Workshop Fee (includes materials fee): $700
The scholarship for this class has been awarded.
 

Masks are no longer required for most workshops, though anyone is welcome to wear one if they wish.

Cylinder Core Certificate Program

The hand-fed cylinder proof press, also known as the Vandercook press, has a special place in both print history and in teaching book arts. Immediate and accessible, yet nuanced and specific, it is the press that introduced many of us to letterpress. The four class Cylinder Core Certificate Program allows students to move quickly through the press basics while also addressing relief printing in general. Students who finish the four Core classes are qualified to rent press time as well as move on to more advanced classes and techniques.

Cylinder Core 1 :: Experience Letterpress! 

Dig in to the tradition and history of letterpress printing and get your hands dirty. Learn about the process and practice of setting type, mixing inks and pulling impressions. In this class you will learn how to print your own cards! 

Cylinder Core 2 :: Power of the Broadside

Build your letterpress skills: learn advanced justification, typesetting, and composition. Put it all together to print a broadside of your own design.

Cylinder Core 3 :: Posterized

Develop your letterpress design skills and aesthetic while increasing your letterpress versatility: learn to set up the press, refine your registration skills, and run an edition. Learn more about packing, roller height, and make-ready. Come ready to run an edition of your own small poster.

Cylinder Core 4 :: Digital into Analog

Bring digital back into analog in this final core course and learn to print from photopolymer plates. Apply your letterpress skills to artwork created digitally to make fantastic plates for printing. Walk away with a stationary suite: a coordinated set of notecards, letter sheets, and envelopes.

>> Prerequisite: None <<

Materials to Bring: None. All tools and materials will be provided.

Date & Time: Tuesday-Friday, May 21-24, 2024 :: 9:30am-5:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

NOTE: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close approximately three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. We recommend you not wait to register, as workshops that don't meet our minimum enrollment will be canceled, sometimes as much as a week in advance.
 

About the Instructor | Thea Sizemore (she/her)

Thea Sizemore has been a letterpress printer, artist and instructor for over 20 years. She holds BFA in printmaking with emphasis on book arts from the California College of the Arts with additional studies at Cleveland Institute of Art.

As founder of Kavamore Press, a custom letterpress and design studio in South Berkeley, Thea works with private clients and various artists to create ephemera for projects including some for the Carpenter Center for the Arts at Harvard, The Guggenheim and the SFMOMA. In recent years, Thea's personal work has focused on projects that use the power of print to connect and engage community including a mail art project called “Social Media Snail Mail”, an ongoing series of free letterpress posters and public printing protest events. To view more of her work, visit kavamorepress.com

Past Student Reviews:

“Thea truly is a Press Maven. She has so many tips and troubleshooting ideas that she is so generous with. Not only is she clear with instructions but she is very patient and makes sure to touch base with all students throughout the class.”

“Thea is incredible!!! I will be checking out the schedule for future classes with her. We had a bunch of different personalities/working styles/strengths in the class and she did a great job balancing everyone's needs.”

“Thea is clearly full of a wealth of expertise and experience, but her sense of humor and laid back demeanor made it very easy to approach her with questions.”

“Thea was kind and knowledgable! She took time to make sure we all were following along and graciously stopped for questions as they popped up. Thea created a fun and inviting learning environment - thoroughly enjoyed it!”