[Photo credit: ArtCenter]
The event, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12 at the HMCT Archetype Press facility at 950 South Raymond Avenue, will showcase California’s largest collection of letterpress printing equipment.
The two-hour gathering is exclusively for ArtCenter faculty, students and staff who will have the opportunity to experience hands-on typography while enjoying cider and cookies in the historic facility.
Archetype Press, which has been part of ArtCenter since 1989, provides full-immersion typographic education through its extensive collection of rare American and European metal foundry type and wood ornaments spread across 2,500 antique wooden drawers.
The facility’s impressive equipment roster includes nine Vandercook proof presses, a Chandler & Price platen press, and a Heidelberg Windmill press, providing students with comprehensive exposure to traditional printing methods.
Originally belonging to Vernon Simpson’s legendary Hollywood typesetting shop, the collection gained renewed prominence in 2015 when the college established the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography to advance research, teaching and understanding of letterform design and typography.
The center continues its educational mission by offering students hands-on experience with metal type setting and printing, preserving these increasingly rare skills in today’s digital landscape.
