How Books Are Handmade At The Last Printing Press Of Its Kind In The US | Still Standing
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2021
- Arion Press is the last printing press in the US where books are handmade from start to finish. Using machines and techniques that date back to the 1800s, these books can take years to make and cost up to $10,000 to buy. Set against the tech hub backdrop of San Francisco, this institution helps keep the traditional craft of letterpress printing alive.
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www.arionpress.com
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How Books Are Handmade At The Last Printing Press Of Its Kind In The US | Still Standing
I prefer my words chiseled on stone tablets. When is THAT gonna make a comeback?
🤣
Ask potters for that.
Hire literally any sculptor.
They still engrave text onto tombstones and other stone memorials. But these days they use sandblasting and lasers in addition to old school chisel and hammer.
..when you do it yourself?
They should make a RUclips Channel to have multiple paths of revenue. Not only could it be educational, but if the workshop is kept mainly quiet, they could become popular in the rather large ASMR community. I'd watch them make books for hours.
Absolutely! I love watching these kind of ASMRs
Notice how the guy working the machines is wearing ear plugs? There's gonna be a handful of machines that could make some interesting sounds, but largely, you're not gonna get much enjoyment from higher gain audio setups...
These people refuse changes
These people are just wasting their life.
@@outofthebox9699 to be fair, you're also wasting your life on youtube
When she said: “ can I do that papa!?” Instantly melted my heart! 🥺 What a precious craft and legacy to have!🙏🏾
Ur pretty bro
@@adventureguy4119 that’s weird bro
@@CHloE748 huh oh no
@@adventureguy4119 uh, yeah yeah it is! You’re really creepy!
@@adventureguy4119 ur pretty bro too
I took Print Shop in high school, we had JOB CASES full of type, learned how to set it, proof it and do final print. We printed the school stationary, printed pocket calendar s , tickets for the drama department for school plays, this was definitely a skill I will never forget
That's great. Hope to learn it too in the future.
I took Print Shop Deluxe
You're a man after my own heart. Sounds like we went to different High Schools together.
Sadly we had none of that at my high school. These days it’s literally all science, art, and math.
I ran a Miele V 50 letterpress from 1971 to 1989. It was hot heavy work but I would sure do it again.
Fun fact: this video was supposed to come out a year ago but due to corona it got delayed which is why he say 101 years old
woah, never expected to come across a fake business insider account
i have no reason to believe you but i guess it makes sense
How does a video already shot get delayed by COVID-19? Seems like a lame scapegoat.
@@jakp8777 it was probably shot after the lockdown
@@dirujan7494 what the channel had typed?
"Can I do that papa?" That, that right there broke my heart. She's so sweet
Your heart broke? Mine melted
Melted* and yes 🥺
@The Real Gordon Ramsay Better get that checked mate. Sounds like a unusual case of Pancreatitis.
A broken heart is a bad thing you dingus.
Broke your heart?! I broke A ROCKET ENGINE AND SHE’S NOT SWEET SHE’S A NORMAL KID DUDE
This where the phrase 'mind your p's and q's' comes from. When you're printing it's easy to reverse these letters meaning an entire reprint of the page may be required due to an error. Attention to detail basically.
Oooh. That's interesting!
or “b’s and d’s”
Doesn't that mean to mind your manners? I'm from the south, and my grandma used to say that to us. It meant like, don't cuss or be crass
@@GigsofRam Of course it does. But the origin of the phrase is distinct from its meaning
Thanks!
As a professional typewriter service technician, I can't tell you how beyond thrilled I am to see folks like this keeping these beautiful machines alive.
You’re a professional typewriter technician? I’m a collector. Sorry to ask you a question - you probably get it all the time. I recently bought an Olympia electric - I’ve owned many electrics including the IBM golf ball and the later word processor types. But this 1970s electric typewriter prints really faint type. It uses a traditional carbon based ribbon, which I’ve changed. I’ve even tried to create a deeper print by spraying it with WD40. But it just seems not to have enough power. Have you come across this issue? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
@typewriterchicago6021.
They should melt those machines down in the same way they do with the typefaces.
@redblade8160 what makes you say that?
5:24 “can I do that papa 🥺”
She's so precious
She's so cute
@Irene not to me
The sparkle in her eyes is incredible!
@@hanikazuha "Cant believe she's 18 already"
As someone who doesn’t read books much, I very much appreciate the hardwork and craftmanship it takes making these books🙂
You should pick up reading my man.. cuz knowledge is not only power but profit. The faster you learn, the faster you earn.
