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Chad Pastotnik, Deep Wood Press

~ Fine letterpress and intaglio printing ~ Celebrating 30 years in 2022

Chad Pastotnik, Deep Wood Press

Tag Archives: book arts

A Return to Process and Dialogue

11 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Deep Wood Press in Books, Education, Equipment, Letterpress, Oak Knoll Fest, Printing

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

book arts, Chad Pastotnik, Deep Wood Press, education, Letterpress, Linotype, Oak Knoll Fest, Printing

First off, having recently returned from a most encouraging showing of my books at Oak Knoll this past week, I must say thank you to many who have followed this blog and whose friendships I continue to make and cement in the “real” world. I was amazed how many mentioned reading this or the social media bits of DWP’s online presence and I feel I must apologize for this blog having turned more into a PR tool or travelogue. It was my intention from the beginning for this to be more about process and dialogue. So let’s begin again and I will attempt to stay more on track though I will still mention new work or events but direct you to other sources for more details. This will be a somewhat longer post to get things rolling.

type hand-set on a curve

type hand-set on a curve

Dialogue – what is letterpress printing?

At these events and exhibits I have the pleasure of the company of fellow printers as well as a cultivated relationship with private and institutional collectors of my books. It is with interest I have noted a recurring theme of discussion which has been raging in the fine press world for over two decades but it seems the buying public is just starting to wonder: What is letterpress printing? Allow me a couple of paragraphs to cover the general process and history, neither exhaustive or fully concise:

  By definition I suppose it is printing from a relief surface via letterpress. Letterpress is a term that has only come into existence really in the past 50 years and has morphed into both verb and noun use. Prior to this time it was the only widely used reproductive process as innovated by Gutenberg in the 15th century and it was merely “printing” and those who printed were “Printers” Today, those of us who continue the tradition, draw on this legacy for better or worse.

  Gutenberg’s legacy is that of the matrix from which type is cast in a mould. Type is something you can pick up with your fingers and compose into words, form sentences, paragraphs and pages with. It is the famous “26 soldiers of lead” which conquers ignorance and tyrants. Type remained in this form until the late 19th century when machine composition became a possibility with the technology and resources made available by the industrial revolution and manifested by Monotype composition casting equipment and the Linotype and Intertype line casting innovations. Both of these new means of putting words into page form allowed for composition to be done via a keyboard and then cast into type metal from that action to form the composed page. With this innovation and increase in production some compromise was made in typography as compared to hand composition but refinements could be used to help negate and bridge the narrow gap. This technology remained in place essentially until the 1980’s with the advent of the ease of modern desktop publishing with the dark days of film composition enjoying a thankfully brief stay in the 60’s-70’s.

So why is the question being asked now – what is letterpress printing? What is new now and not part of the 500-year-old tradition of printing is the advent of polymer plate printing. Arguably this technology is what may have saved letterpress from near death and made it accessible and popular with small presses offering wedding invitations, business identities, packaging, ephemera and – books. Printing from plates is relatively easy and they are created predominantly on computers. No knowledge of the history or the art of printing is necessary nor are many of the skills ingrained in producing printing with metal types needed.

Nearly everyone with a computer can compose text, add illustration and even make a book. True also that anyone given a box of paint and a brush can paint a picture. The quality of the product created is the sum of the individual’s understanding of the process, their artistic abilities, level of craftsmanship and, I would add, their understanding of the history of their craft and those who shaped it. There are countless programs now in higher education across the US, the UK and beyond teaching letterpress and book arts courses in degree programs and, thankfully, almost all of them start teaching students the basics of hand typography – assembling type you can pick up from cases and composing the project as has been done since Gutenberg. The polymer machine sits in the corner biding it’s time and offering sweet promise of relative ease and speedy efficiency to be utilized later.

