Why Letterpress Endures w/ Arion Press' Blake Riley (Best of "The Secrets of Mastery," S1)

Craftsmanship

This week on "The Secrets of Mastery" produced by Craftsmanship Magazine, we’re talking about letterpress printing.

For centuries, newspaper and book publishers used this analog method of printing, involving heavy machinery, ink, paper, and thousands of tiny metal typecasts, to reproduce their words for the masses. Though it’s largely been replaced in commercial printing by cheaper, faster methods, there’s a tactile, handmade quality to letterpress that makes the digital word feel merely two dimensional.

Craftsmanship Magazine visited San Francisco’s iconic Arion Press, one of the last fully integrated letterpress printing shops that casts, types, and binds its own limited edition books. We sat down with Creative Director and Lead Printer Blake Riley, who surprised us with details about the craft’s history and recent revival— though he was skeptical about applying the term “master artisan.”

The “Secrets of Mastery” podcast series is a production of Craftsmanship Magazine. It's a series of conversations with artisans and innovators about what it takes to master their craft, and what their journey has taught them.

Craftsmanship Magazine is a multimedia publication about artisans and innovators who are creating a world built to last. For more Secrets of Mastery episodes, or more stories about craft, check out Craftsmanship.net.

Music in this series is from Blue Dot Sessions.

Pauline Bartolone produced The Secrets of Mastery series for Craftsmanship Magazine.

She is also Senior Audio Editor for Craftsmanship.net.

Managing Editor for the magazine is Laurie Weed.

Todd Oppenheimer is the founding editor and executive director of Craftsmanship.

LINKS:

Arion Press: https://arionpress.com/

More podcasts from Craftsmanship Magazine: https://craftsmanship.net/podcasts/

Sign up for Craftsmanship Magazine on Substack: https://craftsmanship.substack.com/

This podcast episode is inspired by the Craftsmanship Magazine photo essay “Printing with Love” by Douglas Cruickshank, with Todd Oppenheimer and Claire Bloomberg.

https://craftsmanship.net/printing-with-love/