Calgary was chilly this June morning after waves of
thunderstorms had traversed the skies into the wee hours of the morning.
Bundled up, I strolled into Starbucks and ordered my favorite Rustic sandwich
and Hazlenut Macchiato. From there, I boarded the conference bus to Heritage
Park. Heritage Park was hosting the Association of Living History and Farming Museums Conference this year and I had signed up for a workshop: Hot off the Presses.
Sometimes, traveling gives you the opportunity to try something new and different. While I have lived in Calgary in the past, this city still offers me the chance to experience new things that are unique and totally fun.
Hot off the Presses was
designed for us to learn all about printing practises and the equipment that
was used to provide the general public with the news of the day. There were few images and
nothing was digital. The process of producing one page of newsprint was arduous
and long. In fact, by the end of the day, I had learned exactly how technical
the process was and how skilled the craftsmen who were printers had to be.
Printers are mechanics and precision workers. They measure
and rearrange texts line by line and millimetre by millimetre. First, we had a
detailed description of the equipment, including the molten metal (read lead and nickle) that was in
the pots for producing the linotype. We learned the dangers of the machines and
the intricate perfections of them. From there, we were divided into groups to
practise for ourselves under strict supervision. Although at times the banter between the "older" boys demonstrating made me wonder if we should be supervising them.
First, I learned how to set stories into print. From tying
the lines together as sets and storing them on trays, to layouts and imaging,
we were able to produce the type for one page of the newspaper. It took an
hour. We learned how to make our own lines of type using fonts and sticks that
held the lettering into place. We learned out to set them into the machine and
create our own blocks of print. Then, printing was taught and we generated
scripts for sale in the print shop following by using a newer linotype machine.
The intracies of the technology was fascinating as are the
guides that produce them. Two of the printers were wisecracking about each
other so it made for a humorous and light afternoon. I wonder if they really do
get along…never mind. We had fan etiquette and school rules to read about and
could print as fast as our fingers could fly.
Will I be a printer in another career. Likely not. But I
certainly enjoyed the day and the process of learning.
No comments:
Post a Comment