I Need Help Fixing a Vandercook.

Yesterday I went on a little bike ride to the University of Louisville with a side bag full of my work at Hatch Show Print to show my professor. We were all talking about the work, and letterpress printing and then he took me into a small storage room off the side of the Graphic Design rooms and under ceiling tiles and light bulbs was a Vandercook!

Another professor came down and looked at my work and the two of them began making plans to bring out the press, or at least uncover it, get it working, and make that little storage room a room for letterpress. They want my help in revitalizing the press, but I don't know where to even begin to look for resources. I checked out Briar Press a little bit, but couldn't find too much about DIY repairs of presses.

SO I thought that since 5 people at least are reading this, maybe one of you might know of locations on the web or otherwise, that would offer info about printing press repair. I did find a PDF of the manual that comes with a Universal I and a Universal III, but I think I might be working with a Universal II. It is just really hard to tell with it being buried under all that other stuff.

Win a Very Short Version of a Hatch Show Print Internship!

As a part of the Fossil collaboration with Hatch Show Print and other artists, Fossil is giving away a chance to go to Nashville and make your very own Hatch Show Print. I find it interesting that a place like Hatch is taking part in a contest, but I also love the fact that a chance to work in a print shop and make art is a prize. So I approve.

In some ways it is like you are winning a very short version of the Hatch Show internship. Instead of sending a coverletter, resume, going through the interview process, finding a place to live for a few months, and using all your savings to work for free, you just go to the website, and fill out the contest form. I'm not dissing it by far, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I was wondering actually if I am eligible to win since I am a former intern. I was only there for 2 months, and had not yet begun to explore the potential of Hatch Show Print's extensive archive. I say sign up for this contest, and if that doesn't work, try to get an internship. You will not regret it.

One Page Artist Book.

Our friends at Firecracker Press (or at least our facebook friends, since I've actually never met them.) have just uploaded pics of their new posters for the Billiken Club. I don't know what that is or anything, but the new posters look pretty rockin, and turn into one page artists books! How cool is that? In Chicago during the Southern Graphics Council Conference a few years back they had a demonstration on how to make what they called "One page artist books". These books were made from one sheet of paper without requiring staples or glue, but made more pages than you would get with traditional folding, and didn't do that whole blank sided double folded pages thing you would get with traditional folds.

So when I went to see the demonstration, the room was packed and we were in the back. I couldn't see a damn thing!! So I didn't get to see the demonstration in full effect, but I bought one in the Shop Columbia gift shop. Anyway, here is a cool link that shows how you fold a piece of paper to get a book, and also shows off one of Firecracker press's new posters. Click the link if you canDIG IT!