Handset: a typographic workshop

Across two Saturdays—10 am to 3 pm on 2 May and 9 May—you’ll work through the full traditional letterpress process inside Moveable Type Studio’s 40‑foot mobile printmaking container, hosted at The Paint Factory, Yeronga. The container is a fully equipped travelling studio: presses, wood and lead type, pigment kits, and the working ethos of a printshop all housed in one space. Stepping inside naturally slows the pace. Instead of working through screens and quick adjustments, you’re handling type, making small spacing decisions by hand, and seeing how pressure and material shape what appears on the page. The workshop stays close to the practical work and gives you a clear sense of how those choices show up in the final print.

Saturday 2 May, 10 am–3 pm

The first session introduces the studio, the tools, and the language of letterpress—from reglets and galleys to spacing systems and typographic quirks like diphthongs. You’ll work with wood and metal type to set and lock up a composition, learning how hierarchy, rhythm, and clarity become physical through spacing and arrangement. The day ends with proofing and refining your layout, preparing it for printing the following week.

Saturday 9 May, 10 am–3 pm

The second session focuses on presswork and editioning. You’ll ink, register, and print your design, exploring colour mixing and optional woodblock elements. Alongside the hands‑on work, you’ll gain insight into how traditional craft intersects with contemporary design practice—how small adjustments in pressure, alignment, and pacing influence the final print. By the end of the day, you’ll have a completed edition and a grounded understanding of the full workflow.

The workshop is facilitated by design educator and typographer Clint Harvey, founder of Moveable Type Studio, and program coordinator and printmaker Dzintra Menesis, and is limited to 8 participants to allow enough press time and individual support.

Also check out other Workshops in Yeronga.