Same
@@mikhelBrown i used to read a lot of books when I was a kid. I remember i used to go to my school library everyday. When the internet became something that everyone can afford and trendy, I instantly reside on the internet because it was more reliable and easy to learn more stuff. But even that, books are still somewhat different to it. There is just something unique about books.
@@mikhelBrown Yeah, reading is fun as hell for a lot of people, but some people just don't enjoy it. You can find the exact same material from a lot of books from the Internet, from tv, from discussing it with experts, etc.
I read books but not fiction books. More like technical books about music, language, engineering. If you can learn those from internet, which you can, you're not missing out much.
I just prefer to have a physical copy even though what I said are available in the internet. Fiction books by whoever pretentious author everybody is hyping now is useless to me, and probably to you too.
I really LOVE that his daughter is SO interested in learning this Lost Art. She can LITERALLY See the results of what she's created and THAT has much more Value than a Quick store bought card.
She’s a little girl, her dad makes her do it she has no choice lmfao
@@diegomadrid7468 I truly doubt he makes her do that. Most kids are in awe if their parents and want to do whatever they're doing. At least that was my experience. I wanted to be out on the boat with my dad or helping lug in fire wood. I wanted to help in the kitchen, and be like my mom. It's normal to copy your parents as a child because that's how you learn to do things.
@@diegomadrid7468 you can literally see how engaged she is in the process, she asks to be involved and looks excited. I highly doubt she’s there against her will and not having fun lmao
Imagine how she'll feel when she grows up and realizes how much more they could've made with a machine 😂
Inb4 bums start coping - money absolutely does make you more comfortable. Enjoy the Ramen noodles and not being able to pay for the doctor
My Father was a Printing Pressman and ran a Heidelberg Handfed Letter Press. As soon as this video started...the ink smell filled my mind. Also, the memories of being taught how to set type by hand and how to operate the Press, at eight years old.
Thank you.
Imagine how many books he's read just making the cast? 😮 so impressive, dudes gotta be a genius now.
And reading them all backwards!
Like one a year according to that they say it can take to make one....
@Kranky. K! didnt pay attention to the words? 🤦♂️ pretty sure that's his ONLY job lol 😆
@Kranky. K! ohhh okay gotcha. Lol I was going to say, then they wouldn't sell many books lol
Muscle memory kicks in after a while but yeah he probably does read the book
finally seeing the real printing company from the movie "Little Women"
eyy i've watched that yesterday.
Little Women is a masterpiece of a movie
As a traditional bookbinder and paper maker I am both in love and jealous 😍😍😍! What a dream! Long live the traditional printing press!
I think it's awesome to keep forms of old craftsmanship like this alive, to preserve the history or the artistry of it. But I'm glad that we have modern developments that allow the more average person to be able to afford things that otherwise would be too cost prohibitive. There's pros and cons for sure.
I thought they just change out the letters for the slates, I didn’t know they make each sentence from scratch 😱😱😱
Yes its time intensive the gutenberg bible took 3 yrs just to print 150 copies
Each book has its own dimensions, like height and width. Each book needs a different font.
What they were using was a Linotype machine -does exactly what it says on the can. This was a development from forming each line from individual letters. I still have a few small letterpress printers having given away many tons of what was considered to be scrap metal. My son's both used these machines and my wife and I gave many demonstrations at schools getting the youngsters to print, fold and cut - try doing that on your Epson! Hopefully my grandchildren will also get to use these machines as well as using the technology of today.
Pasts are always valuable, we never able to go back there but opportunities like this will set us into it.
Well said.
There is a storm in my heart after witnessing this process of printing. So tedious, awaspiring and just beyond. Also, it is a sweet reminder that this is really where the word "Typecasting" comes from. My respect from India.
His daughter calls him "Papa." That is the single cutest thing I have ever seen T^T
my grandfather was a typist like this for 35 years he retired in the 2000's
I hope he's living peacefully with his family after all that hard work
@@getoutofmyhead373 both him and his wife are at eternal rest, he passed the day after Christmas last year, he worked at different newspapers across the country for around 38 years doing it the old way, he took me to a day of work one time and I was amazed how one person could make a newspaper, he always new the days news before everyone else woke up lol
Preserving a technique while the competition is fierce is well respected. Love to see this.
There is no competition. They are in a minuscule market niche, selling books for a fortune.
@@gsilva220 an entirely unnecessary niche I might add.