I fully acknowledge that now, at this point in time, it is very difficult to assemble a letterpress shop. The machines, fonts of type and supporting industry revolving around letterpress ceased to exist in the 60’s for the most part. Twenty two years ago when I started printing book forms I received the bulk of my equipment for free or little money merely to make room in more progressive established print shops for more storage or that new all-in-one color laser/dye sub/inkjet thing that did 90% of what their customers wanted. What is left now of the equipment is often quite expensive to purchase and, while type still exists, it is not the sturdy foundry type of the days of old and still commands a premium prices as well. Printing from plates also has the potential of producing work of the highest quality indistinguishable from metal type except maybe for being “too perfect” – not a guarantee but full potential if used by a typographer and designer skilled in better than average desktop publishing software.

linotype and hand set composition on the press
hand set type form on press
polymer plate going on a press

WHAT IS LETTERPRESS PRINTING?

Is it merely printing from a raised surface? Or is it more?

What is it to you? To what do you give value?

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Off to Oak Knoll Bookfest XVIII

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Deep Wood Press in Book Bindings, Books, Broadsides, Fine Press Book Association, Heart of Darkness, If by Rudyard Kipling, Ladislav Hanka, Letterpress, Oak Knoll Fest, PR and Media releases, Saturnalia, The Intruder, The Mad Angler Poems, The Mad Angler's Manifesto, The Path, The Trout in Winter

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

book arts, Books, Broadside, Chad Pastotnik, Deep Wood Press, Delaware, fine press books, Letterpress, literature, New Castle, Oak Knoll Fest, Wood Engraving

This weekend, Oct 3rd-5th, I will be in New Castle, Delaware for Oak Knoll Fest XVIII. I ‘ll have plenty of my books, broadsides and a bit of ephemera along with me so if you are so inclined to make a journey to this little village that time forgot (George Washington slept here) come to the fest for a weekend of fine books from 39 other fine press printers from around the world.

The theme this year is “Craftsman to Collector: Selling and Buying the Fine Press Book.” Printers, librarians, booksellers, and collectors will discuss that theme in a free symposium (registration required) on Friday, focusing on the various avenues printers can use to share their work with the world.

The book fair follows on Saturday and Sunday. See this year’s exhibitors, including 40+ printers from North America and Europe, here.

We will also host talks by John Randle of the Whittington Press, Carolee Campbell of the Ninja Press, and Oak Knoll Books owner Bob Fleck, each speaking their own experiences in the world of books.

Here are some of the special goodies that I’ll be bringing along with me for the trip, the tan leather book with the fish is the only binding I didn’t do myself, it was done by Don Etherington:

Presentation binding for John Smith book
Don Etherington binding of The Intruder
Don Etherington binding of The Intruder

deluxe binding of The Intruder

"The Intruder" cover


fanned book
Opening spread from Changeling's Exile
Cover of The Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, versified by Clara Dotty Bates.


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New book: “The Path” by Sigrid Christiansen

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by Deep Wood Press in Books, Letterpress, Printing, The Path

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

book arts, fine press books, multi color linoleum cut, Sigrid Christiansen

Well I’ve been a slacker as far as posting on this blog and updating the website but I have been busy here in the shop. Here are some pics of the latest book which has been completed just earlier this week.

the linoleum blocks for “The Path” center spread


a galley of hand set and line caster slugs

More details and pictures of the completed book forthcoming.

