Dawn Hollis (The Crail Press)

The Crail Press

Address: 23 High Street North, Crail, KY10 3TB

Contact details:
thecrailpress@gmail.com
instagram.com/thecrailpress/

Category: Letterpress printing

Directions: The Crail Press is located at the end of my garden, which is accessed via a shared vennel. Standing with your back to Barnett’s bakery and looking across the High Street you will see a pair of doors, one red (marked number 25) and one green (marked number 23). Go through the red door and straight down the vennel, and then through the garden door directly in front of you. You will see a long garden path with steps immediately ahead of you and the back door of the house to your right. Go up the steps and up the path to the workshop at the end of the garden.

I create art prints, stationery, and all forms of printed items (from bookmarks to beermats!) using moveable metal type and historical printing equipment, including a 200-year-old ‘Stanhope’ iron handpress. I enjoy creating designs which are inspired by nature, the sea, and the written word, as well as experimenting with the more abstract forms that can be created by combining hundreds of tiny pieces of metal and adding ink to them.

I think letterpress is an incredibly special way to create printed material, whether framed art to put on a wall or a postcard to send to a loved one – every item I print involves the physical act of ‘taking a pull’ to bring ink to paper.

I’m always delighted to share the craft of letterpress with others. Visitors are welcome to try their own hand at printing on one of my wonderful old machines, and I am happy to discuss any and all commissions – as long as it can be made with type and paper!