Today we are pleased to bring you an interview with Kyle Durrie, letterpress printer and road warrior extraordinaire! We first heard about Kyle’s project, Moveable Type, a while back when she approached us asking if we would like to host her on the San Francisco stop of her epic cross-country letterpress printing adventure. The answer was a resounding yes. We are big fans of innovation, ambition, and letterpress love over here at SFCB, so Kyle’s project really gets our hearts pounding. Without further ado, tales from Kyle Durrie! Drum roll, please…

Kyle helming her 1982 Chevy, converted into a mobile letterpress shop.

So, first off, how’s life on the road & traveling in a print shop? What’s been your favorite moment so far?

So far, so good! I’m definitely still working out the kinks of this whole thing, but I’m feeling really good in my new work space.  I’m really “into” tiny spaces and mobile lifestyles, so this has been kind of a dream come true. Driving the rig is another story, but I’m getting more comfortable and confident with that every day.

There have been a couple after-hours impromptu printing jams where I’ve found myself hanging out in the truck with a few other folks well after the “official” event has ended. To me, this is what this project is all about: meeting awesome people, collaborating on a project, and sharing our experiences and stories.

How did you first get started printing & what made you fall in love with it?

I took my first class about five years ago on a whim – I was unemployed and looking for something to do, so I enrolled in a letterpress class.  Within the first 15 minutes, I was smitten and started day dreaming about running my own press some day.  The timing was just right for me – I had been drawing and exhibiting for my first few years out of school, but then I hit a creative wall.  My brain had started to overpower my hand, and I started to over think every mark and gesture that I made.  I was looking for a way to reconnect with my hands and be creative without being stifled by what was going on upstairs – for me, printing offered just that.  Of course, now that I’ve explored it much further, I see printing not as something that’s been divorced from a conceptual or intellectual practice, but as a happy marriage of mind and body. The following year, determined to really dive in and become a better printer, I packed up and moved to Asheville, NC for an apprenticeship.  It was here that I really improved my printing chops, learned about managing a small business, and started laying the groundwork for my own printshop – Power and Light Press, est. 2009.

How did you come up with the idea for Moveable Type?

The idea had been kicking around in my head kind of abstractly for a couple years.  I’ve always been really into road trips, and I try to go on a big adventure every year, whether it’s cross country or through the Southwest.  But I always seemed to be rushing back home to get back to work.  My partner is a musician and he tours a lot.  Sometimes I go with him. I began to pay more attention to how he travels – how he’ll just drive into a new town, explore new places, meet people, and share his music with them. I started thinking that there must be a way I can do that sort of thing, too.  Maybe my printing doesn’t just have to happen at home, maybe it can happen all over the place!  Sure, the equipment is heavy and bulky, but people travel with heavy stuff all the time, and it’s not like I’m trying to fit a 2000 lb press in the truck – I’ve got smaller presses! And so, while traveling with the band last summer, I started to figure it all out.

So, what kind of presses and equipment do you have in the truck?

I’ve got a mid-20th-century (not sure of the exact date) sign press, or proof press. It was a very generous sponsor gift from Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum and came out of an old Sears that closed down near the museum in Wisconsin. These presses were often used in department stores to print posters and advertisements. This press is my workhorse. I also have a dainty and beautiful 1873 Golding Official No. 3 tabletop platen press. I just got this press up and running after sitting idle for years. It still needs a little love, but it’s printing surprisingly well considering its age and previous condition. And then I’ve got a motley assortment of type – some random wood type and larger metal for printing posters, and 6 or 7 fonts of smaller lead type. I’ve also been generously sponsored by Dale Guild Type Foundry to help spread that word that yes, people are still casting new type! They gave me some gorgeous newly-cast type and ornaments, which I’m very excited about.

Gleeful printers.

What was the biggest challenge in getting started?

Everything came together pretty organically at the beginning. The planning and fundraising (kickstarter.com made this all happen – thank you, Kickstarter!) went really well, and I even got a ton of booking done way back in February. But it was building out the truck that became the biggest challenge. I bought the truck and then I kind of stalled, unsure of how to proceed with insurance, registration, demolition, fabrication, and repairs. I waited waaaay too long to get started on the actual tear-out of the previously existing interior of the truck, and so the entire build-out process was really rushed and expensive. That said, it all came together in the end and I couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.

What kind of printing goodness do you hope to spread in the places you’re visiting?

I’m really excited about sharing letterpress printing with folks who have never experienced it before. I don’t expect everyone to be interested in it, but I do think there’s something very compelling about the history and the equipment and the process – it’s exciting to see it for the first time. I also think it’s exciting to share the process with people who are already familiar with letterpress – it kind of demystifies the process and makes the end result seem less precious.

Say you’re held in captivity & you can only print one thing for the rest of your life. What would it be?

Wood type, red ink.

L: Look at all that type! R: Red balloon denotes Printing Good Times Here.

Lastly, when will you be gracing San Francisco with that beautiful 1982 Chevy step van of yours? What can we hope to print & where can learn more about your printing & traveling adventures?

I’ll be setting up shop at the SFBC on Saturday, July 9th from noon-6pm. I’ll be setting up something fun on the press and inviting folks hang out in the truck and try their hand at pulling some prints. I’ll probably also do some collaborative type setting if people are interested in designing their own posters. If you can’t make it to that event, I’ll also be doing a thing at the Curiosity Shoppe on Friday night, July 8th from 5-9pm.

For more info about the Moveable Type project, please visit www.type-truck.com or follow on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks, Kyle! We can’t wait to host you here at SFCB on July 9th!