Welcome to Keith's list of letterpress classes! The letterpress classes listed here are offered at the Mass Art Press located at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Unless otherwise noted, these letterpress classes are taught by Keith Cross. The Bookarts and Letterpress class is team-taught with other faculty. Mailing List Hot Off the Press! Please join the mailing list if you're interested in being notified about upcoming letterpress classes taught by Keith Cross. Sign up! Video Mass Art Press is famous! Well, sorta. Boaz Sender created a series of short videos about classes at Mass Art and came by the shop to chat with myself and Peter Madden. Watch it! Fall 2009 Artists' Books Using Letterpress on a Vandercook Cylinder Press Create hand-made books incorporating your own letterpress printed text and imagery in MCA's new letterpress shop and book arts studio (Mass Art Press). You will learn to combine metal and wood type with ornaments and print with a variety of papers on a flatbed cylinder press. You will also gain insight into how to monoprint or edition your work with letterpress. A variety of traditional book bindings will be covered, all of which can be combined with your letterpress work to produce one-of-a-kind books, small editions or portfolios. Instructors: Keith Cross and Peter Madden Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm This course is offered through Continuing Education at the Massachusetts College of Art. Tell a friend! Letterpress (CDGD300) The letterpress class offers an introduction to hand set metal and wooden type, letterpress printing techniques, and limited edition printing on fine papers. Students will have the option of devising a theme for an exchange portfolio OR working on individual projects (subject to review). The exchange portfolio provides an opportunity for the students to receive a copy of each other's work and complete and edition of letterpress printed posters, broadsides or other format. The first class introduces the basics of hand typesetting with an "Exquisite Corpse" Poem workshop. Each student sets 1-2 lines of type, normally a simple quote, quip or idea made up on the spot. The combination of those lines of type comprise an impromptu poem. Results vary as students choose seemingly disparate ideas, and types, but soon see the interconnected practice of setting their thoughts into letters of a physical nature. The next five weeks of the letterpress class covers additional typesetting techniques and Vandercook flatbed cylinder press operation. The most intense class is called "Meet the Press". Letterpress class participants learn to ink the press, adjust pressure, adjust roller height, register and feed a sheet of paper, make an impression (or many!), and then clean the rollers with loving care. The second half of the course is all about producing the work. I meet with students to discuss direction and feasibility of design concepts in letterpress. Once a portfolio theme is chosen, students set their types and often carve linoleum, wood or sintra blocks. The Mass Art Press has four Vandercook presses: 2 SP15s, a Universal 1 and a 219 Old Style. The shop boasts over 350 cases of type in both metal and wood. Past themes and titles for the letterpress exchange portfolio include "Book Covers", "Zoo Posters", "Fantasy Rock Concert", "Relief", "Space Tourism" and "Anatomy of a Typeface". Each student can design and print whatever they want provided it fits some simple size specifications and have hand-set type in the design. Instructor: Keith Cross Schedule: Thursdays, 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm This course is offered through Continuing Education at the Massachusetts College of Art. Tell a friend!