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Categories

Ripping Oblivion
Ripping Oblivion
Tree (1991)
img_6385
Tedprize
Glenn's intaglio plate
Glenn’s intaglio plate
img_6380
MoonTitle
img_6376
final print comb 5
intruder-calf-low
img_7436
cover
fanned book
Deluxe copy of The Intruder
The Frogs Who Wished a King
If
If
kirkcover
top
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, regular edition binding
Heart of Darkness
title page from Heart of Darkness
Title page from Heart of Darkness
open box
IMG_7418
prototype for deluxe edition of "The Intruder"
Deluxe edition prototype
intruder-calf-low
Cover for The Changeling's Exile
The Changeling’s Exile
Deluxe copy of Heart of Darkness
Deluxe copy of The Intruder
Hand set type and border material for Deep Wood Press promotional item.
Title Page
Title Page
IMG_3901
MAonbox
a pile
a pile
Trout spread
Trout page spread
Deluxe Mad Angler Poems
intruder-trout-low
Kafka page spread detail
Don Etherington binding of The Intruder
Don Etherington binding of The Intruder
JPEG image-E3D0B7CFE94E-1
Some books produced at Deep Wood Press
Some books produced at Deep Wood Press. The John Barth book “Browsing” was printed here at DWP for The Literary House Press (Washington College, MD) by James Dissette, my sometimes partner in crime in printing for Chester River Press.
IMG_6027
The Path
The Path
img_010373-1
Saturnalia
Saturnalia
Deluxe Mad Angler Poems detail
intruder-calfspinelow
cover shot
Deluxe copy of The Path
Opening spread from Changeling's Exile
scripta-l
Badger c
Cover of The Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, versified by Clara Dotty Bates.
deluxe binding of The Intruder
deluxe binding of The Intruder
drinky coaster
spine label detail
spine label detail
opening spread for the Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop
Opening spread for the Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, intaglio engravings by Chad Pastotnik.
Along with Youth by Ernest Hemingway broadside
Along with Youth
Center Spread
Center Spread
img_010339
type hand-set on a curve
type hand-set on a curve
scripta2-l
Green Man (1994)
"The Intruder" cover
The Intruder
path2-l
Don Etherington binding of The Intruder
Don Etherington binding of The Intruder
TreeAngle
Glenn's remark
Glenn’s remark
"The Intruder" cover
Deluxe Mad Angler
IMG_6035
Pile of books
Pile of Intruders
JSspread
troutsm
Page spread from The Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, versified by Clara Dotty Bates.
Page spread from The Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, versified by Clara Dotty Bates.
Custom bound journal, commissioned work
Custom bound journal, commissioned bindery work
Cover detail
detail of “The Intruder” cover
CD packaging
CD packaging
the linoleum blocks for "The Path" center spread
the linoleum blocks for “The Path” center spread
kirktitle
Cover for the book There Be Monsters
There Be Monsters.
Deluxe copy of The Changeling's Exile
Deluxe copy of The Intruder
The 6th etching for the book, "Entitled"
The 6th etching for the book, “Entitled”
The Trout in Winter
The Trout in Winter
IMG_0805
Title page from Killing the Bear by Judith Minty
Title page from Killing the Bear by Judith Minty
Deluxe copy of Heart of Darkness
front cover
Wind prom
spine title
intruder-erin-low
Deluxe copy of The Path
Messing about in boats
Bower by Terrance Hayes
Bower by Terrance Hayes
Chained books at Chetham's Library in Manchester, England where I was a keynote speaker at a letterpress conference.
Chained books at Chetham’s Library in Manchester, England where I was a speaker at a letterpress conference.
coverspread
If detail
IMG_7440
Page spread from The Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, versified by Clara Dotty Bates.
Page spread from The Frogs Who Wished A King by Aesop, versified by Clara Dotty Bates.
Opening spread for There be Monsters
Opening spread for There be Monsters
The Mad Angler's Manifesto
The Mad Angler’s Manifesto
Caxtonupspine
IMG_6061
Killing the Bear by Judith Minty, deluxe edition binding & slipcase
Killing the Bear by Judith Minty, deluxe edition binding & slipcase
1,000 Artist's Books
1,000 Artist’s Books
IMG_6040
Killing the Bear by Judith Minty
Killing the Bear
img_010375
the process
the process
hodspine
Opening spread for Minisens
Opening spread for Minisens
Spread from Heart of Darkness
Spread from Heart of Darkness
Where_they_rund
Presentation binding for The Chesapeake Voyages of Captain John Smith
Presentation binding for The Chesapeake Voyages of Captain John Smith
mosters title page
Title page for the book There Be Monsters
IMG_6015
smithtitle
A printed sheet next to the type form
A printed sheet next to the type form
smithspinebx
smithcolormap
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Book Bindings Books Breon Mitchell - Franz Kafka Broadsides CODEX Equipment Fine Press Book Association Future Projects In the Penal Colony Letterpress Linotype Mad Parrot Press Manhattan Fine Press Book Fair Moon as Bright as Water Oak Knoll Fest PR and Media releases Printing The Hunter Gracchus The Intruder The Mad Angler's Manifesto The Path The Wind in the Willows Trout Vladimir Zimakov Workshop

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