Letterpress Studio
The UT Letterpress Studio is a joint project of the graphic design and printmaking programs at UT for creative research, collaborative projects, and instruction. The facility includes a SP-15 Vandercook (15 x 17 inch bed) and Challenge Press (20 x 30 inch bed) as well as a large inventory of type. The studio provides tutorials in letterpress printing to both graduate and undergraduate students at the university and, since 2016, has made it possible for students in studio art, graphic design, architecture, creative writing and other disciplines to work on books and broadsides created through letterpress. Additionally, the facility has been used as a resource and teaching tool for a variety of classes at the university.
You must attend a tutorial in order to have access to the shop. When working in the studio, you will need to bring vinyl or latex gloves, an apron, paper cut to size, a small notebook or sketchbook, and a pencil.
The UT Letterpress Studio is open to UT students, faculty, and staff by appointment in Room 335A in the Art and Architecture Building.
Letterpress Resources
Those coming to work in the UT Letterpress Studio are asked to study this article on The California Job Tray and to watch the following videos:
American Letterpress: The Art of Hatch Show Print (7:59)
Jim Sherraden talks about the work of Hatch Show Press in Nashville, Tennessee.
An Introduction to Letterpress Printing with Mr. Smith (7:34)
Typography artist Kelvyn Laurence Smith shows letterpress printing at his workshop in Kennington, London.
Jim Escalante: Cleaning the Press (3:02)
Jim Escalante: How to Apply Ink (3:41)
Learning Typesetting (10:20)
An instructional video from 1959 showing how to set type from a California job case using a composing stick and proper methods to return type back into the tray.
Additional resources on letterpress may be found at the Letterpress Commons: https://letterpresscommons.com
Hours and Access
Letterpress Open Hours
Monday— 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday— 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday – 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday— 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
