Linotype printing for the modern world

Print Club London is teaming up with Urban Cottage Industries on a collaborative event that will see recently restored linotype machines creating prints from designs by the likes of James Joyce and Pure Evil.

Urban Cottage Industries

In a huge undertaking Urban Cottage Industries restored what is now the UK’s largest working linotype operation, and found the people who know how to work it. 

Now some of the linotype and letterpress print machines are being transported from Bradford to a hired space at the MC Motors factory in Dalston, where a bunch of illustrators from the Print Club London stable will unleash themselves on the machines.

Print Club London confirms that so far Pure Evil, Anthony Peters, Alice Stallard, Margaux Carpentier and James Joyce are involved.

The process involves debossing an image from a template onto paper, creating an impression in colour.

Urban Cottage Industries

The endpoint of all this hardwork is that affordable linotype and letterpress prints will be available form this new website.

To get to this point it’s worth noting that in 1884 Ottmar Mergenthaler invented the Linotype machine. It was described by Thomas Edison as ‘the eighth wonder of the world’ and changed printing forever.

Then in 2011 when things had changed somewhat, Urban Cottage Industries found and rescued the UK’s last working machines from a scrap yard.

Now, two years later Urban Cottage Industries and Print Club London say they have ‘re-imagined linotype printing for the modern world.’

Urban Cottage Industries

Urban Cottage Industries is launching the collaboration with an event on 17 October at MC Motors, 28 Millers Avenue, Dalston, E8. Tickets are available from: http://urbancottageindustries.com/party/

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