Here is one of the functioning presses on hand at Art Center's Archetype Press. These machines weigh a ton and have lived many lives.

An advert for the Berlin based printing ink company of Druckfarben-Gesellschaft M.B.H in the seventh issue of "Buch - und - Werbekunst"/ Book & Advertising Art" published by the Leipzig concern of Der Offset-Verlag GMBH in 1930. The exotic advert is "Gedruckt mit unseren spezial-offsetfarben" - printed with our special offset inks and shows the shades of inks used.

Here's an old Heidelberg press. This machine is really old and it's a wonder to see it running. This is a fantastic example of this type of press.

Giovanni Blanco, Pdf Filandia, 2015, inchiostro calcografico su carta (monotipo), cm. 25 x 35 ciascuno. A Pieve a Presciano, Arezzo, per Madeinfilandia 2015.

Some great samples of the good work done by Art Center students over the years.

Giovanni Blanco, Pdf Filandia, 2015, inchiostro calcografico su carta (monotipo), cm. 25 x 35 ciascuno. A Pieve a Presciano, Arezzo, per Madeinfilandia 2015.

Here are two examples of book presses, one decidedly more modern looking than the other.

From the hallway lined with letterpress pieces. Most of them were cut so that they were the same size. I plan to include them in one of my future bookbinding projects.

This was sitting out on display on top of the type cases. Also, you can see some linotype examples. I have no idea what this says other than it's a beautiful blackletter typeface.

Giovanni Blanco, Pdf Filandia, 2015, inchiostro calcografico su carta (monotipo), cm. 25 x 35 ciascuno. A Pieve a Presciano, Arezzo, per Madeinfilandia 2015.

This piece I pulled through the Vandercook that was available for visitors to try out the press.

Years of printing ink buildup

This is a series of pieces that took quotes from old Western movies. But I think that "Damn your eyes" was from Young Frankenstein.

An article from the January 1936 issue of "Advertising Display & Press Publicity" magazine published by Buisness Publications Ltd. of London. The issue has an article on the introduction of the newly developed 'Monastral Blue' pigment developed and produced by the then giant ICI company - Imperical Chemical Industries. The company had been formed in 1926 by way of a merger of four of the UK's major chemical companies to attempt to stave off foreign competition that was seen to be aided by fragmentation in the UK industry. Monastral Blue was a major development in blue pigments being more 'fast' and stable. I recall the colour as it was used to describe the almost black colour used on the livery of Birmingham City Transport's buses; there must have been a lot of Monastral Blue in that shade to get it so deep.

Monastral Blue was used as a colour in printing ink and indeed as the advert shows the Mona Blue colour produced by ink manufacturer's Lorrilleux & Bolton Ltd. was used as the highlight colour throughout this issue of the magazine including the cover, by G R Morris, and L&B's own advert by Bernard Venables.

I took a few pieces. I plan to include them in one of my future bookbinding projects as covers or cover liners. They make a great impression.

Pyramid Atlantic, Silver Spring, Md.

This one was not for sale as I'm sure it would not have lasted. In either case, another example of what is possible with these old machine and antiquated processes.

Sun Chemical is the world's largest producer of printing inks and pigments. It was incorporated in 1945 and is located in Parsippany, New Jersey . The company has its roots as the Lorileaux Company in 1818, but was incorporated under the Sun name in 1945.

Waterview Corporate Centre - Waterview Boulevard in Parsippany, New Jersey -- Google Map

experimental monoprint (detail)

Sun Chemical is the world's largest producer of printing inks and pigments. It was incorporated in 1945 and is located in Parsippany, New Jersey . The company has its roots as the Lorileaux Company in 1818, but was incorporated under the Sun name in 1945.

Waterview Corporate Centre - Waterview Boulevard in Parsippany, New Jersey -- Google Map

There's some asterisks in the middle of the photo more or less. Really cool to see these letter that were made from a carved letterform at one point.

The cover from the January 1936 issue of "Advertising Display & Press Publicity" magazine published by Buisness Publications Ltd. of London. The issue has an article on the introduction of the newly developed 'Monastral Blue' pigment developed and produced by the then giant ICI company - Imperical Chemical Industries. The company had been formed in 1926 by way of a merger of four of the UK's major chemical companies to attempt to stave off foreign competition that was seen to be aided by fragmentation in the UK industry. Monastral Blue was a major development in blue pigments being more 'fast' and stable. I recall the colour as it was used to describe the almost black colour used on the livery of Birmingham City Transport's buses; there must have been a lot of Monastral Blue in that shade to get it so deep.

Monastral Blue was used as a colour in printing ink and indeed as the advert shows the Mona Blue colour produced by ink manufacturer's Lorrilleux & Bolton Ltd. was used as the highlight colour throughout this issue of the magazine including the cover, by G R Morris, and L&B's own advert by Bernard Venables.

Silk screen mesh on the stretching machine

Here's an example of the movable type locked into the bed of the press. This was the type that we were all able to pull a print of on that night. Cool to see the lead slabs that are used to lock the composition onto the bed of the type.

One of many type cases that are available to students of

We all got a chance to pull a print off one of the ancient Vandercook presses. They had a composition already set up for people to try the presses. Of course, we were supervised by someone who knew what they were doing.

Here is a great sample of a letterpressed alphabet that is on display inside the work room.

An open space to work, below the type cases and above extra pieces of lead and spacers for between letters.

A loose letter. Looks like Eurostile. We weren't allowed to open up the type case drawers so it was nice to get a sneak peek.

Here are a couple of giant sized type blocks under a big lighted Typesetting sign. Not sure where that came from but it found a great home here.

You can see some great examples of loose type. The upper case U and the ampersand are clearly visible in this photo.

The rather fine advert on the back cover of the "Dresden" issue of Gebrauchsgraphik in 1925 and for the company who had printed the covers for this issue. Sadly I cannot identify the "PK" on the key who I suspect is the designer but as well as announcing the various printing processes the company undertook at Mohnstrasse 25, Dresden N22, and that included lithography and offset as well as the various types of products they specialised in it gives a description of the "Planeta" press used. This was supplied by the Dresden-Leipziger Schnellpressenfabrik A.G.; the inks came from E.T. Gleitsmann and the card from J. C. Kayser, both again from Dresden.

The stylised bird is very bold and the lettering is equally distinctive.

restaurant commission piece 2 also produced in the roof space and the same size

Ink used in the production of screen printed ceramic products.

Some great samples of the good work done by Art Center students over the years.

Here are some more examples of work done on the presses in this very room.

In this photo you can see the bright red paper cutter along with a display of some type pieces and a few Vandercook presses.

Some great samples of the good work done by Art Center students over the years.

Ink used for screen printing onto ceramics.

Some great samples of the good work done by Art Center students over the years.

This is a photo of the work available for purchase on the day of the event. Some great type compositions.