*Locking up formes to proof on the Vandercook SP232P*

On Saturday 18th November I ran this very fun workshop at Spike Print Studio. Most of the participants were members already so it was a great opportunity to introduce them to letterpress corner and the massive 1937 Vandercook SP232P proofing press that most people in the studio look at in wonder. It is painted turquoise so does stand out a fair bit!

It was a very busy day so not many photos were taken, but Alex Higlett managed to make a fantastic little video which you can see on Spike Print Studio’s Instagram reels page here.

Everyone made quite different things including business cards, thank you cards and even printed text onto artwork. Unfortunately I didn't manage to photograph everyone's brilliant work as most people took theirs away at the end of the day.

Quite a few of the members kept the formes they made on the day to work with further at a later date. I also showed them how to print on the Gem which is a circa 1900 proofing press, and also the Adana press.

I will run this again in the future so if you are interested, get in touch with Spike Print Studio and keep an eye out for future letterpress workshops. I’ll post on my social media when I run it again - so follow me on Instagram!

Thanks to the brilliant participants who included Emma Studd, Sue Wyllie, Lea Lloyd, Elaine Cooper, Alex Higlett, Tuba and Alison.

Photo credits: Alex Higlett and Emma Studd.