Online Video Content & Letterpress Printing

Kate Green BA (Hons) Visual Communication 2014/15 Can online video content be effectively employed to develop a new audience for letterpress printing in Yorkshire?

Word count: 9,826

1

Acknowledgements Thank you to everyone who generously gave of their time to help me realise this research project, particularly those who let me film them.

2

Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 2 Contents .............................................................................................................. 3 List of Illustrations ............................................................................................... 5 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1 Something old, something new: letterpress printing’s relationship with Web 2.0 and its usefulness in audience development ...................................................... 8 The Information Age ........................................................................................ 9 Letterpress printing ........................................................................................ 11 Developing an audience for print in the digital era ........................................ 15 Chapter 2 Examples of audience development through Web 2.0 and online video content. .......................................................................................................................... 20 Typeface ........................................................................................................ 22 Moveable Type Truck .................................................................................... 27 WeLoveLetterpress.com ............................................................................... 30 MakeWorks.co.uk .......................................................................................... 33 Specific lessons learnt from others' work ...................................................... 36 Chapter 3 Square Eye Printing: an audience development tool for letterpress printing .... 37 Initial response .............................................................................................. 39 Idea development .......................................................................................... 42 Key messages ............................................................................................... 47 Audience ....................................................................................................... 48 Reaching the audience .................................................................................. 49 Square Eye Printing ...................................................................................... 50 3

Chapter 4 An evaluation of Square Eye Printing ............................................................... 54 Social Media – Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook ..................................................... 56 Website visitors ............................................................................................. 57 Web visitors survey ....................................................................................... 58 General findings ............................................................................................ 61 Missed opportunities ..................................................................................... 62 Summary of findings ...................................................................................... 63 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 64 Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 65 Appendix 1: Vimeo statistics ............................................................................. 70 Appendix 2: Google Analytics ........................................................................... 72 Appendix 3: website survey results ................................................................... 76

4

List of Illustrations Figure 1. Getty Images, 2014. ‘How does one do this?’ The Queen sent her first tweet today [photograph] Available at: http://goo.gl/WnoHjT [Accessed 30 December 2014]……………………………………………….10 Figure 2. Nine05, 2014. Letterpress printing at Old City Press [photograph] Available at: http://goo.gl/2kNRGK [Accessed 30 December 2014]……...11 Figure 3. Nick Sherman, 2008. Typeface film poster designed by Nick Sherman. [letterpress print] Available at: http://goo.gl/MUQv6b [Accessed 30 December 2014]…………………………………………………………….22 Figure 4. Kartemquin Films, 2009. A designer looks at a wall of woodblock in Typeface. [Film still] Available at: http://goo.gl/1x1BmB [Accessed 30 December 2014] ……………………………………………………………….23 Figure 5. Kartemquin Films, 2008. Typeface DVD cover [DVD cover].

Available at: http://goo.gl/F11L7r [Accessed 30 December 2014]……..…23 Figure 6. Kartemquin Films, 2009. Norb Brylski at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum [Film still] Available at: http://goo.gl/hoN0rc [Accessed 30 December 2014] ……………………………………………………………24 Figure 7. Nick Sherman, 2007. Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum [Photograph] Available at: http://goo.gl/nkD26l [Accessed 30 December 2014] …………………………………………………………………………….25 Figure 8. Ted Ollier, 2011. Movable Type Truck near Harvard University [Photograph]. Available at: http://goo.gl/weL2UE [Accessed 30 December 2014] …………………………………………………………………………….27 Figure 9. LLC, 2011. Women’s Work/Movable Type Truck/Lincoln, Nebrasky [Photograph]. Available at: http://goo.gl/mvcNRF [Accessed 8 January 2015] ………………………………………………………………….28 Figures 10-13. Helen Armstrong, 2011. Movable Type Truck Visits Miami [Photographs]. Available at http://goo.gl/4e9k9M [Accessed 30 December 2014] …………………………………………………………………………….29 Figure 14. We Love Letterpress, 2015. We Love Letterpress homepage [Website]. Available at www.weloveletterpress.com [Accessed 5 January 2015] …………………………………………………………………………….30 Figure 15. We Love Letterpress, 2015. We Love Letterpress interview with Rebecca from Do You Punctuate [Website]. Available at http://goo.gl/RrTGBh [Accessed 5 January 2015] ………………………….31 Figure 16. We Love Letterpress, 2015. We Love Letterpress: Inspiration [Website] Available at http://goo.gl/Uk8UmL [Accessed 5 January 2015].31 Figure 17. Make Works, 2015. Make Works homepage [Website].

