Things to do · Arts and crafts
Try letterpress printing
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Letterpress means picking out individual pieces of type, setting them by hand into words, locking them up, inking them and pulling prints on a press. In a one-day workshop you choose the words and print several copies of your own poster or name.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650An afternoonIndoorsWith othersUK and US
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What you do on the day
On St Bride Foundation's Letterpress Poster Printing Workshop, tutors take you through hand-setting wood type, spacing and locking up the words, inking the press and pulling prints. The prints need time to dry, so you collect them later or pay £10 to have them posted. Its One Day Adana/Letterpress Workshop teaches hand typesetting and printing on the small Adana tabletop press, plus what to think about when buying equipment.
In New York, the Center for Book Arts' introduction has you set your own name in type by hand and print several copies. At the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Letterpress 1 teaches wood type and a Vandercook press, but does not give studio access on its own; you need Letterpress 2 and 3 as well before you can print independently in its Letterpress Labs.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| St Bride Foundation, London | One-day Adana/letterpress or poster-printing workshop, 10:30am to 4pm | £165; £150 concession (students, over 65s, Friends) |
| West Dean College, West Sussex | Introduction to letterpress: arrival evening then full teaching days, residential option; posters, a print edition and a hand-bound notebook | £480 plus accommodation if residential |
| Center for Book Arts, New York | Hands-On Introduction to Letterpress; one four-hour session, up to 10 people, all levels | $140 plus $25 materials fee |
| Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis | Letterpress 1: Printing Basics; one day, 10am to 4pm; first step towards studio access | $147 plus $15 materials fee ($74 scholarship rate) |
How to start
- Book a one-day introduction at a print workshop or book-arts centre, such as St Bride Foundation in London or the Center for Book Arts in New York.
- Choose your words before you go; St Bride suggests about 12 words or fewer for a wood-type poster.
- If you are hooked, look for the follow-on classes that lead to studio access, or a longer course on a range of presses.
Where to go
- St Bride Foundation, London: letterpress workshops UK
- West Dean College, West Sussex: Introduction to letterpress UK
- Center for Book Arts, New York: Hands-On Introduction to Letterpress US
- Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis: Letterpress 1, Printing Basics US
We opened these links on 10 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is letterpress printing?
Printing from raised metal or wood type that is set by hand, locked up, inked and pressed onto paper. St Bride Foundation's and the Center for Book Arts' one-day workshops take you through each step.
Do I need any experience for a letterpress workshop?
No. St Bride Foundation calls its Adana workshop an ideal introduction for people new to letterpress, and the Center for Book Arts' introduction is designed for all levels.
How much does a letterpress workshop cost?
As last listed, £165 for a day at St Bride Foundation in London, and $140 plus a $25 materials fee for a four-hour introduction at the Center for Book Arts in New York.
Can I take my prints home on the day?
Not always. St Bride Foundation says poster prints need time to dry, so you collect them later or have them posted for £10.
Where this comes from: St Bride Foundation, Workshops; St Bride Foundation, One Day Adana/Letterpress Workshop; St Bride Foundation, Letterpress Poster Printing Workshop; West Dean College, Introduction to letterpress with Tom Boulton; Center for Book Arts, Hands-On Introduction to Letterpress; Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Letterpress 1, Printing Basics. Opened 10 November 2026.
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