Ornamental Letterpress Bookmarks
May 16 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
$240.00A 2-Day In-Studio Workshop!
Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 1-5pm
View our current in-studio Health and Safety and Cancellation Policies >>
About this Workshop:
In this workshop with visiting artist Frank Baseman, you’ll design and print your own set of letterpress bookmarks! Using mostly 12, 18, 24 & 36-point metal ornaments—and metal type of your choosing—from Pyramid Atlantic’s collection, you’ll compose your own 2” x 7” design. As a group we will also explore some different methods of making backgrounds including brayering, rainbow rolls and/or ink swipes.
On day two of the workshop we will “job together” the bookmark lock-ups of each participant and print them all together to make a collection. We will then share and swap bookmarks with each other to walk away with a complete class set of the experience.
Level: Beginner/Intermediate—Some experience working with and setting metal type is helpful.
Registration closes May 1, 2026 and all materials are provided.
Sample images by Frank Baseman
CLASS MATERIALS LIST:
Registration includes a $14 materials fee to cover all of the materials you’ll need for class, including paper and ink. In addition, you may want to bring the following optional items for class:
- (optional) Person apron/smock (we’ll have extras) and/or wear clothes that can get inky
- (optional) Any ideas for a short phrase or quote you might want to typeset for your bookmark.
- (optional) Notebook and pen if you’d like to take any notes.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
Base Press is the graphic design and letterpress printing studio of Frank Baseman, a graphic designer, letterpress printer, visual artist, and design educator. The work of Base Press has been exhibited in several solo exhibitions and numerous national and international exhibitions. Base Press work is also included in the permanent collections of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection at RIT; the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum, Two Rivers, WI; the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography at the Cooper Union, NYC; Special Collections, University of Delaware; Tipoteca Italiana Fondazione, Cornuda, Italy; and the Yiddish Book Center, Amherst, MA among others. Learn more about the work of Base Press at www.basepress.co or follow along on Instagram @basepress.