Available at www.makeworks.co.uk [Accessed 5 January 2015]…………33

5

Figure 18. Vimeo/Make Works, 2015. Make Works Vimeo profile [Website].

Available at www.vimeo.com/makeworks [Accessed 5 January 2015]…..34 Figure 19. Make Works, 2015. Make Works Piccolo Press profile [Website]. Available at: http://goo.gl/24IJpp [Accessed 5 January 2015].35 Figure 20-22. Kate Green, 2014. Illustrations of shooting style [Film still] ………………………………………………………………………………..40-41 Figure 23. Kate Green, 2014. A slug of metal type released from the Ludlow Typograph machine at The Print Project -- part of the Print Room series [Film still]. ……………………………………………………………….42 Figure 24. Kate Green, 2014. Recording the use of the Proofing Press at The Print Project with a GoPro and head attachment-- part of the Print Room series [Film still]. ……………………………………………………….44 Figure 25. Kate Green, 2014. Daniel Whinney from the Printers series [Film still]. ………………………………………………………………………45 Figure 26. Kate Green, 2014. The Original Heidelberg from the Print Room series [Film still]. ………………………………………………………………45 Figure 27. Kate Green, 2014. A film still showing the logo in use as credits [Film still]. ………………………………………………………………………46 Figure 28. Kate Green, 2014. Application of the logo on Twitter [Screen shot] …………………………………………………………………………….46 Figure 29. Kate Green, 2014. A black version of the logo [Image]………46 Figure 30. Liss West (#ashtag the Planet), n.d. I Almost Bought You A Letter Press Card ... But You're Not A Hipster, greeting card. [Image] Available at: http://goo.gl/vK7Yy7 [Accessed 5 January 2015]……………48 Figure 31. Kate Green, 2015. Square Eye Printing homepage.

[Screenshot] Available at: www.squareeyeprinting.com [Accessed 5 January 2015] ………………………………………………………………….50 Figure 32. Kate Green, 2015. Square Eye Printing The Print Room.

[Screenshot] Available at: www.squareeyeprinting.com [Accessed 8 January 2015] ………………………………………………………………….51 Figure 33. Kate Green, 2015. Square Eye Printing The Printers.

[Screenshot] Available at: www.squareeyeprinting.com [Accessed 8 January 2015] …………………………………………………………………51 Figure 34. Kate Green, 2015. Square Eye Printing Sarah Nicholson.

[Screenshot] Available at: www.squareeyeprinting.com [Accessed 8 January 2015] ………………………………………………………………….53 Table 1: Collated data from the Vimeo statistics (all figures taken from 7 January 2015). …………………………………………………………………56

6

Introduction The dissertation investigates whether or not online video content can be effectively employed to develop the audience for letterpress printing in Yorkshire.

Principles of audience development, marketing, and Web 2.0 form the theoretical backbone, while discussions around historic and contemporary letterpress printing provide context.

Face-to-face interviews with letterpress printers in Yorkshire informed the creative response along with an analysis of creative practice related to letterpress printing and audience development, including the 2009 film Typeface, the 2011 Movable Type Truck programme of workshops, and the website We Love Letterpress.