@@anshumanbose5132 if there is a market, regardless of how small, is it really unnecessary?
@@anshumanbose5132 Like 99 % of all markets today are absolute unnecessary
@@cherubin7th that's dumb
I started my apprenticeship in printing in New Zealand 40 years ago. When we went to the Trade School courses in Auckland for six weeks in the first year we had to learn how to assemble individual lead type and photo plates for letterpress printing on old Heidelberg platens and rotary flatbeds. An absolute art but a pain in the arse as well. Several of my fellow apprentices actually ran old letterpress platens full back then. At the Trade School they still had working Linotype machines to produce the lead type. Sadly they got rid of it all several years later and it all went to the scrap dealer.
This is honestly one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a while. Art in one of its truest forms.
Imagine if they sold one of these type of books at a elementary school
It would be dead in a week..library’s in schools are..not it
@@jolie7090 then i don’t know what school you went to because...they were IT.
No need to imagine
Why do you want expensive textbooks
@@jolie7090 what school did you go to?? all the schools I have been in had a lot of people staying in them from 10 minutes before the school day started to lunch and quite a few people started after school in the library???
It maybe the last in the US, but believe me man the printing press beside our house is still using that method.
Where do u live?
Philippines 🇵🇭
Woah srsly?! I'm also a local ,but i didn't know that this kind exist in the Ph too! Btw what part are you from bro?
Guagua pampanga philippines 😊
It’s not the last in the US. It is wholly misinformed reporting.
This is so beautiful, I really do hope other generations continue this passion - it really is remarkable.
I remember when our local newspaper was printed that way as late as 1973. Today that newspaper is out of business and in a matter of fact, there's no more local newspapers being published at all in my area. We have to depend on the internet which I'm against. You just can't beat the feeling of having the morning newspaper in your hand when your drinking your morning cup of coffee.
If they were smart they would start a RUclips/vlog channel to generate enough money to not rely on any actual customers to pay bills.
I imagine they would do well within asmr community, very satisfying
Great idea.
They're probably plenty smart, but devoting your time and money to an internet vlog that may or may not pay the bills is a risk most people aren't going to try. Give up x-percent of your current life, and learn RUclips, video editing, camera work, make/maintain an internet personality, expose yourself to social media/scrutiny, etc.
Agree to you!
I think you're overestimating how easy it is to get big on youtube. If you look at the most subscribed channels, most of them are in entertainment or music. A vlog style channel would not work well for them because they already spend most of their days actually working at the print shop. They would need to hire a full time camera man and an editor, which ups the costs of running the channel.
I hope that this procedure never washes away.
It's totally Time Capsule material
Just seeing that forge working makes me happy. I absolutely love old and complex machines. Yeah, it can be done so much more efficiently with servos and timing belts, but the look and sound of those old analog machines brings a smile to my face
I love this. Good on you Arion and staff for continuing this craft.
Thanks to them who keeps the traditional book making. Even it's 2021 totally impressive to see such time consuming works.
This is my dream job..
I always want to work at a place like this 🥺
I even make my own book. Cut it, sew it, bind it myself with my own hands.
I love doing that kind of thing 🥺
I want too!
I admire this video. People like these need to be there to preserve these wonderful marvels from the past to continue it's legacy.
I pray this amazing art never dies! 💞💞💞💞. As an avid reader there is nothing more satisfying than holding a physical book and smelling and feeling the paper in your hands.
This, my fellow millennials are the reason why books were expensive and important back then
back when you cant turn some shitty self insert fanfiction into a book series
Indeed
yep
I’m glad books are more accessible and more people are able to find stories that they enjoy and relate to
@@skwizzzb3904 im pretty sure there were stuff like that back then. Except maybe they weren't accepted by society lol
What a memories... in late 80s when I was a child, my uncle had this kind of printing business but smaller, and after school I used to help him arrange those lead letter. We don't have proof printing, so we usually use mirror to proof check.
Feeling a handmade book will always feel different then a factory made book because of the fact you are holding knowledge that someone took time out of their day to pass down to the younger generations. Where with a factory book, it got made in like an hour with glue, paper and cardboard compared to string, glue, paper, binding and care.
Books purpose is to carry knowledge, i dont even use physical books anymore, i just read them using my smartphone or tablet, far more efficient and environment friendly and works perfectly fine on dark.
