Lead Graffiti is very interested in maintaining the craftwork of letterpress printing and the book arts. It is important for us to pass along our skills, experience and knowledge to anyone with the curiosity to learn. These time-honored crafts combine creative and analytical thinking with the satisfaction of making something useful, thoughtful, amusing, or otherwise worthwhile with your own hands.
Workshops & studio/equipment rental
Starting this summer we will start scheduling workshops. If a group of four or more want a specific focus we would be happy to develop a specific experience.
Our workshops can be geared toward graphic designers, poets/writers, hobbyists, younger people, and anyone who likes working with their hands. Whether you’re interested in letterpress or bookbinding, you’ll find this an excellent opportunity to express yourself, make one-of-a-kind gifts, get dirty, get away from the computer or learn some hand skills which are being lost in a world filled with keyboards.
We offer one-, two- and three-day workshops, which may be on consecutive days or weekly depending on the needs of the participants. Day, evening or weekend sessions are available, as long as we have a full workshop (4 people). We can be flexible.
Hourly rental for use of the studio and press time rentals are available to any person who has taken the appropriate workshop with Lead Graffiti.
Letterpress workshops
Note: all printing workshops have the prerequisite of 'Letterpress 1: metal type composition' and others may have individual prerequisites so we don't have to teach from scratch in all workshops.
Letterpress 1: metal type composition and tabletop letterpress printing
5 working hours, $120.00 (includes a light lunch)
Topics covered:
• studio, paper cutter and press safety
• layout of the California job case
• using a composing stick
• handsetting type and using leading and spacing materials
• type proofing and correcting
• locking up the form with furniture and quoins
• inking and press makeready
• printing and image quality
• press clean up
• redistributing type
Typical projects can include:
• business cards
• postcards & greeting cards
• keepsakes
• bookmarks & bookplates
• type specimen cards
• envelopes
• handbills
All necessary materials will be supplied.
Prerequisite: none
Letterpress 2: printing on the Vandercook SP-15 (handcranked)
5 working hours, $120.00 (includes a light lunch)
Topics include:
• studio, paper cutter & press safety
• working with wood & metal types
• using photopolymer plates, woodcuts & linocuts
• using furniture, quoins & lockup bar
• paper (finishes, grain) & ink (oil based, rubber based)
• inking using form rollers & hand rolling
• press makeready & packing the cylinder
• printing, registration & image quality
• press clean up
• redistributing type
Typical projects can include:
• posters & poetry broadsides
• invitations & greeting cards
• keepsakes
• menus & programs
• simple books
• envelopes
• handbills
• group projects
All necessary materials will be supplied.
Prerequisite:
Letterpress 1: type composition workshop.
Letterpress 3: printing on the automatic Vandercook Universal III
5 hours, $120.00 (includes a light lunch)
Topics include:
• studio, paper cutter & press safety
• using the manual / cycle / run options
• using speed / braking / delay adjustments
• using aligning tapes
• press makeready & packing the cylinder
• printing, registration & image quality
• press clean up
• redistributing type
Typical projects can include:
• posters & poetry broadsides
• invitations & greeting cards
• keepsakes
• menus & programs
• simple books
• envelopes
• handbills
• group projects
All necessary materials will be supplied.
Prerequisites (2):
Letterpress 1: type composition AND
Letterpress 2: Vandercook SP-15 workshops.
Letterpress 4: printing on the Chandler & Price 10 x 15
5 hours, $120.00 (includes a light lunch)
Topics include:
• press safety
• locking up the form with furniture & quoins
• inking, press makeready & packing the platen
• hand feeding and removing stock
• registration with gauge pins
• press clean up
• redistributing type
Typical projects can include:
• business cards
• postcards & greeting cards
• keepsakes
• bookmarks & bookplates
• type specimen cards
• envelopes
• handbills
• coasters
All necessary materials will be supplied.
Prerequisites (2):
Letterpress 1: type composition AND
Letterpress 2: Vandercook SP-15
Letterpress 5: printing on the Hoe iron handpress
5 hours, $120.00 (includes a light lunch)
Our Washington #5 Hoe iron handpress was built around 1869 and has a printing area of 25" x 38".
Topics include:
• press safety
• imposition for multiple pages
• printing large woodcuts and linocuts
• locking up the form with furniture & quoins
• tympan & frisket assembly
• paper dampening and registration
• inking methods with rollers & inkballs
• hand feeding and removing stock
• press clean up
• redistributing type
We will cover both the printing of large wood cuts / linoleum block cuts and multi-page book imposition. This press is a bit of a physical workout, but you are truly in touch with historical printing techniques. We are currently having a tympan and frisket made. One we have those we will be able to offer this workshop.
