Forty five years ago I worked on large offset presses as an apprentice, then as a feeder operator. Back then we viewed letterpresses as relics of the past. Then I bought a 10x15 Chandler & Price hand press and fell in love with the art of using it. When I finally retire from my job as an engineer/physicist, I think I'll buy another one. It's a beautiful art.

I started in 1976 as a Letterpress Comp, and do have an understanding of computers, and have enjoyed my trip! Loved this clip, many thanks...

I remember my trade and craft very well. My generation is nearly he last one to come into the trade in numbers here in the UK. During my apprenticeship I learned to have a very sharp eye for detail and colour. Quality always came before production speed. I'll never forget the smell of the ink, the coldness of the caseroom on a monday morning, the satisfaction of a job lying there drying. Nostalgic? Perhaps. Those were hard times too. The trade is all but gone but the craft hasn't - thankfully.

I worked over a dexcade in pre-press for offset printing and I found this delightful. Thank you. On a shelf in my livingroom I have three pieces of 'sort' as a reminder of the time I worked pre-press. Never used 'sort' but it stands to me as a symbol of the desire to produce good material for the pressmen and their machines.

There is nothing like a master craftsman. Letterpress like traditional bookbinding seems to be a dying craft. Fortunately today one can make DVD's to preserve the craft for future generations. Although making this type of documentary is a labour of love, it is worth doing. I shall take care of my old letterpress books and look on them with fresh eyes.

My father, Abelardo (rip '97), was a General Electric electrical/mechanical engineer from the 50's through to the 90's in Philadelphia, PA. Most of his career involved drawing with straight edge tools and his lettering was done by hand. I was always amazed at how he could print like type. It took him years to embrace the computer which he resisted for a while. This doc reminded me of that dedication...Art takes many forms indeed (just couldn't resist saying "indeed")...well done, thank you.

Thank you for making and posting this short documentary online. It is a joy to watch, and to listen to.

John and the good folks at Firefly are indeed masters of "traditional" letterpress - and a pleasure to work with to boot.

Nice video! I'm 30 and started in the printing business right after school (apprenticeship) and I'm glad they made me learn letterpress printing as well (it was on a Heidelberg windmill)

It won't die, but I like his attitude. There are so many young up and coming letterpress printers and private/small press bookartists who are preserving the craft. Plus, the internet has revived the trade somewhat. Handmade stuff (e.g. Etsy) is now de rigueur because it has found markets that it was previously insulated from. Letterpress is safe for another generation yet.

That is because real art cannot die. It is organic and immoral, and our heritage. What a gift.

thanks for this vedio. i remember my days. i was worked as a hand compositor and letter press machine minder. it was golden days in my life. till i love letter press printing process.

I would have to agree, this is a fine piece of journalism to share with everyone.

There are not many products of mechanical processes that can top a page of letterpress text for sheer beauty.

Spectacular! As a mixed media and monotype artists, I am stimulated to learn more about this craft to use in my work. For the love of paper and the written word in all it's glorious variation!! Thank you for this lovely, inspiring video.

Very beautiful. As a graphic designer, I wish more people would let me display the pure beauty of a typeface instead of using each print piece as an exercise in showmanship.

The video was as elegant as the subject. Masterful!

Great video man...I am a letterpress printer and am still happy doing it after a half of a century of working on those machines. You have to love the job to do it...

I trurly adore the video, especially the wonderfull shots of the prints. I am not sure why but it gives me butterflies, classic typography... Perhaps there is magic out there... i still believe

I find this video by links on links (u know that tend to happen) i wasn´t even looking 4 anything, just something to pass the time, so i watched it, and wow, i DO really like it. I never though i´d been unaware of something that beautiful, it´s just.... magic

and i still do this and im 34 years old. i imprint numbers, die cut business cards, emboss and deboss images. it is an art. sometimes the business end of it gets in the way and quality suffers. For the common invoice thats ok, but what he is doing is an art. beautiful, nothing else describes it.

I certainly hope people will remember. I am 29 and doing my part to keep it alive.

Thank you for keeping this art form alive. I came here looking for info about embossing and found myself pulled into the world of letter press.

It's unfortunatley said that skills that once thought us to do something so masterful are eventually need to retire.

Very nice job. It's so much fun to hear someone talk about something they're totally in to.

Certainly good for fast communications and volume, such as newspapers and magazines, but books are another matter. Although, some of the older newspapers contained beautiful color art work, which is collectible today.

Introduced to John by Bruce Kennett who advised on typography for MARVELS, the Life of Clarence Bicknell by Valerie Lester. Yes, Plimpton by W.A.Dwiggins on the front cover. I printed letterpress at the Winchester College Printing Society in the 60s in the UK and have loved the art ever since. Great to see molten lead making new sorts.

this was a beautiful and informative film, thank you Firefly, you are doing incredible work

Great job, really nice piece of work by the video-maker and great press work going on at Firefly, evidently. A really, really watchable, engaging bit of work, well done to all.

Excelente documental, excelente la manera como esta realizado y lo mejor: como el impresor disfruta su trabajo. no hay duda, lo antiguo siempre sera lo mejor.