When reading a book, im disconnected from reality anyways
@@Navhkrin No lmao, Books are not just to "Carry Knowledge". A simple hard-drive could do that, A book is made to teach a lesson to the younger generations, It's purpose is to give knowledge and guidance to our decedents in a meaningful way.
amazing how can you not appreciate the time and effort put into each and every page ! i never knew they had to make each and every letter pressed like that !
When I was in high school and college from 1966-1971) the largest paper in Joplin, MO (over 40,000 distribution, twice a day) was using Linotype machines which worked exactly like this. After the setter would type in the characters from castings of each letter made from the melted metal it was then set in a flat bed with a heavy metal frame to squeeze the letters together and form the entire single page of the newspaper. This was read (in reverse) to ensure no errors occurred and then this was pressed into a heavy thick cardboard like material semi-circle that was used to form the metal half of the circular drum which was then attached to the large printing press. Photoengraving was used to produce the pictures for the paper. After each run the metal type was put into a large cauldron and re-melted to be used over and over. I was always amazed they could do this entire complex/elaborate process twice a day.
Since I was small I always thought books were eternal.. the cover, size of the book, the font & even paper add life to the contents...have much admiration for your dedication...let handmade books live on for our children to pass on and on....
I was lucky enough to see one of these printing press when I was a kid. it was infront of my school. I was fascinated by their work.
I watched my dad do this for many hours. I used to play with the lineotype machine . Thank you
When metal type print was first introduced, it was considered revolutionary. Before that they wrote books down by hand.
@Stellvia Hoenheim and nobody asked you
Doing what you love, and to have the ones you love, want to learn, that is heaven my friend. That little girl is worth a billion.
I have always been fascinated with printing and binding books. Thank you for sharing
As an aspiring bookbinder in the Caribbean, I really admire what you all do. There is nothing like a well bound book🤩👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
This is so interesting! It's awesome to see that this craft is being preserved by these fine artisans!
My Grandfather was a linotypist (type caster) and he and my Grandmother had their own letterpress business in the 1950’s. I’m so happy they are preserving this art! I think there are 2 working type casting machines in the US if not the world that I’ve heard of.
In a world that is almost completely digital, ran by a small group of people who decide what you see and and read, having a physical tactile book in your hands that someone else cant delete or edit, will be and is more important then we realize
Physical is great now because Companies like Google can't just memory hole a physical book away.
The largest collection of usable antique book printing and binding equipment in USA is in the basement bible repair workshop at the Benedictine monestary in Richerton North Dakota, my great uncle was the guy that did the work. My grandmother is buried in the church yard, he is in the hill side ..
And I’m here reading my books from my kindle... but you know, I’d totally buy a book from those guys
I really loved reading those kinds of book in my university (they still have a lot of really old books that haven’t had any reprints)
It somehow takes you to that time when it was being written and you feel what the book has been through to get there.
Amazing! It's all started in traditional way and keeping it alive is already an achievement one.
My maternal grandfather was an engraver, I believe he did similar work except with images that he carved on to plates. He retired in the early 90’s when everything was being replaced by computer printers.
This is AMAZING! The books we order and receive at our library come to use brand new with damage and falling apart... efficiency isn’t the best way to produce what we need to last, like books we love ❤️
This is art
Im glad these people keeps this knowledge alive
That is so amazing. I have a great admiration and appreciation for their work. I love it and thank you for sharing.
This is really cool. You can tell how passionate these people are at preserving this type of printing.
Who else watched this on Valentine’s Day?
Me
I think my daughter Stephanie will enjoy this video as much as I have 💞
Thank you from sharing from the San Francisco Bay Area
That little girl is so precious. A daddy and daughters relationship is a beautiful thing
Something about this video was not only nostalgic, but very peaceful at the same time.
As someone who collects these private press books, I can flatly state that holding and reading these handcrafted books, printed letterpress on beautiful hand made papers, is an other-worldly experience. Expensive? Yes, of course, but it is still an affordable luxury.
Это такой тяжёлый, долгий и интересный способ печати!!! Это не сравниться с современными типографиями, и держа такой шедевр в руках понимаешь, сколько в него вложено сил, знаний и любви!!!
This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. Kudos.
One of the top five youtube video I hve ever seen in last 10 years ❤️
I love how wide the daughters eyes get when she asks if she “can do that”.
We started with 2 letterpress and a room full of led letters, but as time went on we had to upgrade. We still have a letterpress with us but its not operated anymore. Respect from nepal 🇳🇵
My dad used to work in a print news company where they used this technology, that's until 2002 when it went obsolete. This is nostalgia for me, every weekend my I'd visit the press and I would be so fascinated just by looking at the machines.