Typical projects can include:
• very large broadsides & posters
• newspapers
• books
• group projects
All necessary materials will be supplied.
Prerequisite:
Letterpress 1: type composition
Workspace rental
Anyone who has completed a Wallflowers Press workshop is welcome to use the studio equipment covered in the workshop for personal projects beyond the workshop sessions.
Rental fee is $10 an hour plus a press fee (except tabletop presses) and is available by reservation.
Rental includes temporary project storage space and access to type, tabletop presses and the paper cutter (for letterpress participants), or bookbinding tools, nipping press and paste paper tools (for bookmaking participants). The cost of letterpress ink within reason is included. Rental does not include paper, book cloth, paste or glue.
Press rental
Anyone who has completed a Wallflowers Press workshop with one or more of our large presses is encouraged to use them for personal projects. Press rental includes only the time the press is actually engaged during makeready, printing and wash up and is available by reservation.
Vandercook SP-15 - $20.00 per hour
Vandercook Universal III - $30.00 per hour
Hoe iron handpress - $20.00 per hour
Chandler & Price 10 x 15 - $20.00 per hour
Those prices include minimal input on the part of Wallflowers Press staff. Depending on how much individual attention you need there may be additional costs.
It is important to note that letterpress printing is a serious craft. To be good at it takes time and good instruction. If you want to produce work that competes with people who have spent years perfecting their craft you need to approach projects with a reasonable belief in what is achievable.
Bookmaking workshops
Bookmaking workshops can be great fun for the family or a scout troop, or consider bringing a workshop to a highschool art class. Handmade books are wonderful objects that make beautiful and personal gifts. They can be tailored to fit a variety of uses and covers can focus on any subject.
We can arrange workshops most any time of the day or week and can break them down into multiple shorter sessions to accommodate your group's schedule.
In addition to the workshops listed below, we will also will be offering sessions with Mike Kaylor, masterprinter, bookmaker & Director of the Lit Press at Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.
Bookmaking 1: simple pamphlet stitch and classic long stitch
4 hours, $80
Ideal for using paste paper (see Paper 4 below). Learn paper basics and bookmaking terms. Includes making a finished hardcover pamphlet-stitched book and two finished long-stitched text blocks ready for casing in. Learn gathering, punching, traditional bookbinders knots and stitches, gluing and spine assembly. All materials (other than your own paste paper) and tools supplied.
Bookmaking 2: casing in a handsewn text block
4 hours, $80
Ideal for using paste paper. Prepare a decorative hardcover with cloth-covered spine and glue in your pre-assembled text block (from previous class or bring another existing text block) to achieve a finished hardbound book with colored end sheets, ribbon marker and end bands. Includes discussion of decorative cover variations and handouts with instructions for reference and supply sources. All materials (other than a prepared text block) and tools supplied.
(prerequisite: Bookmaking 1: simple pamphlet stitch and long stitch)
Bookmaking 3: no sew / no glue books
4 hours, $80
Ideal for using paste paper. Learn paper basics and bookmaking terms. Includes folding, tearing and cutting to make up to 3 books: concertina, corkscrew and French door or dos-a dos format. All paper (other than your own paste paper) and tools supplied.
Paper 4: pastepaper design
4 hours, $50
Like fingerpainting with a purpose, this is messy and colorful fun for all ages. Make up to 8 large sheets. Includes demonstration, paste recipes, lots of time to experiment with different tools and techniques, clean up and discussion of uses and care for the colorful results. All tools and materials supplied. [samples]
Special workshops
In the interest of promoting bookmaking & book arts, Wallflowers Press hopes to offer various specialty workshops related to marbleizing, linoleum block cutting, and notable bookmaking formats and binding techniques such as pop-ups, flag books, Coptic stitching, Japanese binding, etc. Let us know via email about your interests and we will promote the workshop. When there are enough people to make a workshop worthwhile, we would be happy to bring someone in to lead the session.
The book below is a book bound in leather using a Coptic stitch, with closures made by Mike Kaylor.
Workshop reservations & cancellation policy
Workshop reservations must be paid in full 1 week prior to the agreed upon workshop date. Reservations can be made online by clicking here. Payment can be made via PayPal (to ray@wallflowerspress.com) or personal check (must be received 1 week prior to workshop date). Make checks payable to Wallflowers Press, 503 Windsor Drive, Newark, DE 19711. Notification of cancellation with full refund can be made anytime via email up until 24 hours before the workshop date. After that time, a refund of 50% of the amount will be returned.
