Phil Cleaver: Eyes, Hand & Heart : The value of hot metal types & letterpress in design education
Channel: The New Art School
Date: 2023-01-11

Prof. Phil Cleaver – Eyes, Hand & Heart: The value of hot metal typesetting and letterpress printing in design education.

There is still no better way I believe of teaching typography than getting students to typeset and print their own work; through the process they get to know and see the magic of it.

A student’s passion for the whole process, the hot metal typesetting and the human feel of the letterpress print, results in a direct and evident contrast to seeing and developing their typographic work on a sterile computer screen.

Teaching type and typesetting on computer alone gives students no direct link or understanding of the intricacies, qualities or context of a piece of typographic work. I dislike the way typesetting is decided by the computer and not the living, breathing, sentient human. It is only through proper training in the fundamentals of hot metal and letterpress printing do you learn to beat the computer at its own game and get it to do exactly what you want it to do. Once you have the understanding, knowledge and mastery of this, you can tame the beast; the computer is then, a most fantastic tool.

Professor, Founder of et al design consultants and Impress publishing. Phil Cleaver is an award-winning graphic designer, author, and artist whose personality was formed in the labyrinthine city of London, under the influence of (among other things) Punk, the Far East and some of the design industries most prominent and influential leaders. His time is split between running et al design consultants, Impress-publishing and being Professor in the creative Industries at Middlesex University, London

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Please watch: "Design Education Talks Ep. 80 - Tony Pritchard" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or1xo5ew0yg
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