At Typographic Printing Program, we focus on new typographic approaches and the work with traditional methods. While fully embracing the quality of analog design and production processes, the program never neglects digital tools. Our post-digital approach means that our practice is never «analog versus digital», but always «analog and digital».

Letterpress printing itself is not a design concept. Therefore, mediocre design concepts and typography do not improve just because they are printed by means of labor-intensive manual techniques. For this reason, we focus intensely on concepts, layout and the details of typography before moving on to physical production. We aim to provide participants with a visual repertoire to help them generate ideas and develop profiled typographic solutions.

Only those who know the rules can understand when they can be broken—and how to break them. We actively engage with the rules of typography and «good» printing, visual hierarchies, grids, proportions, letterforms, and white space—to then reinterpret and break those rules. Typography can be meticulous and precise in some details, and wild and chaotic in other aspects; we embrace all of them.

The Typographic Printing Program critically examines the history of traditional letterpress typography, thereby avoiding the romanticism often invoked by artists using conventional tools. Letterpress printing has shaped our typographic system for more than 500 years; we want to activate that history, modernize it, and make it accessible and attractive to contemporary designers. Only by experimenting and combining it with modern tools and processes can we fully transfer the old technology into the 21st century and preserve it for the future.

The semantic connection between typographic forms and content is essential to good typography. We don’t think in boxes called style, but in typographic colors, smells, sounds, rhythms, volumes, tastes, thoughts, and their links to the content. Rather than reapplying styles and copying visual ideas, we want to develop sensual connections between content and form and drive the quality of printed communication forward.

The program is to be understood as a typographic research lab. We focus on experimental typography and conceptual poster design. Only by pushing boundaries in a safe institutional environment (with fictional tasks) can we reset the future limits of commercial design projects. We reinterpret old printing technologies by exploring legibility and expressive typography while creating a playful connection between content and form. Thus, we can actively examine the future of typographic poster design and letterpress printing.

Poster design is the ultimate discipline of visual reduction. One loud message visualizing a single concept must be enough to capture the viewer’s attention. Within the broad field of poster design, we choose to work with typography and we limit the use of type and type-related forms to communicate a message. Within these restrictions, we see the challenge of exploring the essence of graphic communication.

The Typographic Printing Program provides a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment for participants of different backgrounds from all around the globe.

In past classes, we welcomed participants with professional backgrounds ranging from young graphic design students at the beginning of their careers to highly experienced university instructors. For each session, we select a diverse group on the basis of their letters of motivation and CV—never portfolios. Participants at any level are welcome as long as they are motivated to work intensely and are open to new approaches.

The Typographic Printing Program respects and values all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, and nationalities. All exercises and theoretical materials are appropriate for all levels of expertise. In the group we support each other and finish our work days together. While we critically analyze and discuss the results of our work sessions and encourage everyone to engage in rich group discussions, we do not accept any disrespectful behavior; we are committed to providing an environment free of judgment.