Adventures in Typefounding

The typographic trials and tribulations of Nick Gill ¶ Monotype operator & printer at Hand & Eye ¶ Monotype matrix maker & punch cutter at The Type Archive ¶ QEST scholar for casting with pivotal casters & hand moulds, and cutting punches by hand ¶ Proprietor of Effra Press ¶

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

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

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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

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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

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

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

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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

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

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

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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

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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

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

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

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

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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

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

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