The current project is an exert from John Voelker’s (pen name Robert Traver) Trout Madness, the chapter titled “The Intruder”. The book includes ten wood engravings by Jim Westergard and a foreword by Richard F. Vander Veen.

Printed on dampened Hahnemühle Schiller stock, composed in Linotype Janson 14 pt type with 3 pt leading on a 8×10″ page size in an edition of 150 books.

I’ve been working on this book for close to a year already with the earliest page spreads composed almost 2 years ago. Today we commenced the actual printing of the book. Yesterday it all began with the paper being prepared — cut to size from the parent sheets on the guillotine, counted and then the first folio (160 sheets) dampened and placed in a big plastic bag in anticipation of ink finally going on the press today.

Printing went well with the capable assistance of this years star apprentice, Erin Murray. Sheets are pulled from the damp bag, run through the press and placed back into another bag by Erin. After completion of one side of the sheet the press is set up for the second side printing. This time it comes from the damp bag, run on the press and then placed between blotter paper layers by Erin to ensure even drying.

And so it will go for the next 20 days as we print one folio at a time. No rush for the pursuit of however close we can come to perfection.