The Two-Day Course

An intense two-day course, designed for beginners from all professional backgrounds to work closely with wood letter & metal type, letterpress materials & printing equipment.

The Two-Day Course

offers its participants a unique opportunity to develop an understanding of typography & design through the use of the traditional materials & processes used in letterpress.

The workshop is typographically driven – you will be introduced to the fundamental procedures of metal type setting & wood letter composition & through a simple series of exercises: begin to explore the possibilities of letterpress techniques & visual ideas; experiment with ink & understand the basics of printmaking paper.

The second day allows the students to develop a more thorough outcome.

Workshop Programme
Day One
10:00 – 17:00
1. Workshop introduction
2. Workshop tour
3. Measurement systems
4. Methods & organisation of work
5. Workshop practice: wood letter & metal type
6. Creative typographic exercise
7. Designing with letterpress
8. Two-day project brief
Day Two
10:00 – 17:00
1. Research & design application
2. Mixing Inks & Colour Theory
3. Understanding Printmaking papers
4. Design, setting & printing the project
5. Final discussion & feedback:
(with visiting consultant)
Workshop Curriculum
A majority of the curriculum will be covered in
The Intermediate course
Methods & Organisation of work
workshop limitations
workshop organisation & rules
Basic elements & tools
in hand setting practice
printing types
word spacing material
leading
furniture
composing sticks
galleys
Measurement systems
the point system
picas
standard line
Workshop work
type cases
the lay of the double case
methods of setting
Method of proofing
tying-up
imposition
chases
building the forme
using the proofing press
make-ready
cleaning materials
Corrections
correction signs
correction to the metal
Printing presses
lever joint presses
platen presses: clamshell & parallel
cylinder presses
Paper
raw materials
standard & non-standard sizes
trimmed / untrimmed
paper weight (gsm)
Ink
the Pantone system
mixing ink
colour theory
Bibliography
key texts

Summer / Autumn

Friday & Saturdays
Fees
The two-day workshop is £450 per person (prices are currently frozen from 2019 prices). There are a maximum of 5 places in each workshop. This keeps the classes focused & intimate.
Full payment will secure a place. Please register & pay here (& select ‘Two-Day Course’).
Purchase Orders can be raised & a receipt will be issued on payment.
The Two-Day Course / 2022 Gift Voucher. Can be used for all listed Two-Day Workshops.
Cancellations must be 5 days before the beginning of the workshop otherwise a heavy penalty of will be retained! This might sound a little brutal & we understand that things can often change but last minute cancellations can effect the other students & the dynamic of the classes. We have the right to postpone courses due to illness or emergencies.