Third one down.Less than a year ago, I was still working at a food ingredients plant wearing steel-toed boots, ear-plugs, safety-glasses, hair and beard nets, and a hard hat, while driving a fork-lift on alternating weeks of day and then night shifts. I was applying and interviewing for advertising or in-house design jobs in the Southern Maine, Coastal New Hampshire, and Greater Boston areas… basically anything relevant to my BFA in Visual Communications/Graphic Design. My long-term sights were set on eventually finding my way into the world of letterpress but - like I said - that was long-term and I hadn’t the slightest idea how to get my foot in the door. I was drooling over the work coming out of shops like The Mandate Press, Studio on Fire, Mama’s Sauce, Cranky Pressman… you get the picture. I had an arguably unhealthy dose of admiration and respect for these shops (and still do) but never imagined I would find myself in the midst of that world and certainly not so soon. Fast forward less than a year: I’m printing full-time at The Mandate Press and Studio on Fire just started following theGraveyard. It looks like my foot is in the door. Now, where do I go from here?  First, I thank Mandate - again - for the investment made in my training/education. Second, I thank Studio on Fire for the follow and for the rekindling of the fire under me arse to legitimize this blog; to mold it into something a little less self-serving and a little more you-serving. Third, I remind myself to stay focused in my efforts to become more adept in the pressroom.  Fourth/Last, but absolutely not least, I thank those of you that have been behind me before I even knew this adventure was beginning. Thanks for your support and please chime in with your feedback. The road ahead is not a short one but it’s looking pretty exciting these days.
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Third one down.

Less than a year ago, I was still working at a food ingredients plant wearing steel-toed boots, ear-plugs, safety-glasses, hair and beard nets, and a hard hat, while driving a fork-lift on alternating weeks of day and then night shifts. I was applying and interviewing for advertising or in-house design jobs in the Southern Maine, Coastal New Hampshire, and Greater Boston areas… basically anything relevant to my BFA in Visual Communications/Graphic Design. My long-term sights were set on eventually finding my way into the world of letterpress but - like I said - that was long-term and I hadn’t the slightest idea how to get my foot in the door. I was drooling over the work coming out of shops like The Mandate Press, Studio on Fire, Mama’s Sauce, Cranky Pressman… you get the picture. I had an arguably unhealthy dose of admiration and respect for these shops (and still do) but never imagined I would find myself in the midst of that world and certainly not so soon. Fast forward less than a year: I’m printing full-time at The Mandate Press and Studio on Fire just started following theGraveyard. It looks like my foot is in the door. Now, where do I go from here? 

  1. First, I thank Mandate - again - for the investment made in my training/education.
  2. Second, I thank Studio on Fire for the follow and for the rekindling of the fire under me arse to legitimize this blog; to mold it into something a little less self-serving and a little more you-serving.
  3. Third, I remind myself to stay focused in my efforts to become more adept in the pressroom. 
  4. Fourth/Last, but absolutely not least, I thank those of you that have been behind me before I even knew this adventure was beginning. Thanks for your support and please chime in with your feedback. The road ahead is not a short one but it’s looking pretty exciting these days.
Maybe you remember different times that I’ve mentioned The Mandate Press in the past. Whether it was Shyama Golden’s beautifully illustrated and hot-pink-edged business cards or my recent discovery that the Salt Lake City letterpress shop was offering a summer internship. Either way, you should probably be ready to hear more about them. Just saying.
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Maybe you remember different times that I’ve mentioned The Mandate Press in the past. Whether it was Shyama Golden’s beautifully illustrated and hot-pink-edged business cards or my recent discovery that the Salt Lake City letterpress shop was offering a summer internship. Either way, you should probably be ready to hear more about them.

Just saying.

Source: Flickr / themandatepress