My goodness his daughter, my heart can't handle how sweet of a moment that is
It would’ve been cool if they also showed an illustration being printed and incorporated into the book.
Why do they have to make new molds for the letters every single time? Just make a ton of individual letters and put them together to make the words
If you do it that way then you would lose your arranged letters when you want to switch to printing something else, and to do a second printing you would need to start from scratch. It would also require disassembling and sorting the letters when you are done printing a book to be able to use them again, which might take even more additional time than making new letters does.
You learn something new everyday! Thanks for the video
I also did bookbinding as an intern for a year. The main task was repairing torn dictionaries but they also taught us how to make different types of books from scratch.
5:39 damn... i watched this on Valentines day.
Books will trend again! I can see it! Not everyone wants a page to pop up with pop ups unless its an elementary school
This is amazing it shows you how hard it would have been to print a book. I would love to learn how to do this.
The fact that he has the gear to do it at home and show his child how to do it is amazing.
The world seems to be moving ever faster. I love sitting at my desk at the end of the day and reading. Holding a book is an experience.
I’m not a reader but that would be cool to have a book made that way. Very neat.
They could reproduce and make books to order, rear books and those no longer in publication. If I had something I wanted to keep to remain important like a first edition of my own work to keep as a showpiece or family heirloom I'd pay for it if I had the money.📑📑📑📈
I never read, it's something I stopped doing shortly after school made me do it as part of my education, but my word was it fascinating to see exactly what goes into this craft. Absolutely stunning.
You make us live the time of original books of the 60s..rare craft. Hats off to all the actors.👍
I’d like to order a custom printed manual for The Society for Creative Anachronism.
I like his passion. How is he living in San Francisco on this press ? The cost of living and taxes are rediculous.
Many rich people in San Francisco with a lot money to waste on lavish stuffs such as handmade books.
@@Greenfield-yf1wh true. It's possible.
Craftsmanship is always mesmerizing to watch and I have nothing but respect for people who dedicate their time to perfect their technique and pass on their knowledge.
I always feel the end product has a soul contrary to fast profit-oriented methods.
Did this work for the first 10 years of my working life, loved it.
Set type by hand, then worked with Linotype/InterType and Ludlow.
Just a polite correction, it's Page Cord, not string. By looking at the Compositor using the Page Cord, I think it is Connerstone Page Cord, it more elasticity.
I called the Composing Room Home.
Binding is most satisfactory, and on opposite arranging the letter is most frustrating!
I love traditional bookbinding and want to, in the future, get involved with it. Thank you for this film.
I have watched (up to date 5/15/2021) all the “Still Standing” shows. I just entered my seventh century and these all touch me deeply. It gives me joy to see an episode that isn’t so depressing and about how COVID has almost made a unique and rare lifestyle almost die. Don’t get me wrong I am glad that we all can gain awareness to these vocations and if we can support them. It is nice to see these artisans doing well and I want all of these talented people, regardless of trade, or lifestyle to survive and prosper. I know my era (and those before) are a dying breed but I really enjoy watching this type of content. I wish you all the best!
Good job. Keep the letter press printing technology alive.
In the future, typing out things will become antique
@Business Insider oh no here comes a bot
"This line of work isn't fiscally viable"
Ah yes, the best kind of business
Yes because everything anyone does must be for profit.
@@honor9458 yes
I wish mine wasn't fiscally viable as well ahahah
@@honor9458
If it's a job which you chose over thousands of others, and it's outdated, foolish, and pathetic, then yes, it should be.
This isn't tradition. Old equipment isn't considered tradition. Racism isn't traditional. I've got several traditional, even conservative beliefs, but outdated equipment, is not tradition. It's fatous, and best left in a museum, not any actual working environment.
But I still respect it. Mostly because they're old books. It's still pathetic, though; just like putting a symbol on a piece of cloth and tripling its price. Remimds me of Gucci.
Wonderful! Thank you. I love old and beautiful books
Oooh a trip down memory lane. I was the in the last cohort of apprentices to train and work in letterpress at Gwasg Gee in Denbigh in N Wales. I would have loved to have worked in somewhere like Arian. Well done for keeping this lovely process going. There is no comparison with the crispness that you get from letterpress...
“You can have a book printed 500 years ago and you still enjoy it. But I can't even open a file created 20 years ago on my computer.”
This isnt just a book
This is arts
And they make masterpieces
True hardwork for sharing knowledge
Wow! Thank you for this story! That is awesome!