printing presses, students learn printing vocabulary and how to operate machinery, as well as the fundamentals of typesetting and the essential principles of typography in the tradition of relief printing. Through discussion, hands-on design and critique, students learn how to create finished letterpress pieces and build a portfolio of work. They find that letterpress printing offers a tangible aesthetic that cannot be achieved through digital printing processes.  

“The class was very involved. Students were shown lots of possible career opportunities for this type of art, and were encouraged to give feedback on each others’ work frequently. I learned how to spell out type upside down and backwards so that’s a plus!”

“This is a very good class to learn about a process that lends itself to both printmaking and graphic design. It has lots of practical usage as well as potential for creativity.”