Letterpress & Riso: Experiments in Analog Printing

Letterpress & Riso: Experiments in Analog PrintingCourse Code: 25MPM103I This two day in person workshop takes place at CBA on Saturday and Sunday, September 6th 7th, from 11AM to 5PM ET. Saturday, September 6th, 11: 00 AM 5: 00 PM Eastern Time Sunday, September 7th, 11: 00 AM 5: 00 PM Eastern Time Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on August 23rd at 11: 59pm. About the Workshop: This in person workshop is taught by CBA instructor Sarah Nicholls. Join us for a weekend long inky

Course Code: 25MPM103I

This two-day in-person workshop takes place at CBA on Saturday and Sunday, September 6th - 7th, from 11AM to 5PM ET.

• Saturday, September 6th, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time
• Sunday, September 7th, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on August 23rd at 11:59pm.

About the Workshop:

This in-person workshop is taught by CBA instructor Sarah Nicholls.

Join us for a weekend-long inky experiment in printing. Students will combine the traditional, tactile printing method of letterpress with the modern, vibrant, and somewhat "imperfect" quality of Riso printing to create unique, layered, and visually interesting prints. We will push the boundaries of both techniques through experimentation with color, texture, and design elements, and explore the differences between the two techniques. Students will make improvisational prints using found materials that they bring with them, and the printshop’s collections. At the end of the weekend we will bind together a simple collaborative zine of our experiments to share and take home. 

Required Materials:

• Low relief collage materials such as:
  • Fabrics with texture
  • Lace
  • Embroidery
  • Found objects that can be scanned
  • Plant materials
  • Buttons
  • Ribbon
  • Bubble wrap
  • Stickers
  • Stencils

All other materials will be provided by Center for Book Arts at no additional cost.

About the Instructor

Sarah Nicholls is an artist, printmaker, and writer whose work combines language, image, visual narrative, and time.

Her ongoing projects on climate change, urban ecology, and the history of science and technology include a series of letterpress pamphlets as well as participatory programs like guided urban/nature walks.

Nicholls’ limited edition artist’s books are in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, Columbia University, and Stanford, among others.

Her work has received support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Puffin Foundation, and she has participated in residencies at BRIC House in Brooklyn, the Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, and Guttenberg Arts in New Jersey.

Nicholls teaches letterpress and book arts at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York City.

All images courtesy of the instructor.