Instructor Spotlight: Sara Brobston

What is letterpress printing?

Letterpress printing is how Gutenberg printed his Bible and how books were printed for centuries after Gutenberg. It's a technique for printing where raised surfaces are inked and pressed on a piece of paper.

Whatever you want to print has to be typeset. Each letter, symbol, space, etc. must be aligned by hand. Once you have set your type and locked everything you want in place, you apply the ink. After inking, paper is placed on top. Finally, to transfer the ink to the paper, pressure is needed, which comes from the printing press. For example, in Special Collections we have a screw press that applies pressure by lowering a board onto the type via a screw.

How were you first introduced to letterpress?

I was introduced to letterpress printing through my job at Tisch Library Special Collections. One day Chris Barbour, head of Special Collections, asked me if I wanted to learn how to print. I, of course, said yes, and he told me to pick my favorite quote. After much deliberation I chose "Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!" by John Keats and got to printing.

What inspired you to teach this course?

Part of my job is to be a letterpress instructor to anyone who wants to learn. We have workshops and open hours for learning how to print. This course is meant to take this further and have a more formalized class about letterpress printing. Students will have extended hands-on time where they get to learn the ins and outs of printing and connect with the process deeply.

What do you hope students will take away from your course?

I hope students will take away not only an appreciation for slow and intentional creation, but a love for it. I still have my first print, and while it may not be the best I have ever made, I cherish it. Effort and intentionality are becoming less prioritized in our world of constant technological advancements to maximize ease and efficiency. This class, and craft in general, requires patience, attention, time, etc. Producing something in this way lends itself to more meaningful creations. They will learn the printing process and hopefully take away an understanding of the work that went into printing early books. (And some cool, personal prints!)

Sara Brobston is a senior majoring in Ancient World Studies and Biology.