The Printing Press Lives!
When the printing press was first invented it changed the world. Literally. I mean yeah everyone was OBSESSED with printing bibles at first but eventually people started using this new printing method to spread knowledge far and wide. Nowadays we got ye olde internet to share information but that doesn’t mean the printing press is gone, oh no.
In Denver, CO Deskpass has a coworking space called Furniture Creative run by Jason Wedekind, and inside of this space is a proper graphic design and printing press business. This is a great example of a fun use of space that doubles as a fun space to work!
Luckily we haven’t lost the art of the printing or letter press and at Deskpass we’ve certainly benefited from this. Our current Deskpass business cards are printed at Furniture Creative by Jason’s business Genghis Kern and they are gorgeous! (Although, I don’t have mine yet…any chance this blog will speed that up?).
Here is our interview with Jason on the ins and outs of his business/coworking space.
How did you get into letter press printing?
I got into letterpress printing 11 years ago when, as a designer, a client brought us a very expensive business card. They had just received a new degree and wanted to add PhD to their card instead of throwing them all out. I talked to my print broker and was like “How the hell are we going to print on an already cut out business card.” To which she replied, “Easy! Use hand-fed letterpress.” She introduced me to a poet/printer named Tom Parson and the rest is history. Tom showed me how to print and put me on the “Designers who want a press” list. 3 years later, my name was on the top and I bought my first letterpress print shop. Scared shitless, not knowing if I was even going to like it… and here we are.
Give me a little insight into your printing set up? I hear it’s pretty impressive.
We have 6 presses that all see action. A 1920s 10x15 Chandler & Price made in Ohio that I started printing on, 2 “proofing presses”: A Vandercook 4 and an Asbern AD-1, a Heidelberg KSBA for large production runs, and 2 Heidelberg 10x15 Windmills, one with Foil Stamping capabilities.
What is the relation of the name Furniture to the space? Is that a printmaking thing?
Bingo! Furniture is the name of the wood we use to lock up our type and dies in the chase before we put it in the machines to print. When we moved in to an old Furniture store 3 years ago, my right hand man, Jeff said “why don’t we keep the name Furniture?” That was a fun way to bring the history of the space into the future.
And the printing name Gengis Kern…very cool. No question there just an observation.
Designers get it. Non designers think it’s cute. Which camp are you in ;) (for those who aren’t in the know, like me, here’s some insight)
What made you want to have a coworking space in the same building as your printing business?
I’m a graphic designer before a printer. Our official company name is Genghis Kern Design & Letterpress. As a self employed person working from home, I was always chasing the energy of an agency. I loved going to work in a 15 person firm, having tunes playing… making small talk with people on Monday mornings. When you start working from home, all that goes away. I was asked to share an office with 4 designer friends and jumped on that, but there was no room for my presses. When our lease was up, I went out looking for my dream space which would allow me to share space with other creatives. Thus, Furniture Creative Coworking was born.
Have any of your members used your printing services like Deskpass has?
Yes. We’ve rebranded people, printed packaging for people, and printed a bunch of business cards. It’s a neat bonus to the space. We offer a “free run” of letterpress to people who sign up for dedicated desks.
How has it been having Deskpassers in your space?
I love the randomness of it all. We get a very large number of first time Deskpass users and it’s never the same type of person twice. Just last week a social media person came in on Deskpass and we are doing some work with her now.
Make sure to give Jason Furniture Creative a visit if you’re coworking in the Denever area! If you’re not a Deskpass member but you’re interested in this space or others try us out with a FREE 30 day trial.
