Long-Distance Letterpress: Provisional Press Building

Why you should take this class

During the pandemic, the lack of access to community and university print shops made teaching and learning letterpress printing next to impossible. Steve Garst, a letterpress educator and an inveterate tinkerer, was inspired to develop the Provisional Press. His DIY, open source cylinder press kit caught on as an extremely accessible, lightweight, and inexpensive way for people in small spaces and with limited budgets to own their own printing press. Students have used them extensively for remote studio classes. It’s an ideal starter press for those dipping a tentative toe into letterpress waters. And for others, it’s a handy solution to limited shop access or the need for an additional, portable, proofing press for demonstrations or workshops.

What you’ll learn

Steve Garst, the creator of the Provisional Press, will walk you through every step of the assembly as you simultaneously build your own kit and get all your questions answered along the way. You’ll gain valuable insights about the press’ machinations as Steve demonstrates all of the tricks that help make assembly easier. In this online workshop, you’ll:

• Construct a Provisional Press from start to finish in under 3 hours.
• Receive expert, step-by-step guidance from the creator of the press.
• Get all of your questions answered, live!
• Learn tips and tricks Steve has gleaned over countless builds.

Please note: To build along with the class, you must order a press kit and base directly from Provisional Press no later than October 10. All PiP workshop press kits will ship after October 10. Non-US residents must order no later than October 1. 

Prerequisites

You must order your kit directly from Provisional Press in advance. Kits may be mailed to the United States, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Who should take this class?

Whether you’re in need of an inexpensive starter press, you have limited access to a print shop, or you already own a Provisional Press kit and want to build it with expert supervision, this workshop is for you! 

Will this class be recorded?

All of PiP’s classes are live and unrecorded — you’ll find it’s a lot more fun and interactive this way. They are closed captioned using Zoom’s Live Transcription feature.

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