Gill crafts fair visitors try their hand at printing

[ Originally published on: Monday, October 20, 2008 ]

GILL -- Printing with a letter press might not be the fastest way to print a book or make a series of note cards, but for many printers, this slower speed is part of the joy.

''For me, it's very relaxing,'' said Stu Elliott of Verona Press in Gill. ''You really understand what you're doing. You're really creating something.''

A full-time teacher at Greenfield High School who comes from a family of printers, Elliot has several old, hand-driven printing presses in his basement he used to make greeting cards, brochures and various other things.

Because using a letter press is a slower process, printers can pay more attention to the type and the artistic quality of the book, said Ed Rayher of Swamp Press in Northfield.

Rayher and Elliott offered visitors a chance to try their hand at a miniature letter press at this weekend's Gill Arts and Craft Fair, which also included about 50 artists and crafters selling their wares, workshops, live music and food prepared by the Gill Fire Department.

''The slower process causes us to think more about what we're doing,'' said Rayher.

It's also a chance to use more high quality materials, like handmade paper and hand-mixed ink, he said.

''I like the sculpture quality of the printing. The fact that it makes an impression on the page. There's a three-dimensional quality to it.''

Rayher, who is also a poet, got his start printing when he wanted to make a literary journal. He bought an old letter press in the 1970s to print this journal and now makes his living doing commercial printing and publishing books, mostly of poetry, using this old printer. He is also making type for other letter presses.

Rayher's commercial jobs included printing a book of haikus written by former poet laureate Billy Collins for Modern Haiku Press in Chicago. ''Which is very rare because he doesn't do a lot of haikus.''

Darryl T. Ballou of Turners Falls was selling his hand-crafted wooden cutting boards, jewelry, combs and cooking utensils at the Gill festival. He specializes in making wooden cabinets and furniture.

''I have a love for wood. A real reverence for it,'' he said.

What's especially gratifying about working with wood is being able to take a natural material and convert it into something that can be enjoyed for many years, Ballou said. ''I like the idea of people having something that is beautiful and useful.''

You can reach Arn Albertini at: aalberti@recorder.com or (413) 772-0621 Ext. 264

 

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