Sure, technology is great. I’m not a total techno-nut, but I admit it has its advantages. The on-demand, right-here, right-now environment we inhabit certainly is convenient, but sometimes it’s no replacement for good, old-fashioned craftsmanship. I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I attended Letterpress Love – a letterpress seminar put on by Articulate Ink and hosted by The Graphic Designers of Canada Saskatchewan South chapter at Regina’s Creative City Centre.

According to Wikipedia, letterpress printing is defined as, “relief printing of text and image using a press with a “type-high bed” printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image.” Basically, you’re pressing the image or letter into the paper, with ink. The result is so much nicer than the often flat, sterile things we can all make on our inkjet printers.

At this event we made our own Valentine cards, using two different letterpresses. The process was fascinating and the resulting pieces even more so – the Valentines had texture, character and a tactile characteristic you just don’t get with store-bought or computer-made Valentines. It’s funny that even with everyone using the same type sets, the differences you could get with finished products just by using more or less ink, stacking paper or positioning the paper differently was striking. The cards had a warmth and personality that reflected the person making it – a nice touch for something as personal as a Valentine.

The event itself was just a great opportunity to look back at the importance of craft with a bunch of great people. It’s made me want to look at other things I easily produce and how I can apply old methods to create something special that stands out among all the new “everything” out there.

Thanks to The Graphic Designers of Canada Saskatchewan South chapter, Regina Creative City Centre and Articulate Ink for an awesome evening. I look forward to more. Not in Regina? Take a look in your own community for events like this – trust me, you’ll love it.

If you want to see more about the event or the process, watch the video below: