2-Day Letterpress Workshop
Spend two lively, inky days immersed in the world of letterpress. This practical workshop invites you to roll up your sleeves and get to know the presses, the type, and the satisfaction that comes from hand-printing. We’ll guide you through the essentials of setting up a press, preparing type, and understanding what you can achieve with the historic craft of letterpress — from first inking to final print.
Along the way you’ll pick up practical advice on sourcing and caring for presses, explore the history of the craft, and learn techniques you can take into other print disciplines. You’ll experiment with different inking methods, explore type composition and layout, and handle type with the confidence that only comes from doing.
You’ll work directly with a selection of wood type from the museum’s collection to create:
· A one-off poster (or a few, if you get carried away)
· A customised notebook, hand-bound by you
· A small run of bespoke ephemera — greetings cards, notelets, calling cards, or whatever takes shape on the day
Across the two days you’ll print on the museum’s Farley proofing press and Adana 8x5 presses. And you may even pull a print from our 200-year-old Stanhope Press — once used by Eric Gill and the first example of a cast-iron press.
Expect the workshop to be full, focused, and wonderfully inky — and to leave with a selection of prints.
Includes Materials and Lunch
About the Workshop Leader
Tom Boulton studied typographic design at the London College of Printing then became a self-taught letterpress printer.
With over fifteen years of experience as a designer and printer, Tom has been commissioned by the likes of Tate Modern, Fortnum and Mason, Southbank Centre and The Design Museum. He has been featured in publications such as Creative Review, The Telegraph and Country Living, and has won a D&AD award.
Ticket options
Spend two lively, inky days immersed in the world of letterpress. This practical workshop invites you to roll up your sleeves and get to know the presses, the type, and the satisfaction that comes from hand-printing. We’ll guide you through the essentials of setting up a press, preparing type, and understanding what you can achieve with the historic craft of letterpress — from first inking to final print.
Along the way you’ll pick up practical advice on sourcing and caring for presses, explore the history of the craft, and learn techniques you can take into other print disciplines. You’ll experiment with different inking methods, explore type composition and layout, and handle type with the confidence that only comes from doing.
You’ll work directly with a selection of wood type from the museum’s collection to create:
· A one-off poster (or a few, if you get carried away)
· A customised notebook, hand-bound by you
· A small run of bespoke ephemera — greetings cards, notelets, calling cards, or whatever takes shape on the day
Across the two days you’ll print on the museum’s Farley proofing press and Adana 8x5 presses. And you may even pull a print from our 200-year-old Stanhope Press — once used by Eric Gill and the first example of a cast-iron press.
Expect the workshop to be full, focused, and wonderfully inky — and to leave with a selection of prints.
Includes Materials and Lunch
About the Workshop Leader
Tom Boulton studied typographic design at the London College of Printing then became a self-taught letterpress printer.
With over fifteen years of experience as a designer and printer, Tom has been commissioned by the likes of Tate Modern, Fortnum and Mason, Southbank Centre and The Design Museum. He has been featured in publications such as Creative Review, The Telegraph and Country Living, and has won a D&AD award.
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