On Friday, I was lucky enough to go to the St Brides conference titled "Letterpress: Something to Say"
This one-day conference set out
"to explore letterpress as a means for delivering real content, be that a set of sharply thought-through design intentions; a re-imagining of the possibilities of the inky process itself; an analogue springboard to new digital visuals and environments; or a reconnection with the power of a simple press to communicate ideas. To step beyond the production of work to be merely admired and consumed, and to reclaim letterpress as a viable means of distributing a message; to tell stories; to galvanize our communities; to allow practice to resonate beyond the frames of our living room walls"
Speakers included Thomas Gravemaker, Ian Gabb, Jono Lewarne & Charlotte Hetherington, L’automatica (Barcelona), Anthony Burrill, Dylan Kendle (Tomato) and Gee Vaucher plus a presentation on the 6x6 project which is a collaboration between staff and students from six colleges with active letterpress workshops (CSM, Brighton, Camberwell, Lincoln, LCC, and Glasgow)
Ian Gabb from the RCA (above) delivering his excellently "shambolic" talk (...his words, not mine!)
Workshop demonstrations were held throughout the day. Richard Lawrence was working on a very interesting linocutting project that he took the time to explain to me.
Helen Ingham from Hi-Artz Press
www.hi-artz.co.uk was also in the workshop giving demonstrations and working on projects.
Below is my modest little table of printed examples that I took along to show our papers in action:
...and who should have the table next to me, but my industry colleagues from that other well known, Hull based, paper merchant! Mark and Vanessa were good company and we enjoyed the day together.
As we were in a side room, this is the sign I wrote (...exhibiting no bias at all!)
It was an excellent day and most important of all, it was a sell out. This is the third one day conference that they have run, so the lesson here is book early, to avoid disappointment. Congratulations to the organisers, Catherine Dixon and Rose Gridneff and thanks to them for inviting me along.
http://www.stbride.org/
http://www.eyemagazine.com/blog/post/something-to-say
http://letterpressworkshop.com/
Posted by Justin Hobson 13.11.2012
Ismar David was a prolific type designer, calligrapher, graphic designer and illustrator. He also engaged in architectural design and taught calligraphy. From the 1930s to the 1990s, he created exquisite designs, studying in Berlin in 1928, emigrating to Jerusalem in 1932 and to New York City in 1952.
We are launching a new paper range from FAVINI in Italy. This new range is called CRUSH, the name reflecting the fact that it's made partly using the residue from the industrial processing of crushed citrus fruit, coffee, nuts, olives, kiwi and corn. These agro-industrial "end of life" products replace up to 15% of conventional tree pulp.
CRUSH was launched in Italy last year and was awarded the green award at the Luxe Pack exhibition in Monaco: http://sustainablereview.net/favini-crush-paper-wins-luxe-pack-award/
To launch this new range, we are jointly hosting with FAVINI, a launch evening at the St Brides Foundation in London. During the evening Michele Posocco, product manager from the mill in Italy, will explain the concept behind the range and demonstrate how CRUSH is produced. 
The letterpress workshop will be open and printers Richard Lawrence www.richardlawrenceprinter.co.uk and Helen Ingham www.hi-artz.co.uk will be on hand, demonstrating and giving people the opportunity to print themselves. There will also be guided tours of the foundation and the world famous printing library - if you haven't been around this historic building, it is well worth a visit.
This one-day conference set out "to explore letterpress as a means for delivering real content, be that a set of sharply thought-through design intentions; a re-imagining of the possibilities of the inky process itself; an analogue springboard to new digital visuals and environments; or a reconnection with the power of a simple press to communicate ideas. To step beyond the production of work to be merely admired and consumed, and to reclaim letterpress as a viable means of distributing a message; to tell stories; to galvanize our communities; to allow practice to resonate beyond the frames of our living room walls"
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