Typesettingsg: Old-fashioned type studio

I’m a huge fan of interesting typefaces. A good typeface can change the character of any design. Today, typefaces are dime a dozen, given the ease with which they can be created, using design software. Back in the day, it was really not as simple, with typefaces being created using wood and metal.

So, today, I decided to make a trip to a handset-typesetting studio in Singapore, Typesettingsg, where founder Yao Yu uses metal and wooden type blocks of yore, for printing.  Yu, gives me a quick demo: He first locks the movable type into a chase. Ink is then rolled onto them from the Adana letterpress printer. He then places a piece of paper on top of the inked type, and slides it under the press. This is what Yu describes as letterpress printing. Yu at work, in his studio (see below):

Honestly, I have never seen printing using movable type, so I was pretty fascinated with the set-up. The studio is scattered with typecases, which are wooden boxes used to store movable type. Apparently, there are a very few people who continue to make wooden and metal typefaces, so most of the ones he buys are from the ‘seconds’ market all over the world. These fonts are antique, he mentions. See how typefaces were packaged:

Letterpress printing is not totally outdated in studios today, but traditional letterpress has given way to modern letterpress printing, where photopolymer plates are used. Modern letterpress printing allows a lot more flexibility, allowing you to create customized designs. In traditional letterpress, designs are of course limited, and customization is very expensive or sometimes not possible. Each design has to be cast from metal or carved into wood, so you can imagine the process!

So, where does Yu plan to take this venture, which he opened a few months ago.  For one, he plans to stay away from the commercial market, and wants to focus on the education market. He is already conducting workshops for graphic designers, students, artists and grow his clientele, which cost S$100 for a 2-3 hour session. He also sells some of his prints through his Etsy store. Check out his work (so elegant!):

Through his studio, Yu wants to preserve history in some way, so that people know how typefaces were created in the past. And his love for things of the yesteryear transcend to other things too. You can’t miss the vinyl player in his studio, that doles out his favourite music from the 70s!

Check out his work at https://www.facebook.com/typesettingsg

{Photos by My Red Palette}