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.