Cylinder Core Certificate Program

The handfed 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. Click here to learn more about the Core Certification Program and find out how you receive a discount.

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!

Competencies Gained:

• Knowledge:

  • Introductory history of the art and craft of relief printing

  • How letterpress printing works

• Skills:

  • Introduction to the type case, composition and the composing stick

  • Introduction to studio practices

  • Pulling a print

• Equipment:

  • Introduction to the cylinder (Vandercook) press and safety points

  • Movable type and cuts

All paper for SFCB's Core Certificate Program projects has been generously provided by Mohawk.

Materials to Bring: None

Prerequisite: None; optional: Introduction to Letterpress

Workshop + Materials Fee: $200.00

Date & Time: Sunday, September 30, 2018 :: 9:30am-5:30pm

Location: This workshop will take place at 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Note: Please read the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class

REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START DATE OF THIS WORKSHOP.

About the Instructor | Mary Laird

Mary Risala Laird, MFA printmaking, University of Wisconsin, Madison, has been doing letterpress books since 1969 as Quelquefois Press. She partnered in Perishable Press Limited editions from 1969-84. Ms. Laird has taught letterpress at San Francisco State University, Kala Institute in Berkeley, Naropa University, and at the San Francisco Center for the Book as well as workshops in Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Washington state. For fifteen years she worked with the entire 7th grade class as a guest artist, making handmade journals. Her focus in printing is poetry. She binds the editions she prints.  Her work is in many collections across the country, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, Library of Congress, UW Madison, the British Library, Yale, University of Washington, and UC Santa Cruz. She has three grown children, lives in Berkeley with her husband John Malork. 

Past Student Reviews:

“I liked how hands on everything was and how Mary explained everything clearly.” 

“I loved the class and am looking forward to getting more experience with typography and with language as an aesthetic.”

“The joy Mary takes in letterpress is infectious. I also like how she manages to blend a calm groundedness with exacting attention to detail.”

Customize Your Certificate Program :: Choose the Date of Your Next Class

Cylinder Core 2 :: Power of the Broadside