Hacking Gutenberg p98a.berlin

is an experimental typographic workshop, dedicated to letters, printing and paper. We are a group of multi-disciplined designers, exploring how letterpress can be redefined in the 21st century through printing, research, collecting, publishing and making things. We work with hot metal, wood type, several proof presses, a treadle platen press and traditional analogue equipment and combine those with digital technologies. We use a direct-to-plate process to output digital plates for letterpress-printing books on our own lasersetter, partnering with Daniel Klotz from Lettertypen who has a Heidelberg Cylinder and a large 1924 Johannisberger stop-cylinder press, plus other machines for typesetting, printing and finishing. We have more than 500 cases of wood type from 8 to 60 Cicero and around 450 cases with foundry type from 6 to 96 point. The Linotype machine has 56 magazines from 6 to 18 point. Our digital Risograph is used to print small publications with spot colours, like our own p98a Paper and we frequently use our glowforge laser cutter to customise letterforms and shapes missing in our collection. We offer assisted workshops for groups, individuals or teams. We start with a historical introduction to letterpress, looking at different printing methods as well as the typographic measurement system. The rest is creative exploration and fun. We do take on commercial work. We also let colleagues set type and print, as long as they contribute to our expenses. We like visitors but encourage them to make appointments in advance of their visit. We speak English and German.