Long-Distance Letterpress: Type Forensics

Amy’s goal is to mobilize an army of amateur type-sleuths to ensure that our treasured letterpress collections, regardless of size or provenance, are actively enjoyed and passed forward with their ancestry intact.

Learn to identify metal type by its physical traits, turn the dreaded spreadsheet into your favorite printer’s devil, and curate a useful collection without adopting every stray typeface that follows you home. Before long you’ll be well down the path of conscientious stewardship, whether you have your own studio or work in a community space. Over the course of two hours, Amy will share how she stumbled into metal type forensics and why her former disdain for spreadsheets became a love affair. Participants will learn how to assess a type collection by examining critical reference materials against the physical clues of metal type identification. Amy will cover:

• How to deepen your knowledge of letterforms
• Ink-free methods of identifying metal type by its physical traits
• How to use a spreadsheet to organize and streamline use of type and equipment
• Understanding your role in the history and future of letterpress printing
• Building a useful collection without becoming a hoarder
• Ensuring that your letterpress shop is actively enjoyed and passed forward with its ancestry intact.

All participants will receive a spreadsheet template to get them started on their own collection.

International students: please email [email protected] to register.