Letterpress

About the workshop

The Letterpress workshop is focused on typography, type composition and traditional printing techniques. We also support type design and research and lettercraft.

Equipment:

• An extensive collection of metal and wood printing types from 6pt upwards
• 2 x cylinder proof presses
• 2 x tabletop platen presses
• A hydraulic press
• A hot-foiler
• Sign-painting equipment

Students can hand set type and print from 55 x 85mm up to 380 x 560mm. They can also use the embossing and foiling presses with the appropriate plates.

The technician can advise on paper stocks and other substrates. We have sustainable methods of printing and sign-making and can manufacture  printing plates using digitally or hand generated artwork.

The workshop is used primarily by students on Graphic Communication Design courses. It is possible for students from other courses to use the facility, by individual negotiation. All students must undergo an induction before using the workshop.

The CSM Letterpress Workshop provides facilities for letterpress printing up to 380 x 560 mm, using hand composition type ranging from 6pt to 24 pica or your own relief blocks – advice is available on manufacturing these from the technician. Other available associated processes are embossing and de-bossing and thermal embossing.

Workshops are valuable because they are hands-on and students are not always in control of the process, this develops innovation. They also develop an understanding of the raw materials they are designing for.

Why do students come in here?

An understanding of type and composition is useful for students with graphic design and typography content in their course work. This analog workshop provides the best environment for this.  If they are working with traditional letterpress typesetting, they are literally developing a physical relationship with type and space.  There is also a dedicated space for traditional sign-writing where students can learn and practice letter drawing and painting systems. The skills learned are transferable and underpin digital design practices.

Once an in-person induction has been completed with me, students can use the workshop to develop work for their course briefs. Online inductions aren’t really practical!

I encourage them to use the equipment correctly, but ultimately, as an art school we are about breaking rules and pushing boundaries. Students can basically do what they want as long as they don’t harm themselves, the equipment, or me! Of course, with these processes, there are limitations. But that forces analysis and problem solving within those limitations. You have to plan things well and be organised also patient - great training for industry and life!

What is the most common request you get?

Embossing, de-bossing and hot-foil. Typesetting, printing and sign-writing.

Is there a particular project you remember?

A BA Graphic Design student who graduated in 2013 designed a complete typeface from scratch, then digitised it and made a set of large size wood type with the help of the Laser Cutting Workshop. She then printed large format letterpress posters with it. Laser cutting letterpress type is nothing new, but as far as we know, this is the first time anyone has been so involved with every stage of the process.

There are many more memorable and innovative projects too, which are kept in the workshop archive. I’m pleased to say numerous students I have trained now have successful careers in which letterpress plays an important part or laid a strong foundation.

Any interesting stories about the workshop?

It has been said that the DNA of the college is contained in this room! The collection of equipment comes from three different colleges. Most of it comes from the Central School in Southampton Row and Saint Martins, Longacre, but we also have some rescued type from London College of Printing (now London College of Communication). The equipment has been cared for over the years by a succession of industry-trained printers, now as custodian I am continuing this!

I am happy to have re-introduced the instruction of hand lettering to CSM, which is a big part of the Central School’s heritage, carrying on from Edward Johnston, who taught Eric Gill who then taught at Central and designed the Gill Sans typeface of which we have a lot from very large (264pt) to very small (6pt).

The workshop has a very low carbon-footprint. There is very little waste. The equipment being decades old and well looked after has many more years of use. Any newer equipment or materials are sourced within the UK.

There are ways of producing print blocks and type from digital artwork though, so we're not chained to the past by any means, but I’m always mindful of the impact on the environment some processes can impart.

What is it about this workshop that makes it a special place when at CSM?

Letterpress and traditional sign-writing almost died out because of digital technology, but there is a renewal of interest because of the resurgence of hands-on graphic processes with a new generation of designers and crafts-people. There is much information available online and many independent courses are now available, but potential students have to exercise caution. I would say, look at the track record of students rather than tutors!  That said, the training I give is based on the one I received from the last generation of apprentices, having had a long involvement in the printing and graphic arts industry myself. I have also had my own letterpress practice for 20+ years, so anything I impart is based on long experience and a sense of responsibility towards those I teach. As mentioned earlier, there are many student success stories that began here!

The CSM workshop is an invaluable educational resource in that it teaches you much on so many levels. For example,  you are forced to use numbers and arithmetic. Students can be horrified at the prospect. Having dyscalculia myself, I feel the same way!  But I've found developing confidence with numbers is a big help in planning design work more effectively, be it analogue or digital.

In this workshop, you are forced to slow down as you cannot work quicker than you can think, which I believe is a very good thing - typesetting, printing working out a letter drawing system and even tidying up are a great cure for designer's block!

Often staff and students pay the workshop a visit simply because they enjoy the relaxed-but-productive vibe - I try and have some interesting work on the walls and good atmospheric music on the go too. It has been described as a “must see” and “jewel in the crown’ by staff who lead tours of the college.