This weekend I attended the Portland Letterpress Printer’s Fair organized by the lovely people at the Em Space Book Arts Center. The fair offers a place for printers and print enthusiasts to come together to share equipment, printed wares, and ideas. This year there were around 25 vendors from Portland and the surrounding areas.
Highlights:
- Zebra Print’s folding printers’ hat demonstration. Victoria Sage helped visitors fold their own paper hat while explaining the history of the hat; letterpress printers worked in messy conditions, and therefore needed to protect their heads from ink. Each day the would create their own disposable hats.
- Fortress Letterpress. Bruce Paulson and Rachel Demy run a custom letterpress shop online. This was their first year at the fair, and their work impressed.
Portal Print by Fortress Letterpress
- My favorite item for sale was from Twin Ravens Press. One of their greeting cards for sale had an Apple Computer power symbol with the saying “You turn me on.”
"You turn me on." by Twin Ravens Press
Although these were just my favorites, everyone had amazing work. It was also a great way to meet everyone in the Portland letterpress community.
Links to participants:
Independent Publishing Resource Center
