press & printer - tanya from snap and tumble:

April 27, 2010

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press: Craftsmen Machinery Co. Superior Press 6 1/2 x 10
printer: tanya from snap and tumble

snaptumble

I own three table top presses. The press in the photo is a Craftsmen Machinery Co. Superior Press 6 1/2 x 10. The other two are an Adana Eight-Five and a Showcard Press.

I didn't go to school for graphic design. I didn't complete any software program courses. I didn't grow up with printers in the family. Nor did I study printmaking for any length of time. I simply picked up a letterpress printed card and ran my fingers over its deep inked impression. Curiosity turned into love.

What followed was completely unexpected. Thanks to the Internet, I had information about letterpress at my fingertips. I was led from one site to another, finding hundreds of resources. I asked questions, I joined forums, I read books, I watched videos, I followed blogs. I was super keen to learn all I could about letterpress printing. Getting myself up to speed on the vocabulary of letterpress was only good for being able to understand printer-speak. And though it gave me a good start, it wouldn't be anything without a press to practice on. Before I knew it, I was pursuing my passion.

With serious effort, I was able to get a few hours of one-on-one letterpress printing instruction in the Toronto area back in 2007. Though the demonstrations were not on a platen table top, my love for letterpress grew stronger after having tried my hand on a flatbed press. I took what I had learned and sought out a press that was more suited to my situation (finances and accommodations).

I contacted Don Black Linecasting in Scarborough, Ontario and Craig Black set me up with an Adana Eight-Five. It was a small model and perfect for my purposes at the time. With a starting kit that included a font, I set to task and printed every chance I got. As my designs started to get a little more complex, and wedding commissions started to come in, I decided it was time to upgrade the press in early 2009. I purchased my second press - the Craftsmen Machinery Co, Superior Press, again from Don Black Linecasting. It is now my primary press but I still use the Adana for smaller jobs and for participants to use during the Letterpress Curiosity Workshops.

7 hello's:

  1. thanks for sharing your story, Tanya!

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  2. This is so inspiring! Thanks for posting this. I've been searching and wanting to attend a letterpress course but can't find any in Sydney, guess I'll have to keep poping by for some inspiration! Thanks again for a wonderful blog!

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  3. Anything is possible when you're passionate about it. Really nice work Tanya. I wished they had letterpress courses here in Malaysia too.

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  4. so very lovely to read!
    also that you don't always need lots of education and knowledge to make your dream come true!

    mila
    x.

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  5. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Tanya. That is seriously inspiring - you do such beautiful work, all from your passion and creativity with letter press. It's refreshing to hear how you fell in love at first touch, and pursued it with a singular passion, teaching yourself and learning from others along the way. Just wow!

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  6. I'm so glad that I wander around your blog from time to time, because this was a very heartening story to read, because I also have a great curiosity for letterpress but have no design background.
    To me, something in Tanya's story evokes the spirit of mixing DIY and blogging.

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