Type Shop: About
Type Shop, FA 245
The type shop is a staple of the graphic design program and has been a part of School of Fine Arts since the 1960s. There are a variety of resources for students to use; from the Vandercook presses and abundant wood and metal fonts, to the book binding press, guiatine paper cutter, and foil stamper.
A Brief History
Over the years and dating back to the 1960s, there have been contributions of type shop resources from several people. Just to mention a few: George Sadek was Area Head of the graphic design program back in the 1960s. He brought metal type from his home country, Checkoslovakia. During this same period, Phil Hamilton, a graduate student in graphic design, brought wood type and racks from a press in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Tom Ockerse, who was then the Area Head of graphic design, sought out and had donated printing materials for the shop. Tim Mayer, a graduate student of Ockerse's, and a faculty member in the early 1970s, used the letterpress in typography class. Since that time, James Reidhaar, Paul Brown and Amos Kennedy have all arranged donations to increase the size and possibilities of letterpress printing in the type shop. Wood and metal fonts have been donated or purchased on a slow but regular basis.