TypesettingSG - Traditional Letterpress Heritage Studio
Yao Yu, seen here posing in his studio. TypesettingSG is a traditional letterpress studio that begun as a personal project in that aimed to preserve and promote traditional letterpress printing in Singapore, focusing mainly on movable types for all printings.
Yao Yu is the sole and primary caretaker of the studio, starting in early 2014, the studio has managed to save several printing presses, printing blocks and movable types dates back as early as 1950s. The studio continues to educate the wider general public on the history of letterpress printing through workshops, talks and exhibitions.
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Singapore has no shortage of interesting places, sometimes, you might have to look a little deeper to explore interesting places.
Recently, I found out about Typesettingsg, a studio that started in 2014 and has continued to educated people in Singapore about the history of traditional letterpress.
Through my talks with Yao Yu, I got to learn a lot more about letterpress. There is a lot of misconception about letterpress out there, some due to blissful ignorance as such a tradition was never seen as 'worth keeping', others, overtaken by more modern approaches that has 'enveloped' the traditions of letterpress.
Even I was ignorant about letterpress! But luckily, Yao Yu was extremely friendly and patient, and a great person to have a conversation with. He taught and told me about the history and background of Letterpress in Singapore, and how and where it is in the local arts scene in Singapore.
From what I’ve learned, deboss finishing was a modern value that was introduced in the 90s, a trend that differentiate from the mainstream printing. In the past this was more often seen as lack of skill and frowned upon! Because of the cost to replaced damage types due to the smashing but with polymer plates this was not an issue thus an extension of the letterpress printing in modern context.
Letterpress 'art' was one that was build on survival, and it was less so about what looks 'nice', and more so about surviving. The printingpresses of the past were there to print as a business, and they wouldn't indulge in the 'art' of the press itself. They simply didn't had time!
So that was really interesting to know and see how our modern interpretation and lens of what's art today, was merely seen as a tool.
Thank you Yao Yu for spending your precious time to educate me and give me the opportunity to photograph you and your amazing letterpresses!
You may find out more here:
Yao Yu, seen here posing with his letter press in his studio.
The history of printing press in Singapore dates back to 1823, when the Missionaries from London Missionary Society set up the Mission Press in Singapore. It closed down in 1846, but other companies also begin setting up printing presses in Singapore during this period, with the Singapore Chronicle, an English newspaper in 1824.
Letterpress printing continued into the 1980s, when it eventually got taken over by phototypesetting and desktop publishing.
Yao Yu holds up a finished copy of a print.
Yao Yu picks out a few of the many chinese characters type he has in his collection.
Yao Yu shows how the specific characters are picked and selected for the various prints required.
Yao Yu shows how the specific characters are picked and selected for the various prints required.
A close up of some of the tied up formes. In the past, formes are tied up as returning customers would require new prints, and doing so would save time and effort picking out individual types again for each printing job.
A press setup for scoring paper to fold.
Typesetting may be a small studio, but it is full of interesting and unique items and artifacts. It has a special character of its own.
If letterpress interest you and you would like to learn more, please visit TypesettingSG, you may contact them directly either on their website or instagram for any visit, workshop or talks enquiries. I hope this short photo documentary had given you some insight into the wonderful and rich world of letterpress printing in Singapore and beyond!
https://www.typesettingsg.com/
typesettingsg@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/yao_u/
Yao Yu demonstrates how one of the table-top platen press works. Movable types are typeset with a composing stick and lock with furniture in a chase. Paper are then slotted, with the printer eventually 'pressing' it, thus forming the printed copy of the forme design.
Yao Yu shows how the specific characters are picked and selected for the various prints required.
These are only a small portion of the thousands of Chinese character available within the Chinese language. A set of printing Chinese face is usually 7-10k characters. As every character would requires many duplicate of the same character, this meant that printing press in the past will have the entire rooms dedicated just for types, housing millions of Chinese types.
Yao Yu shows a collection of English alphabet types. They are stored neatly in a drawer, with letters demarcated to allow the printer easy access to the individual alphabets.
This shows how the individual letters are formed to create sentences.
I loved how something as simple as a sign for the covid period can also be unique on its own.
If you ever wondered how those traditional prints of Koi fishes during chinese new year and festive periods were made, this is what it looked like. Intricate and detailed types like these are used for special occasions.
Some of the various print designs seen pasted on the studio walls.