Port City Letterpress

Open Studio
2026-01-01 - 2026-12-30 | Port City Letterpress, 10200 US 17 North, Wilmington, NC, 28411, United States
ALL YEAR ROUND!! After completing the basic classes the student will be issued a passport. This will allow them to purchase open studio time on a monthly or quarterly basis. Students will be allowed to use the equipment to complete their own project during open studio time.

Papermaking
2026-01-01 - 2026-12-31 | Port City Letterpress, 10200 US 17 North, Wilmington, NC, 28411, United States
ALL YEAR ROUND!! The date is FLEXIBLE and will be decided upon buying the ticket for the class. We will email you and figure out a date and time according to your schedule.
This is a hands-on papermaking class for the novice. History of papermaking as well as other paper terminology will be presented. You will learn techniques for forming sheets of handmade paper using pulp prepared in our beater. The distinctive quality of hand-made paper inspires many uses.
You will make 20-30 sheets of your own paper, and will have to set up a later date to come and pick your dried paper up, as drying times can take several days.

Advance Typography and Letterpress
2026-01-01 - 2026-12-31 | NC
The focus of this course is to give the student an in-depth exposure to traditional letterpress printing on a Gordon style platen press. The student will gain confidence in being able to select the proper materials for their project. Hand composition, form composing, makeready are all presented. Both one and two color projects will be produced.
Photopolymer plates and the deep impression of modern letterpress printing will be demonstrated. Class time is 6 hours and can be in one day or 2 Day-3 hour format. The fee is $75.00

Advance Bookbinding
2026-01-01 - 2026-12-31 | NC
This one-day course will cover some advance bookbinding methods. Selection of the appropriate materials and tools needed to make your own notebooks, journals or albums. The binding methods presented will be pamphlet, accordion and stab. Students will also learn how to add a hard or case cover to their projects. Tools will be presented that should be acquired so students may pursue projects on their own. Having learn the foundation in class. Class is 6 hours and the fee is $75. If necessary a separate material fee will be added.

Fun With Books
2026-01-01 - 2026-12-31 | Port City Letterpress, 10200 US 17 North, Wilmington, NC, 28411, United States
ALL YEAR ROUND!! The date is FLEXIBLE and will be decided upon buying the ticket for the class. We will email you and figure out a date and time according to your schedule.
Learn how to make your own books. We start by using a single sheet of paper to make a book. We will continue to explore other book forms utilizing folding and gluing. At the end of the class, you will learn how to bind a book via sewing.
Feel free to bring any papers, scraps, photos, maps and printed memories to make a fun book. Class is 2.5-hour session.

Letterpress and Typography
2026-01-01 - 2026-12-31 | Port City Letterpress, 10200 US 17 North, Wilmington, NC, 28411, United States
ALL YEAR ROUND!! The date is FLEXIBLE and will be decided upon buying the ticket for the class. We will email you and figure out a date and time according to your schedule.

This workshop will cover the basics of letterpress and typography. History of type and printing will be reviewed. Printer’s measurement system. Safety and maintenance of the Kelsey and C&P Pilot Press. Form lock-up and make ready will be taught as well as inking and cleaning of a tabletop press.

You will learn how to handset lines of type and print your own project. Your project will be a short run of 10-15 note sheets or cards, which you will take home.
