courtesy of Alissa Jones

In a world where computers can do almost everything, there is a little print shop in Baltimore named Gilah, that is about 100 years behind. Gilah Press + Design and AIGA provided a tour of the letterpress print shop on August 25th. This quaint little shop is a perfect fit for Baltimore—with its Natty Boh mustaches around every corner, and gnomes guarding every door. A press operator led the presentation—showing us everything from how they make their photo emulsion stamps, to loading the press up with ink, and getting the job “rolling.”

During the example, we were showed how to change the depth of the impression left by the stamp, by changing the amount of paper under the mount. By the end of the example, everyone had a beautiful, handmade thank-you card to take along with them. Gilah Press + Design set the bar high with a night that was sure to get the creative mind winding, while waiting in anticipation for the next three parts of AIGA’s Letterpress series.

To learn more about AIGA Baltimore’s Letterpress Series, check out the events page on the AIGA site.

Lastly, this post was written by Kristin Kosmides, a member of our volunteer group, the AIGA Crew. Much thanks for your help, Kristin!