WINNER
2020 East Coast Music Award
Graphic/Media Artist of the Year
ABOUT
Deep Hollow Print is an award-winning letterpress printshop and graphic design business operated by Laura MacDonald in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. Laura learned the art of letterpress printing during her time at Gaspereau Press in Kentville, Nova Scotia and Hatch Show Print in Nashville, Tennessee. She prints on a 1930s-era Vandercook No. 3 cylinder press using antique wood type and original carved linoblocks.
Awards:
2020 East Coast Music Award for Graphic/Media Artist of the Year
2017 East Coast Music Award for Graphic/Media Artist of the Year
2016 East Coast Music Award for Graphic/Media Artist of the Year
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DEEP HOLLOW SESSIONS
In 2018, Deep Hollow Print moved into a beautiful new printshop in North Alton, Nova Scotia. The larger space has allowed us to host Deep Hollow Sessions: live music events happening a few times a year, or whenever circumstance dictates. A recording studio, spearheaded by audio engineer Chase Ross, has also started operating within the printshop. The studio specializes in recording singles with a quick turnaround time.
OK, BUT WHAT IS LETTERPRESS ANYWAY?
Letterpress is a form of relief printing using a press and movable type, often known for its noticable impression into the paper. It was the primary method used for printing text until it was overtaken in the 20th century by offset printing. But it has experienced a revival in recent years for its superiority in artistic integrity, quality, and tactility. Letterpress work is a skilled craft with a valuable cultural tradition, while at the same time a utilitarian trade with many practical products and uses.
Basically, wood type or metal type is set up and rearranged on the press bed. If any images are required, antique wood and metal engravings can be used, or new graphics can be made by handcarving them into blocks of wood or linoleum. Then, spacing material has to be added in to account for negative space. Everything is then locked up into the press, inked up, and using a lot of pressure, the paper is pressed against the type. It's a rewarding physical process, with a final handmade product you can touch and smell.
