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​Vandercook Maintenance & Print Finesse Workshop

Vandercook Maintenance & Print Finesse Workshop

Porchlight Press, along with the Vancouver Letterpress League (letterpressleague.ca), presents Paul Moxon, Vandercook and letterpress expert, as the guest workshop lecturer.

Workshop Details

Date & Time: Saturday, January 18 & Sunday January 19 |9:30am-5:30pm (45min lunch break – lunch not provided)

Workshop + Materials Fee: $175

Location: Porchlight Press - # 204 25 6th Avenue East Vancouver, BC

Materials to bring: students can bring photos, press manuals, parts from presses needing work, troublesome plates, inks and papers to experiment with in class.

Workshop Content:

On the first day of this two-day intermediate-level printer workshop, participants will learn all the points of maintenance, cleaning, and lubrication so as to be prepared for potential problems and make or direct repairs on Vandercook presses. Along with covering Porchlight’s No. 4, SP-15, and Universal Vandercook presses, we will also discuss all models of interest and other brands as warranted. Bring your questions, photos and/or broken parts.

Day two focuses on problem solving and improving the technical quality of your presswork. With a focus on production printing using proof presses we will closely examine the control of inking, cylinder packing, proper height of plates, form imposition, lockup and registration aids. By standardizing materials (as much as possible) we will do “minimum makeready” to achieve maximum results — just like Vandercook intended. Bravely bring examples of your worst printing to critique in class.

Registration:

There are only very limited spots available so please reserve by e-mailing [email protected]. Workshop fees must be paid in advance to Porchlight Press by Wednesday January 15th 4pm or your spot will be offered to the next person on the waitlist.

Payment can be done :

In person (cash, cheque, debit, or credit card) at Porchlight Press during business hours

On the phone (credit card). Call Porchlight Press at 604-790-7202

Online (credit card) via Paypal here.

Note: Payment by credit card will be subject to 2.9% service fee.

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About Paul Moxon:

Paul Moxon (MFA, MLIS) is a studio letterpress printer publishing limited edition books and broadsides under the imprint Fameorshame Press. He is the author of Vandercook Presses: Maintenance, History and Resources, moderator ofvandercookpress.info, and an itinerant letterpress instructor. Paul is also website editor in chief for the American Printing History Association, a recent Newberry Fellow, and a former Rare Books School Fellow.

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Special thanks:

A very special thanks to Heather Braun, proprietor of Porchlight Press, for graciously hosting this workshop and allowing the use of her Vandercook presses.