Proof Letterpress Podcast

Regan interviews Li Chen and Gerald Flynt, the folks behind a new print shop in Detroit called Small Works. They are commitment to keeping access to printing equipment as close to FREE as possible for their immediate geographic community. Letterpress is one part of their setup, but they also have risograph and regular old office printing equipment. They talk a bit about letterpress equipment, but also about some of the broader issues and questions in print culture today.  Here's some links from the conversation: The waltz design pilot tutorial that is amazing. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCB6wWI1XszQ57L5kO8l6Hw   Dafi Printing a new Poster https://vimeo.com/575715409   Small works scheduling page: https://calendly.com/smallworksdetroit   Small Works Website: https://smallworksdetroit.com

For the past three years, two volunteers at the Center for Book Arts have been working on a massive project. Matt Collins and Chuck Peters have been cataloging nearly 700 fonts to create a specimen book of the center's type collection. On top of that, Chuck is spearheading another project: creating a dichotomous key for identifying letterpress typefaces. Matt, Chuck, and the center's Executive Director, Corina Reynolds, tell us about these projects from start to finish.  

James Tucker of the Aesthetic Union talks to Regan about everything from letterpress and contemporary design to the importance of making print shops accessible to diverse populations. James also tells us about an exciting project he has in the works for this summer.

Howard Hatch is the volunteer docent at the Sacramento History Museum and TikTok star. Howard shares his favorite letterpress phrase and of course we discuss his internet fame. 

Lindsay Schmittle of Gingerly Press creates art prints, cards, and hand-bound journals that all have her signature Gingerly Press style. She tells us about establishing her shop in Pittsburgh, her adventures with color and synesthesia, and her monumental printed walk project that came out of hiking the Appalachian Trail. 

Karen Switzer has been letterpress printing the zine Kerbloom every other month for the last 25 years. We talk about the zine and her business, Deep Ink Letterpress. 

Access to equipment is often a barrier for the aspiring letterpress printer. Steve Garst wanted to address this conundrum. As you'll hear in our interview, he designed a small proof press to fill the gap in the availability of small presses, making letterpress printing more accessible for all.   

Regan talks with Meghan Hopkins Sokorai, the superwoman behind Columbus, Ohio-based letterpress printing studio And Here We Are.

Proof is back with a new season and a new co-host! Sarah Brown welcomes co-host Regan Detwiler to the show and they discuss letterpress and podcasting. 

Scott Moore, of Moore Wood Type, resurrected the production of wood type. He tells his story and describes the process from selecting the wood to cutting the type, including fabricating his own machines, discovering old methods, and developing new ones. 

Amelia Hugill-Fontinell is a curator at the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection, a renowned library that collects on design, typography, and the book arts. We talk about the Cary Collection including her work with “the forgotten grandmother of all presses” typographic history, and the importance of printing history collections. 

Kyle Durrie heads up a team of badass lady printers at Power and Light Press- a ship-shape print shop built to handle all of life’s messy emotions. She started the business in 2009, and it’s grown into a busy, bustling, fully equipped letterpress shop. Kyle and I talk about how and why she makes what she makes, her shifting roles and challenges as the business has grown, and how her need to engage in the tactile aspects of her industry has sparked a new era for her side project- the type truck. 

Wood engraving is a relief image making process that was developed in the mid 1800’s to accompany the printed word. Jim Horton fell in love with wood engraving before he even knew how it was crafted. He tells the story of his discovery, and where it has lead him. We talk about the Wood Engraver’s Network and teaching the craft, about the value of the process and shifts culture, and about his newest project. 

Laura Baisden is the artist and printer behind Camp Nevernice, a letterpress studio in East Nashville. She prints custom posters and illustrations using type and linocut imagery. This is the second half of my conversation with Laura. We talk shop about equipment, troubleshooting issues, her image making and work process, and some shifts in her business. We begin the conversation talking about her Vandercook 4, her main press. To see Laura's work, go to @campnevernice on Instagram, or www.campnevernice.com  

Laura Baisden is the artist and printer behind Camp Nevernice, a letterpress studio in East Nashville. She prints custom posters and illustrations using type and linocut imagery. In this first half of the interview, Laura talks about how she found letterpress, her 5 years at Hatch Show Print, and the inception of Camp Nevernice.     

Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. prints! He prints varying size posters using handset wood and metal type and linocut carvings. He prints onto chipboard (and sometimes maps), often with layers and layers of ink in a style that’s recognizably his own. He draws inspiration from proverbs, sayings, and quotes to craft work that offers social and political commentary to express his perspective.  Amos and I talk about his shop practices and habits, how his style developed, his process, and the universal movement of the school of bad printing. Throughout, he offers kind, honest, encouragement and reflection.    Amos has a way of crafting big concepts and advice into succinct, accessible clips. The last one is just one of my favorites... “Always make stuff, because you just get better at making stuff” - Amos, thank you so much for helping me make this.  If you don’t already, go follow Amos on Instagram- @kennedyprints. If you want to see the documentary about him, you can find a link in the show notes, where you can also find a few examples of his signature style.   

Letterpress is an art and an industry with its own stories to tell.  To start the podcast, host Sarah Brown tells you her story and intentions for this show.