Letterpress: The Allure of the Handmade

Contemporary graphic designers, particularly those who have grown up with the computer playing an all-pervasive role in their work, are now discovering the potential of letterpress for its unique visual and tactile impact, made possible (in contrast to digital type) by its physical presence on the page. In parallel to the proliferation of digital typefaces and the dominance of computer typesetting and printing in trade publishing today, new, private letterpress publishers are on the increase. The principal reason for the re-emergence of letterpress as a potent medium in this new millennium is its creative potential, making it possible to express ideas and encouraging a more thoughtful, more intelligent use of type. This book celebrates the diversity of the original work being produced by graphic designers and typographers using letterpress around the world. It examines US and European private presses, top international graphic designers working with letterpress, how letterpress is being used as a commercial medium in developing countries, and the continuing new developments in letterpress technology. This is a timely book designed to support the trend for non-computer design techniques now enjoying a period of growth and reinvention.