Adventures in Typefounding

Preparing a little bit of steel to become a punch... #punchcutting #adventuresintypefounding #letterpress http://ift.tt/2a0EQAa

Before and after; finally, one graver is finished - a round-bellied no.14, if you're interested. #punchcutting #adventuresintypefounding #letterpress http://ift.tt/29Uz0wp

Some roughly-shapes graver handles. Lot of tool preparation still to go, but I'm getting there slowly... #adventuresintypefounding #punchcutting #letterpress http://ift.tt/29nBySI

While the composition caster chunters away in the background, I'm shaping graver handles. A few false starts, but getting better... #letterpress #punchcutting #adventuresintypefounding #monotype http://ift.tt/29lSw5i

My little punchcutting bench is taking shape... #adventuresintypefounding #punchcutting #letterpress http://ift.tt/29IpIn0

Moved in, but not yet operational... #adventuresintypefounding #letterpress #typography #monotype http://ift.tt/1Lns1fL

A slightly sad, and very fond, farewell to Hand & Eye Letterpress and @pa.handandeye. A wonderful place to have worked for the last 7 years, and one that's started me down a very, very deep printing rabbit-hole, of which I may never reach the bottom. Godspeed to all who sail in her. #monotype #typography #letterpress #adventuresintypefounding http://ift.tt/1WDZzH4

Flying Super! #adventuresintypefounding #letterpress #typography #monotype http://ift.tt/1SMNBg1

On the move... #monotype #typography #letterpress #adventuresintypefounding http://ift.tt/1OpFRsJ

A momentous day: Hand & Eye Foundry becomes Effra Press & Typefoundry, with the help of Giles and AMR press movers. Today we disconnect casters, pack up mats and spares, and try to avoid everything getting soaked in the rain... #adventuresintypefounding #letterpress #typography #monotype http://ift.tt/218KVON

Some effects and synths ready for packing. Moving house is tiring, but hopefully I'll have more time to play with these little fellas at the new house... http://ift.tt/1Tty8Av

Packets of old type, soon to be remelted back into the fold... #monotype #letterpress #typography #adventuresintypefounding http://ift.tt/1R7EOSJ

Another test caption http://ift.tt/1SpBbKS

Test caption http://ift.tt/1U0zF1m

When I'm casting a fount, and once I think I've set the machine properly, I tend to cut a sort in half to check that I'm not deluding myself. You do sometimes hear things on the Internet about how type cast on a Monotype caster is inherently inferior. Granted, the metal isn't as hard as founder's (though, given the sorts of runs people tend to do these days, it's quite unlikely that you'd wear out *any* type, if you were using it properly), but you can still run quite hard metal, if you need to. In this photo, the recently cast Monotype sort (top) compares pretty well with the founder's sort (bottom), in terms of small air cavities. All I really wanted to say was that Monotype type can be pretty damned good, if you know how to use the machines. Happy weekend, all. #monotype #letterpress #typography http://ift.tt/1TgterB

7/8" piston length comparison: long on the left, short on the right. http://ift.tt/1PYiJm8

Nice clean Super caster stand, ready for a lead & rule mould. #monotype #letterpress http://ift.tt/1TDwI6T