Danny,
thanks for posting this beautiful little gem on letterpress. It says everything I feel about letterpress and says it so wonderfully well. (And it is beautifully shot.) Now I can send people to this film when they don't get it.

Hard edged cynic that I am, my eyes welled up at the end, however, when they talked about letterpress dying. I've been very fortunate in my life to live in a time when things were still done this way, and then of course the commercial offset presses and now the digital age. (I have to admit that I set things digitally and have them sent out to be cast if someone asks me to design a letterpress piece, so I'm not a purist.)

I feel grateful, everyday, that something so important to me has grown in such a way. My thoughts about printing are tied into my thoughts about the U.S. and the Revolution, and penny broadsides, and underground papers, and zines, and freedom of speech, the spreading of information and knowledge: all in ways I can't even begin to articulate.

And then there's that level of beauty in letterpress.

So when they talked about it dying I was sad, but I also felt a wonderful sense of freedom when the printer says, "I'm only responsible for my watch. I'm thankful everyday that I get to do this."

It makes this a wonderful film about life as well. While you are only responsible for your watch what you do with that time is important. Passionate dedication to something beautiful with gratitude; it's inspiring.

I hope people see this film and support local letterpress printers by buying their work, hiring them for work, and supporting the organizations where this type of work is still fostered. In Minnesota we have the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. I know there are other such centers across the country. The talent of the printers using the facilities at MCBA is incredible. Their work is for sale. Beautiful editions begging to be held, read, and savored for the thoughts they contain and the physical beauty they exude.

Maybe this film might even encourage some people to walk into such centers and learn letterpress!

Thanks for drawing my attention to this film. I have to go off now and be grateful.

Roz

Thanks so much for this beautiful piece! I love how the type jumps from the page. I am saddened that the letter press is dying, just as I am sad about film slowly dying. That guy does beautiful type work.
It's a true art, isn't it?

Thanks Danny, what a beautiful film! Love this quote:

"Real production press men could be doing 2000 impression and hour, but we've never been in that much of a hurry!"

Gotta love the zen in that!

Beautiful

Love it!

I loved this film so much I bought one of your books. Thanks for posting it.