NEWS

The art of bookmaking the slow way

Kristen Inbody
kinbody@greatfallstribune.com
Aaron Parrett runs his 1929 letterpress with a foot pedal at the Territorial Press in Helena.

HELENA – The way is slow, but for Aaron Parrett, that’s part of the appeal.

In a 7-foot-wide studio decorated with cards and posters he’s printed, Parrett operates a 1929 letterpress the same way the first newspapermen in Montana did.

Letter by letter, the professor has created posters, business cards and invitations at his Territorial Press, “largely a philosophical enterprise.”

And now Parrett is partnering with artist Seth Roby to make a letterpress book that will include nine stories he’s written and 13 wood engravings.

They’re doing a Kickstarter campaign to buy the paper and ink for the book. The project has to be fully funded, $8,900 raised, by July 13 to move forward.

“It’s completely handmade,” Parrett said. “This will be an artifact. There’s few handmade, letterpress books around, especially in Montana.”

Aaron Parrett sets type upside down and backward at the Territorial Press in Helena.

There will be 50 to 100 books printed, and Parrett will bind them. They will be signed and numbered.

“You can feel the difference” with a letterpress piece, Parrett said. “The basic idea is I’ve published all this fiction over 15 years, but I’ve never collected it into a book.”

Parrett learned about the state’s first book that was written, pressed, sewn and bound by one person. Teenager J. Allen Hosmer printed “A Trip to the States in 1865” with text set letter by letter. Parrett decided he would make the second, a little book of curses.

“Everything I do is set letter by letter. It would take us years for a whole book,” he said.

Instead, Parrett’s new book will be printed with plates, page by page.

“As a professor, I love the dissemination of information. I love what’s available online,” he said. “The stream of literature is wide and deep. Some are books you can read and pitch. There are other books that are works of art, and you know them when you have them in your hands.”

Aaron Parrett levels type and an ornamental design before printing at the Territorial Press in Helena.

The book will cost about $200. Since that’s out of reach for many people, Parrett also is doing a photo reproduction version that will cost $25-$30.

“I’m amazed how many people are into letterpress, and they’re willing to pay for something that’s handmade,” he said.

The book project will mean 30,000 stamps of plate to paper.

Parrett starts by cutting the paper on a 500-pound machine. Then he picks out the typeface and ornamental flourishes.

“The drawers are not in alphabetical order so you have to know the layout of each case,” he said.

He purchased one case of type because a drawer has a 48-point font called “Montana.” He has a set from White Sulphur Springs that includes a state outline. One case came to Fort Benton on a steamboat.

“‘Out of sorts’ means you’re out of letters,” he said. “There’s so many great phrases from printing. ‘Mind your p’s and q’s,’ which look the same.”

Once he has all the lead type selected, he adds spacing. He adds slugs – narrow bars – to make the form square. He plains the type to make a smooth set.

Aaron Parrett checks to make sure ink is spread evenly on the letterpress at the Territorial Press in Helena.

Then Parrett is ready to tackle the press itself. He uses a brush to apply ink. Rollers smear the ink. No electricity is required – the press is foot powered.

“After you print 500, you really start to feel it,” he said.

With the lettering in place, Parrett does a test print, adjusts and sets the paper in place. He’s finally ready to print.

A hundred business cards can take six hours “so it’s for friends, artists and in trade.”

Once he’s finished printing, Parrett cleans off the letters and the press. He has to put each letter back in its tray.

“I go through Lava soap like you wouldn’t believe,” he said.

An example of a card printed by Aaron Parrett on his 1929 letter press.

With more than one color in a print, he has to clean the press completely between colors.

“If it needs repairs, I do them,” he said. “I’ve taken this apart before.”

This is Parrett’s second Kickstarter campaign. His first was for a vinyl record he recorded.

“With Kickstarter you have to offer something,” he said. “By contributing, you can get cool stuff. And we have a lot of cool stuff.”

Mark Twain published “Tom Sawyer” by subscription. It’s not much different than a Kickstarter campaign, except for Twain the internet was not involved.

“It’s an old concept,” Parrett said.

If you can help:

To contribute to the letterpress project visit: kickstarter.com/projects/320817466/seth-roby-and-aaron-parrett-letterpress-book.