Tested Learns the Craft of Letterpress Printing
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- Опубліковано 17 гру 2012
- We visit the San Francisco Center for the Book to learn about letterpress printing and earn another maker merit badge. We're shown how modern letterpress practice uses a combination of century-old machines and new technology, and put those lessons to use in designing and making our new Tested business cards!
Learn more about San Francisco Center for the Book at sfcb.org/ - Наука та технологія
I learned this craft in high school in the 60s, and continued teaching myself, and perfecting my skills with my own basement print shop (after my time in the Air Force) in the 70s. Your video was enjoyable and brought back good memories. One thing that the young lady said that needs clarification: I understand that sometimes people have their own way of doing things, but professional typesetters have always set type by holding the composing stick with the open side *away* from the body, and the closed side up against the body. Then type is set *left to right*, the same way it is read in a book. Each piece of type is a mirror image of the printed letter as it will appear on the page. The "nicks" cast into the body of foundry type always indicate the bottom of the letter, and type is set so that the nicks are away from the body as you hold the stick. By holding the composing stick as I have described, in the left hand, the thumb is used to hold your line of type in place until you reach the end of the line. Then, although this video did not mention it, each line must be spaced out exactly so that no piece of type will fall out when the whole type form is lifted. This is accomplished with thin brass and copper spaces. It is actually quite satisfying when a type form "lifts" properly. Good luck to you as you keep up the heritage of letterpress printing.
I am very excited to learn about the Center for the Book and their work with letter press. I was introduced to letter press printing in junior high school which offered print shop as a form of the manual arts program. . This was in 1940s. I became an enthusiast at that time and have never forgotten how much I enjoyed the class My dream (which remains, sadly still a dream) is to set up in small print shop in the garage and print stuff - maybe hand bills and the like. Keep up the good work.
I work at a printers as a designer. But started off life as a typesetter - we still use a Heidelberg Platten. Also we still use dry offset letterpress plates that are made from negatives and make these plates for cheque (check if your American) printing.
Ok video, most info correct but she is using the setting stick upside down, should be in left hand with the base at the bottom and moved around the type case picking up the correct letters as you go making sure the nick is always uppermost. That’s assuming you have set the setting stick to the correct width to start with.
Good to see its not completely dead. Did it for 22 years then moved to Offset paper/poly plates
Nice little look at letterpress printing. I think there are many people who haven't come in contact with this type of printing that don't realise that pretty much all terminology we still use in digital typesetting come from letterpress. Things like upper- en lowercase, leading, pointsize and font. But also english catch phrases like 'coining a phrase' (quoin a phrase originally), 'mind your p's and q's', and 'out of sorts', to give a few examples. :)
The reason for a lesser depth of impression was essential for maintaining the length of use or age of the type. Wear and damage cost, especially specialised wooden block faces or engraved plates would cause image quality problems. Pins keeping plates mounted on a wooden base would see pins rise and then needlessly print, that then needs the printer to read the printed image and hammer down those raised issues.
Awesome! I’m an old timer who use to do that stuff. I have ran the Chandler and Price (C&P) press along side the Kluge. Competence with the California Job case was required before moving on to the Linotype and Intertype line casting machines.
I reject any "hipster" labels where "vintage" crafting is concerned. Think about the man hours that go back into production instead of overseas, and the kind of specialized skills, trade and otherwise, the *craftsmanship* involved. The time and effort spent to be knowledgeable, and to be caring about what you make is a gorgeous thing. This was a super cool video! Thanks!
I'm glad others have commented on the incorrect way the setting stick is being held. I wonder what other skills might get lost in the mists of time, little tricks we all picked up from the journeymen as we were learning, things that didn't get taught in day release classes....
Seems the actual terms and names are first forgotten. It is called a composing stick.
@@darylullman7083 Still got all 3 of my sticks of different lengths along with a set of 'type high' notched brass strips which were used to set each line against before moving on to the next. Quoins, keys and a few scrap copper halftone plates. And I still have an original typecase with the label, 12pt Times Bold Italic. Left school in England at 16 and was an apprenticer for 5 years before becoming a 'Journeyman' compositor. Stayed at the job until the early 70's when I moved over to litho, learning colour separation, film assembly or stripping and platemaking. Eventually, computers took over the whole process and many professionals were ousted by young computer whiz kids who were happy with a fraction of the salary. Thankfully, I was nearing retirement age by then so it was goodbye to a life in the trade. Happy times!
