What is an impractical, or perhaps more accurately, a not-very-practical book about letterpress? It is a series of essays that explores the internal experiences of the printer and the lessons that can be learned through printing. In this project, Ruffin traces and retrace the footsteps of heroes and colleagues - a small band of makers and doers who have labored in the wake of the 19th c. Arts and Crafts movement. Many of the ideas addressed exist in the literature of printing history and in the literature of craft. These essays are an effort to map the territory between the two and to explore the continued attraction of letterpress printing today. By sharing her responses to printers of the past, she hopes to highlight in the present - and extend into the future - some of the instructions and reflections past makers recorded. Ruffin also adds context from the contemporary literature about "craft" generally, which does not seem to address letterpress printing or bookmaking directly, though these discussions are full of theory that can be applied to my field. The joys and frustrations of working in a letterpress shop are intimately tied to the mind-body problem in philosophy, to questions of tool use, and to ways in which the practice of craft can lead to flow. There are also profound considerations in the ways in which letterpress printing unites form and content. Opening students up to the possibilities of understanding, in an experiential way, how books and ephemera were printed can allow for well-informed historical understanding, provide modes for creative expression, and invite reflections about living life well.

Contents:
Foreword by John Kristensen
A Note to the Reader
Introduction
Steps in the Letterpress Process
Casting Off
Composition
Proofing & Correcting
Layout
Presswork
Cleaning
Type Distribution
Conclusion
Bibliography

14 illustrations.