The Complete Letterpress 2026

Bookings are now open for The Complete Letterpress Printer 2026! Run over 20 weeks from 4th Feb 2026 to 22nd July this course will give students a full and comprehensive grounding in Letterpress Printing The course will take place on Wednesdays between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

price £1400 / £*

date 04 Feb, 2026 - 22 Jul, 2026

times 10:30am - 13:30pm

duration 1 year

Running on Wednesdays, from 10.30am-3.30pm. (5 hour sessions over 20 weeks)

Staring 4th February and running over 20 weeks of intensive & comprehensive study to 22nd July. This year’s Complete Letterpress Printer is spread over six months immersing you in the wonderful world of letterpress printing.

You’ll be guided through all the basics of the process, from working with precision metal type up to big, colourful wood type. Along the way you’ll make a greetings card, poetry broadsides, a collaborative pamphlet and a hardback concertina book (which might even whet your appetite for trying our Book Arts course another year).

Explore the craft of letterpress printing and see where this creative journey takes you.

The course includes full Print Membership for a year to February 2027.

About The Tutor

David Armes has been working with letterpress printing since 2010. He makes artist’s books, prints and installations. His work uses text as his primary material but he blends this with elements of graphic design and expressive monoprinting to situate letterpress within the traditions of printmaking. He is equally excited by Amos Kennedy’s direct, colourful posters using wood type as he is by the precision metal type work of Jennifer Farrell (Starshaped Press) and Romano Hänni.

A keen traveller, David has worked in letterpress studios from rural Denmark to industrial Milan, from downtown Cleveland, Ohio to the remote Scottish borders. He has been artist-in-residence at the Bodleian Library (University of Oxford, UK), Industriemuseum in Ghent (Belgium), Bradford School of Art (UK) and Wells College Book Arts Center, New York (USA). He has worked on commissions for the Poetry Society, the University of York, the Nordic Summer University and East Street Arts.

David has taught in open access studios and colleges across England since 2013 and has a wealth of experience to bring to his workshops. He aims to transfer his passion and knowledge about the techniques of letterpress printing and contemporary letterpress artists to everyone he works with.

Course tutor

David Armes

David is our letterpress specialist. He has been teaching for us on weekend courses for many years and more recently has taken over the running of The Complete Letterpress printer, year-long course. He is an artist working with print, language and geography.

how to join

In order to book please enquire about availablility for the desired course. Please send an email or give a ring stating the required course and date.

0161 743 3111

info@hotbedpress.org

Do I need to be experienced to come on a course?

No experience necessary! Some courses are specifically designed for beginners; such as Introduction to Screenprint, Print or Letterpress, Painterly Screen-printing or The Art of Etching. Other courses such as Mokuhanga, Screen-printing with Natural Dyes or Photopolymer Printing are more tailored to those with some previous experience. However, if in doubt phone us to discuss.

How do I book a place on a course?

The best way to book a place is to phone us on 0161 743 3111. Our courses book up so quickly that we can be answering the phone all day whilst e-mails may take more time to get through every enquiry and still need us to phone or e-mail you back. We are a friendly bunch and can answer any of your questions when you ring to book.

Do you take a deposit to reserve a place?

No sorry, we are a small team and don't have capacity to have multiple systems in place. We only confirm bookings on full receipt of payment

What materials do I need to bring?

Nothing! We provide all materials for courses. All we need you to bring is some inspiration and clothes you don't mind getting ink on. (In Winter it is best to dress up warm too.) You will receive an introduction letter letting you know what to prepare, such as drawings, photos, photocopies, collected images, and what size you can expect to work to.

Is food provided?

If you are on a day or weekend course please bring your own food. In our small kitchen we have tea, coffee, milk, and sugar and an urn as well as a microwave. The Co-op and Sainsburys are both nearby and we have the luxury of a couple of cafes nearby now with fancy coffee.

Do you have disabled access?

We are limited in our access, with the workshop situated on the first floor and no lifts. We purchased the building in 2017 with the aim to expand and create a fully accessible facility. Unfortunately our ambitions have been set back by covid and other challenges. We are still trying to get full funding to develop the building further and be fully accessible.

Do you have any teacher training courses?

We have Wednesday evening specific CPD teacher training sessions situated under short courses or please email our education officer on education@hotbedpress.org for the details of our latest courses or to discuss bespoke courses.

We welcome new members all year round. Anyone can join. You need a little bit of experience; but that can be from doing one of our weekend or evening courses, after which you can carry on and practice what you've learnt on the course. We've got a few types of membership to suit your purse or your time. Just g to our Membership section for more details.

membership