At Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, students study the finer points of composition, typographic design, and presswork on the hand-operated flatbed cylinder printing press. The Press has 2400+ cases of American and European metal and wood type and nine presses (Heidelberg, C&P, Vandercook). Students explore handset metal-type composition techniques and standards (and their relation to computer-set digital type), as well as the integration of text and image. While producing several supervised projects, students are exposed to printing from metal type and photopolymer plates. As part of the process editioned books are produced in which each student contributes one page on a general theme.

The Press has published over 40 limited edition student collaborative books.

For work by the Director, Gloria Kondrup, see Vero Press

By the Students of Archetype Press
2005. Edition of 60.

9.5 x 7.875"; 17 fold out pages plus title page. Printed letterpress on Mohawk Superfine super smooth (classic linen) paper. Bound by Alice Vaughan. Spiral bound and mounted within a flip-open hard cover.

The father of cyberpunk meets letterpress — or is it vice-versa?
$125

Having the Last Word
By students of the Archetype Press
2004. Edition of 75.

5.25 x 7.25"; 77 pages printed letterpress on Mohawk Superfine paper. Bound with tan book cloth over boards by Alice Vaughan. Brown foil stamped title. Includes red ribbon marker.

A collection of the last paragraphs, last lines, or last words of a book selected by and presented typographically.
$125

By Students at Archetype Press
2004. Edition of 70.

7 x 9"; 46 pages printed on one side only. Letterpress printed on Vandercook proof presses using metal type, wood type, laser-cut masonite blocks, linoleum blocks, silk screens, and photopolymer plates. Text and images printed on Mohawk Superfine paper. A softcover with suede Text, Fabriano Ingres End papers and title label. Letterpressed cover. Perfect bound by Alice Vaughan.

The text for this project produced by the students is based on the 1894, London, private printing of “Phrases and Philosophies” housed in the collections of The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library of UCLA.

From the introduction by Bruce Whiteman, Head Librarian at the Clark Library: “The epigrams in ‘Phrases and Philosophies’ help us to understand why Wilde remains the earliest modern writer whom we still read and value. The emphasis is, finally, on language, in a way that works to keep the majority of Wilde’s epigrams fresh and relevant, although he could not avoid the meretriciousness of sexism and other Victorian failings from time to time. Yet in spite of the occasional groaner among them, Wilde’s epigrams wonderfully retain their power to instruct and to amuse all sorts and ages of person.”
$125

40 Mills Place, A Collection of Type Specimens
By Students at Archetype Press
2003. Edition of 120.

10 x 13"; 48 loose pages. Printed letterpress. Paper: Domestic Etching. Bound by Alice Vaughan. Housed in red cloth box with matte black foil stamped title.
Image transfer print by Steven Heller.

This print project is the 40th of the press, and the final book project printed at 40 Mills Place, Pasadena, before the press moved to its current on-campus site. The image transfer print by Steven Heller is touching homage to the Mills Place site.

This production encouraged students to frolic through the press’s vast type collection. Each page a mini-specimen sheet.

From Doyald Young’s introduction: “Archetype Press’s fonts have an illustrious history. These were the fonts of Vern Simpson’s legendary typesetting shop in Hollywood. Under the guidance of Vance Studley, the Press’s first director, they assumed a different role as pieces of metal to instruct design students at Art Center College of Design. These are not antiquated faces, even though some of the designs are based on five-hundred-year-old concepts, and are timeless. Instead they are the magical result of the punchcutter’s art, and are viable pieces of metal, that when skillfully combined, produce art.”
$250

A Children's Book of Symbols
By Students at the Archetype Press
1995. Edition of 75.

7.75 x 4.875”; 60 pages including blank sheets. Printed on one side only. Printed in 52 colors on Mohawk Superfine 80# letterpress paper using foundry and wood types and polymer plates. Uses Mohawk superfine with red Japanese interleaving. Hardcover bound with three ribbon bookmark. Bound by Alice Vaughan using red Japanese bookcloth.

A selection of symbols, more or less explained, each presented across a 2-page spread.
$125