Documentary about Hamilton Wood Type Museum

While letterpress printing is an ancient process, we do it the modern way – invitations and cards are designed on the computer, then the designs are transferred to steel-backed photopolymer plates that we can use in our Heidelberg Windmill. We still have a modest collection of wood type (including the font pictures at the left), which we use for posters and other small projects, but we rely on the photopolymer plates for our day-to-day work. This new way of letterpress printing has all sorts of advantages, but it’s important to understand and appreciate the roots of the craft. That’s why we’re excited to go to the Walker Art Center next week to see Typeface, a new documentary about the Hamilton Wood Type Museum.

Typeface promises a fascinating peek into this unique institution, which houses an incredible collection of wood type for letterpress printing, and is the only place in the U.S. that continues to manufacture and sell wood type. A must for graphic deisngers, type geeks and letterpress enthusiasts. The film shows at the Walker on Thursday November 6, at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. The 7p.m. screening will be followed by a discussion with the Justine Hagan (the film’s director), Blinc Publishing’s Bill Moran (designer, letterpress printer, and co-author of a book about the museum), and Greg Corrigan (designer and technical director of the Hamilton Museum). The early show is sold out, but tickets should still be available for the second screening.

You’ll also see Lunalux in the lobby, along with a few other local letterpress studios, displaying work we’ve done with wood type. You can read more about the film and purchase tickets at the Walker website. Visit the Hamilton Wood Type Museum website to learn more about this one-of-a-kind organization.