Letter Press Write-Up
Going into the letterpress workshop, I was very ignorant of what it was and the entire process of. Listening to the background of the letterpress history, it did bring into light a better appreciation of the entire English language and older texts. Learning what points meant (before, I thought that point was just a term that had no significant meaning) and that many of the terms we use in digital writing derive from this older form.
After working with the press and seeing how it operates, I found that there is a lot more thought and precision needed than I believed would be. I had no clue about leading, the points needed, the spacing, placing things backwards so they come out proper oriented, just to name a few. Adding color (or modifying the color) was something that I found very interesting. Instead of using a lot of color in the center, it required only a tiny amount to modify the color and there were multiple ways to apply the color.
After leaving the workshop, I have a better appreciation not only for written language, but for the whole writing process. Similar to thinking about what words should come next in a paper and which font size to use, individuals who work with these press have an ample amount of patience, skill, and desire for their work, as a single mistake would cause whatever was being worked on to need to be restarted