When I first heard the words Letterpress, I think of Ben Franklin sitting around printing newspapers in the original 13 Colonies. Little did I know that the letterpress was invented a few centuries earlier in the 14th century. The printing press workshop made me realize how much work had to go into each word, line, and overall work. Each letter had to be properly placed and aligned. If the words did not get checked they may move or be worn down and not ink the paper properly. There are just so many variables that could go wrong. The modern printer makes us take the work of printing for granted. Modern Word allows us to check and change our thoughts and words with an easy strike of the keyboard.
At the workshop, we got to create one thought in each group and print that to a poster. While one thought may sound easy to come up with it took us over fifteen minutes to place and set the words. Having to place each letter while figuring out what to do when the word does not fit or the spacers leave a miniscule gap. The process is tedious and time consuming. Even getting the print onto paper can be challenging. The letter that took so much time setting and placing can be worn down and not print since lead is a soft metal. The ink can be an undesirable color, because to much ink was applied. So much time and effort has to be performed just right or the print will come out wrong.
What I took away from this workshop is how much we take all the behind scene effort of printing for granted. The computer and printer make everything so effortless but that was not always the story. With that said, the amount of work that goes into printing on a printing press allows a person to really take pride in what they have created. The finished product can look so much cooler than anything a printer throws out. When I move back for summer I am finding a place on my wall for the poster that I helped to create.