Letterpress: Another kind of love story

If you’ve been reading the mavenandmeddler.com for long, you might know that in a previous life I was an old style ‘hot metal’ printer. I’ve never loved the ‘doing’ of anything so much since. Even today, the sound of the exquistely intricate metal upon metal sounds of a linotype machine make me all soft and nostalgic. The smells of paper and ink still can make me happy. Beautiful typography impressed into a wonderful piece of paper is a joy to behold and touch.

In a world that so often moves too fast and offers too much made quickly, cheaply and disposably … the art of the printed page is so underappreciated.

Take a short visit to Firefly Press in Somerville Massachusetts. John Kristensen, proprietor. This wonderful little documentary speaks to the craftsmanship and love of traditional design that drew many of us into the world of graphic design years ago. Take a moment to slow down and enjoy.