Excellent video! It's very interesting and looks phenomenal. Thanks for posting it!

This kind of work attracts people with meticulous, and methodical methods. The very nature of the work requires it that mindset to one degree or another. There is a lot to keep track of and if you're not paying attention things could go wrong very quickly and that's expensive and even more time consuming.

just beautiful

awesome video and great talent!

Wonderful to see, Im an engraved printer (Die Stamper) We can create a letterpress look but letterpress can't create an engraved look, but both are timeless arts in there own right. search saville and otley you can see me on my press.Keep up the good work John.

foundry type is made from antimony, lead and tin - for durability. Monotype is lead and quite soft (relatively) - sorts are the characters you buy as extras (!+%?{}) when you buy a full font of type. Laypins (3.01) trays 3.05

Wonderful indeed

Why do I not work there?!! I love the old ways of doing things.

Interesting and valuable...but I'm unlikely to take up the next watch.

@sklanger too many "young up and coming..." have no idea about traditional letterpress. They print from plastic plates which isn't letterpress except that it dents the paper.

wow...really good the john updike title was amazing

what typeface is that 'Q' in the beginning!?!? that was the most beautiful Q ive ever seen

i don't think it will die either, i have a degree in graphic arts (which in my day is offset printing). add to that, that my father is a pressman and i've worked on everything from an AB dick 360 to a heidlberg letter press. The only thing i've never run is a foil press and that was because my dad felt that i was to young to run one (they get very hot to "burn" the foil to the paper). I miss printing, since xerox made full production copiers we pressmen haven't really been needed.

amazing... realy amazing, the real art of type

@MrFolette Letterpress sound is the most beautiful music!

beautiful!

It will NOT die.

Hi - I'm a letterpress printer/publisher. Would love to have that monotype caster! - I've got 100 plus trays of type but they're getting worn but have found a type foundry in SanFran. R.

I agree. And, I wouln't want to rely on any technology that can 'burn' books with the turn of a switch or pull of a plug. Nothing like having the real thing!

that was nice.

@CJEChurchill You set up all the letters at once in something called a frame, and print it one color at a time, by hand.

The visuals and voiceover are excellent, the guy is a little bit preachy but it's OK by me, he's probably a very nice guy. By the way, if you are ever in Scotland you must visit Robert Smail's Printing Works in Innerleithen. Google it for more info.

If you do not understand letterpress type setting you can never be a typographer. Just because you can do it on screen doesnt make it any better or worse. Setting type on screen is not an art form if you do not understand the rules of typography. The computer doesnt do it for you. It doesnt auto kern your letters etc.

Great video. No printing method is better. Rather they each have their own characteristics and advantages. The finished results can very as well. Screen printing is hands down the most versatile printing process however ;) Come get some Catspit~! ☠

no, it won't die!

Great subject amazing packaging!!! Sad fact that the letter press is dying and we cant do anything about it. Sorry Mr. Gutenberg :(

A single unit of type is a sort, make sure you keep enough on hand or you will be....out....of....sorts. OH SNAP! Who is the narrator? Sounds like buzz killington.

not if youre an expert letterpress printer like me it doesnt - it was those dudes who handset newspapers/books etc in the 18-19th century that had the big jobs - but when i was a younger man - a letterpress printer - we all had a job - before 'pooters took over -

They taught us this in print shop class in the 80s..then you graduated to sheet feed paper/poly plates. Now sadly our shop these machines just sit in the corners collecting dust. All digital now, so boring.

you set the letters in a setting stick, place them in a chase then lock it up in prep for makeready and printing - thegumtreepress.co.nz

Good god just use a damn photopolymer plate already.

"...people will no longer remember how to do it...." Well calligraphy is stil with us, so perhaps not.

Hola

If you want to see more of this subject, have a look at my website about hot metal printing in Edinburgh which is the website of 'The Adventures of the Gutenberg Boys'. Just Google The Gutenberg Boys.

@Gitsoe I agree - Chuck Kramer is self consciously stilted and snobby sounding. Too bad. It almost makes me hesitate sending this video to anyone who is new to letterpress as its so officious and pompous sounding.

great - but watching the handfeeding makes me cringe.. (there is no need to have to give the paper an extra push, one simple movement to feed in the paper is sufficient) I run a printshop with letterpresses as well..

The narrator is somewhat irritating - and that's good. Somehow it adds a bit of spice to the video - if you ever met someone like that in real life - highly interesting, very sure of himself, a bit preaching and a bit obnoxious. IMHO opinion it adds to the video.

a bit long - but hey guess that's the point : )

How do i contact with Proprietor?

Se parece a la máquina de cocer de mi abuela

What a shame the narrator is so irritating. Otherwise great vid

It will die eventually! I do not think that. This art does not belong in a museum. Simply of one fact. In the 19th century all morse code operators in America were experiencing the same event, "Electrocution" They didn't know it at the time but it was our own Sun to blame. God Speed to all art's

That was quite interesting, but the voiceover guy is pretty annoying. Letterpress is a beautiful thing though :)

you contradict yourself in the first and second sentence.

CANT STAND THE NARRARATORS STYLE OF TALKING THO hah ....cool vid tho

Es horrible el video