She is left handed, so normal for her.
@@RayDAider1 I remember brass setting sticks, 3 point I think. Still have my sticks and set a few lines now and then. Started as a comp in 1951 still printing at 86 years
Letter pressing always looks equally maddening and fun. Always wanted to give it a try.
After seeing this I am actually going to build my own letter press and job stick and make my own letters and do this to self publish my books when they are done.
You know what isnt fun? doing typesetting at a community college where all the letters are just thrown together hastily in big boxes. Really tested my font recognition skills and made the whole project a huge pain in the ass.
their plate making is essentially the same as Chemical based flexographic printing plate making.
I would like to see more on this type of printing....Very cool!
I once tutored a 1st grader who could write both upside down and right to left. She scared the living daylights out of me.
I'm currently taking a printing production course and I'm watching videos like this to help study for my exam on Monday. While Letterpress printing is horribly inefficient and costly (I'm referring mostly to time cost, but I can't imagine it being cheap either) I still think it's really cool. It has a very antique style I find very appealing.
I'm glad it's making a comeback, but really it's probably best suited for one-off things like signs or invitations that you want to have an antique, handcrafted feel. You wouldn't want to print off a book or a 500 page report with this kind of printer. It would take forever!
We have a larger Polymero machine but that is exactly how I make steel backed polymer plates. Our press has a magnetic base so the steel plate sticks.
We had classes on this in high-school 25 years ago in Florida. A shame they still don't offer it.
It CAN be dangerous, but that's mostly the case for the platen presses (like the one she showed first). Later models of those were fully automatic, and don't stop for anything. Cylinder presses like the one used for the business card aren't very dangerous since they are either hand-cranked, so your hands aren't close to the cylinders, or operated with a button that is out of the way of the mechanism. You could stick your hands into it when it runs, but that would be silly and unnecessary. :)
This is so cool! I learned how to typeset back in high school. I just love this craft. Thank you for tell everyone about this. I have to look up SF Center for the Book next time I'm San Francisco.
I remember the California Job Case. Here is the poem to remember the case layout. / be careful driving elephants into small ford garages. • Line 2 let me now help out your printing work • Line 3 violet usually take 3-EM Space airplane rides. Hope this helps. Gary 😎 • Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃
Interesting that something as new as the computer made polymer plate works with the really old presses
Great job guys. As always, I learned about something not even close to in my purview and it was enjoyable as hell..
I bet you wouldn't throw away a birthday party invitation your friend gave you if it was done by letterpress-lol
That Letter Press coming whit Postscrip 3 or....?
Really cool to see something like this here :D
Thanks Tested, super stoked seeing this on my dashboard!
Her voice is relaxing
So soft voice!! ^_^
3D print a limited run die for letter press?
Salut. J'en ai besoin les caractéres typo graphe. From sénégal
How much you wanna bet Adam will show up with one of those machines very soon?
Type metal, lead, tin and antimony, not just lead.
My uncle had one of those old presses with the disk of ink and you peddled it.
WOW!!! He does it all! Loved this!
At least you agree with me. Thanks.
You guys could probably make your own design using the makerbot and autocad
The first machine shown is a “platen”.
The second one is a proof press. It’s not designed for production.
The height of the type or whatever is used to print, is point 918 of an inch.
With respect I don’t think the woman is an expert. Lots of confusion. Holds the stick the wrong way round. You don’t start from the bottom. The type is “set” or “composed” in batches. Plus lots more that isn’t quite right. Also the type is held in “cases” not in drawers. That’s why capitals are often called “upper case” and the small letters “lower case”. There are basically two kinds of type case. Those that hold both upper and lower case type often called a “double”; and those which hold only one or the other. When setting type the cases are usually placed on the top of the “frame” which is where the cases are stored when not in use. When setting from standard cases the case holding capital letters was is positioned higher than the case holding “small” type. Hence we have upper and lower case.
Yeah dreamy might be the right word. I was reminded a little bit of Luna Lovegood watching her speak and present her trade.
Very fascinating video, glad tested took the time to interview her.
OLD IS GOLD OK
Is hating on Norm the new hating on Patrick?
