Typography Internship at The Annex Press
Details
Category
Letterpress Printing / Typography / Print Production
Time Frame
Summer Internship
Role
Letterpress Shop Assistant at
Annex Press, West Windsor, VT
What was the Annex Press?
I spent a summer completing a dual internship in New England with Harp + Company in Hanover, NH, and at The Annex Press, a traditional letterpress print shop in West Windsor, VT.
At Annex Press, I worked directly with antique presses, wooden and metal type, and hand-built compositions to produce posters, envelopes, wedding invitations, and poetry prints. The experience was deeply hands-on and rooted in traditional print craftsmanship.
Under the mentorship of Peter Brigand, I learned the fundamentals of typography, press operation, overprinting, composition, registration, and physical print production. I also assisted with organizing, cataloging, and photographing an extensive collection of vintage wood and metal type.
The centerpiece of the internship was a commissioned letterpress poster printed on a Vandercook proof press using layered overprinting techniques and distressed wood type.
The experience shaped my appreciation for typography, materials, process, and production-focused design. Skills that continue to influence my work today across both digital and physical mediums.
Design Process
Traditional Letterpress Production
Unlike digital printing, every composition at Annex Press was assembled by hand using physical wood and metal type.
The poster was printed in multiple passes:
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The first layer used broken and distressed wood type to create large abstract forms and texture.
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The second layer introduced readable typography using a combination of wood and metal sorts.
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Each color pass required careful alignment, pressure adjustment, and ink control on the Vandercook press.
The process was slow, physical, and highly detail-oriented. Every print was slightly unique.
A composed letterpress form locked into place with furniture on the Vandercook press.
Working with Wood & Metal Type
These images show the physical type locked into the press bed before printing. Much of the internship involved learning how to compose layouts manually, prepare forms, ink the press, and troubleshoot registration issues.
Large-format wooden type composed by hand during poster production at Annex Press.
One of the first poster pulls displayed atop a California job case filled with metal sorts.
Overprinting & Process Exploration
The poster was designed as an exploration of layered typography and overprinting techniques. Large fragmented letterforms created texture and movement underneath the final informational layer.
Process proofs showing layered overprinting and registration experiments.
Final Poster
The final poster combines abstract typographic texture with informational content about the project itself, including the location, timeframe, and production methods used during the internship.
Craft, Process & Typography
Working with traditional letterpress printing gave me an appreciation for slower, more deliberate forms of design and production. Setting typography by hand required patience, precision, and creative problem solving within the limitations of physical materials and available type.
The process encouraged a deeper understanding of composition, spacing, hierarchy, texture, and alignment in a way that digital tools often abstract away. Every adjustment required intention, and every print demanded close attention to detail.
That experience continues to influence how I approach visual design today — balancing craftsmanship, experimentation, technical execution, and thoughtful production across both digital and physical mediums.
Learnings
My time at Annex Press taught me the value of slowing down and working deliberately through a creative process. Designing and printing by hand required patience, adaptability, and close attention to detail at every stage of production.
The experience strengthened my understanding of typography, composition, materials, and craftsmanship while reinforcing the importance of precision and thoughtful execution. Lessons that continue to influence how I approach design work today.