This post is a recap of the fun we had this last weekend leading a press free, hand style letterpress workshop at AIGA Minnesota Design Camp. We were located in the wine cellar at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota. Over 300 designers attend this event annually. We did three sessions of this 1.5 hour long workshop with over 120 total attendees.

The process was about putting down lots of ink quickly, creating textures, layers and happenstance in the layout and printing. No press required, no two prints alike.

Studio On Fire brought in lots of good stuff:

10 large cases of our woodtype collection (about 400lbs of type, mostly Hamilton faces)

Tape and cardboard (served as the bed of the press, tape held type in rough position)

A wadded up paper towel was the “printing press” (used with hands to burnish the back of the sheets)

Several dozen CSA images supplied on photopolymer plates (permission of CSA archives)

Wood grain background textures (blasted with a powerwasher, then relief carved)

Lots of good ol’ French Paper to print on (poptone sweet tooth and many many remnants)

Ink and brayers (oil based inks and soft rubber rollers)

It was a fluid process and a good chance for everyone to step away from the computer. A huge thanks AIGA Minnesota for having us and to the AIGA volunteers that supplied a steady stream of nature wash solvent to clean up and redistribute the wood type and images. And thanks to Phong Tran for his photo contributions.

If you would like Studio On Fire to do a workshop with your group, let’s talk. Please do contact us for more information.

We talked about the relationship of letterpress and design, did some Q&A, drank some Pabst Blue Ribbon and wrapped up the event with a little coaster project on press. Take a look at the coaster sheet – it’s 60pt Ahlstrom blotter paper. We pre printed a couple colors before people arrived. Then, we had a different color set up on both of our Vandercook presses. Everyone got to pull a couple prints, then we die cut the sheet into the set of four coasters. Lots of paper touching and good times had by all. Thanks Kayd Mustonen for taking some pics to share.

This is a museum that most certainly needs the support of designers and printers. There are still 10 slots to fill for Jim Sherraden’s May 22, 23, 24 workshop at Hamilton Wood Type in Two Rivers Wisconsin. The cost is $400 with all proceeds being donated to the museum.

Fourteen lucky printers will have the chance to print from Hamilton’s collection under the watchful eye and wise cracking mouth of Hatch Show Print’s printing maestro. The fun will start Friday night starting at around 7, go all day (and into the night) Saturday and a half day Sunday. You can reserve a double occupancy room at the Light House Inn for a special workshop rate of $70.00 night. Call Greg Corrigan or Jim Moran at Hamilton Wood Type at 920-794-6272 to register and for more details.

And because we love this place, Studio On Fire taking part in a poster edition to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Hamilton Museum.  It will open Saturday, May 30th and run through Labor Day 2009 at the museum. Proceeds benefit the museum. Crap, it’s due this week and it ain’t finished!

And because it’s funny, here is a print for sale at Hamilton by Allyson Vanstone.

We also printed a booklet cover for this AIGA event. We hit the bejesus out of an 80lb cover stock and thought we’d show what the other side looks like. Granted, we don’t run everything this heavy. But a thinner stock with a heavy impression is going to have more show through than a thicker stock with the same impression. On this booklet, nothing was on the reverse side, so it did not matter that the impression was extra hard.

A note about tours – We have student groups from all over the country take tours of our shop and we are happy to do it. However, none of them have ever sent us a box of chocolate with a thank you note. That is until Brigham Young University. Thanks BYU. And to all the other student groups inquiring about tours – we now expect some edibles! ;-)