Long-Distance Letterpress: Printing with Purpose

Why you should take this class

Despite our increased reliance on technology for everything from work, to getting groceries, to happy hour, we are seeing people use print in ways that are increasingly meaningful to them. These days, yard signs and protest posters have taken on a new significance. The power of print breaks through all the digital noise and the poster’s message is seen and heard. Let printer and activist Ben Blount show you how to come up with ideas that make a strong and provocative point, so that they’re impossible to ignore. 

What you’ll learn

Part discussion, part demonstration, this edition of Long-Distance Letterpress will examine why print is powerful, and how we can move forward in our design and print practice with intention. Over the course of two inspiring hours we’ll cover:

• Coming up with provocative, personal, and intriguing ideas
• Making your language more effective 
• Designing to fit your message and tone
• Taking advantage of the irreplaceable qualities of letterpress
• Watching one of Ben Blount’s posters come to life on press

In addition to receiving the demo poster in the mail, participants are encouraged to participate in a virtual exhibition of art inspired by this workshop and its companion, Printing with Impact, by sharing their process and posters using the #printingwithpurpose and #printingwithimpact hashtags. 

Prerequisites

This workshop consists of a live demonstration and interactive Q&A, with no advance preparation or supplies necessary to participate — just make sure you’re using the most recent version of Zoom.

Who should take this class?

Letterpress printers, designers, and anyone else who wants to learn how to change minds and tell stories using the power of print.

Will this class be recorded?

All of PiP’s classes are live, uncensored, and unrecorded — we find it’s a lot more fun and interactive this way. They are closed captioned using Zoom’s Live Transcription feature; to make the most of this tool, update to the most recent version of Zoom.

Visit our FAQ page to learn more about PiP’s class policies.