I don't think she does much hand-setting. It's not upside down and backwards. You just set upside down, left to right. If you typeset upside down AND backwards your text will read backwards.
I really wish these people would take the time to find someone who has been in the trade and knows the correct way to do it. I suppose there are not many of us left!!!!!!
720p?
A Ludlow would help your shop
Would be nice if you held the composing stick correctly, and type is kept in a CASE not a drawer.
I noticed immediately she is obviously left handed. I, being right handed, hold the stick in my left hand turned around the other way and select and set the characters with my right hand.
@@RayDAider1 As English is read left to right you can only really set the type left to right. It is great that people are keeping letterpress alive but i do wish they would make sure they get it correct! I started as a compositor in 1951. Have a case of type and can still set the odd line.
As an old compositor, I was disconcerted to see the woman settting type the wrong way round. One holds the composing stick in the left hand, type is picked up from the case with the right hand, put into the compsing stick with the nick upwards. UPSIDEDOWN LEFT TO RIGHT.
Spot on, Roy. She is no compositor but that is not her fault; she is too young to have known how to set a line in the setting stick properly. She needs old hands like us to show her. I never bother with quads at the beginning of lines. Compositors could just hand-lift the lines from the setting stick onto a galley and so forth. Tie up the job with pagecord. Proof it and we were done.
Cheers!
Roy Davies
Sir. As a experienced compositor and printed we should share contact details and keep in touch worldwide. hombalianant@gmail.com
Roy, aun trabajas en esto de la tipografía'?
I was excited up until 0:05 then the guy started to speak.
did this in highschool
great video mate
Actually letterpress is easy to identify - with a magnifying glass.
Awesome video guys
Type drawer...
Cases.
"why is it popular now"
hipsters
altecdarpa21
"Obscurity" --
It's hard to set yourself apart or be "different", these days.
Not every unique individual has to have a title.
The same reason film photography and vinyl records are popular now.
She sounds so... so... what's the right word.... dreamy??
What she is calling "lead" is a dangerous misnomer. Type metal is the proper name, and is partially lead, partially tin or pewter, and partially antimony. Yes...it has lead. But to a far lesser degree than fishing sinkers or sash weights. Lead alone is far too soft for printing, Antimony and Pewter's tin gives it it's necessary weight. The term "Lead Type" was responsible for what might be called the "Lead Scare" of the late 60s and 70s, which saw thousands of fonts of impossible to replace type, and thousands of irreplaceable presses go to the scrapyard. It brought about the thinking that type would lead to lead poisoning, which has never, in 500 years of typesetting and foundry casting has ever a single incident of such been recorded, and yes, such records were kept as far back as the days of Moxon, the 17th Century. And yes, they were very well aware of lunacy brought about by lead. Protect type from idiots and well meaning legislators! Call it by it's real name. Type Metal! Oh, and honey, hold that stick right side up, ok?
You called her honey.LOL
Gary Johanson Type contains antimony because it expands on cooling, overcoming the problem of lead shrinking and distorting the type.
Type metal is 11% Antimony 3% Tin 86% Lead And I agree with you about the stick!
Working with backwards letters must really screw with your head...
ok
Very calm intelligent lady
It's old, so it's new. Hipster logic.
It does not cease to amaze me how people will implement classic scams in the oddest places. Here they have managed to take one of the most time tested methods- the "Time-Share" and put it into play with antique printing equipment.
\o/ exploded 128 tee \o/
I
BMW cut
Entrevista al que trabaja, no a esa que solo habla y habla...bla bla.
hurr durr can they print my tumblr page?
"Why is it becoming more popular?" Because hipster is why =) Not saying I'm not part of that. =) Also I use to many smileys =/
Una lástima aquí le apostaron a impresoras y tanta historia terminó reducida a chatarra ni hablar
this woman is shocked that someone is so interested in typesetting
I think the redhead is hot. I like chicks that are smarter than me.
Soooo hipster
San-Fran harpies claiming old tech as their own, and making it "cool" , what complete tripe.
I was interested in this, but that woman's voice makes me ill.
Hipster printing. I have a taste for the old and historically important technologies of modern America. Some things are cool or "high-end," Adam's Octopus cane for example; but a tech and maker based UA-cam channel should stay away from something as elementary basic as letterpress. The final product can be nice, but the process is as boring as fucking a box of bagels. Save this stuff for late night History Channel.