The creation of online video content featuring Yorkshire-based letterpress printers and associated individuals formed the creative response and tested the theory. The success of the video in terms of audience development was ascertained through qualitative and quantitative primary research with the target audience.

The growth of video across the internet in general and a renaissance of letterpress printing amongst desk-bound creatives attracted by its ‘ostentatious tactility’ (A.C., 2014) indicates that online video content can form a key part of audience development in letterpress printing.

It is my career interests in online video content and curiosity about this new wave of letterpress printers in a digital age that led this dissertation.

7

Chapter 1

Something old, something new: letterpress printing’s relationship with Web 2.0 and its usefulness in audience development

8

The Information Age We live in the ‘Information Age’ – ‘a time when large amounts of information are widely available to many people, largely through computer technology’ (Collins Dictionary, 2014). Not since 1450, when Gutenberg invented the European printing press and printing with movable type was commercialised, has information seen such a leap in volume, availability and dispersion.

Eisenstein would argue that the printing press was the very start of this age: ‘…it is necessary to point out that the process that began in the midfifteenth century has not ceased to gather momentum in the age of the computer print-out and the television guide. Indeed the later phases of an on-going communications revolution seem altogether relevant to what is happening within our homes, universities, or cities at present.’

(Eisenstein, 1979, p.704) The Science Museum (London) may argue with Eisenstein that information technology does not date back 500 years to the invention of the printing press but only 200 years to the invention of the telegram. The Museum’s 2014 exhibition Information Age completely excluded print but was still of great note as the opening was the scene of Her Majesty The Queen sending her first tweet (Figure 1). It read: ‘It is a pleasure to open the Information Age exhibition today at the @ScienceMuseum and I hope people will enjoy visiting. Elizabeth R.’ (Queen Elizabeth II, 2014) This action truly cemented us in not only the Information Age, but in the realms of Web 2.0.

Popularized by Tim O'Reilly, ‘guru of the participation age’ (Levy, 2005), Web 2.0 is: ‘the internet viewed as a medium in which interactive experience, in the form of blogs, wikis, forums, etc., plays a more important role than simply accessing information’ (Collins Dictionary, 2014).

9

O’Reilly refers to Web 2.0 as ‘Web as Platform’: a service (not a product) that has a rich user experience and democratization for viewer, publisher, and developer (O'Reilly, 2005).

Figure 1: The Queen sending her first tweet.

Curiously, Eisenstein (1979) refers to the printing press in a similar format, she calls it the ‘Agent of Change’ and this description could be added to the definition of Web 2.0: ‘Eisenstein’s arguments that print operated as an agent rather than merely a tool of change in the early modern period, students of latetwentieth century electronic media have frequently viewed PPAC’s [The Printing Press as an Agent of Change (1979)] delineation of print’s consequences – its revolutionary effects on knowledge production, cognitive processes, and cultural, intellectual, and social formations – as a template for charting the transformative capacity of new media in postmodern society.’ (Alcorn Baron et al., 2007) It is this belief that the internet can work as an agent to affect change amongst audiences that may indeed be what breathes new life into the original agent – letterpress printing.

10

Letterpress printing Letterpress printing is a type of ‘relief’ printing where the areas to be printed are raised above the area not to be printed (Figure 2). Ink is rolled across the letter or shape and paper is then pressed down onto it. When the paper is lifted up the ink has been transferred to the paper. This process can be repeated any number of times.

Figure 2: A letterpress design on the press ready to be inked and printed.

The type or shapes are ordinarily made from wood or metal although some modern examples may make use of photopolymer plates. Traditionally the letterpress printer would have a variety of fonts available in a number of sizes and would print using a printing press.

Taking guidance from the one academic text on the subject – Letterpress: New Application for Traditional Skills by David Jury (2006) – this study shall follow his example and refer to letterpress printing as a craft. A notion seconded and explained by Alix Christie writing in Crafts (2014) ‘printing, like all craft is first and foremost physical.’

11

Johann Gutenberg (Johann Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg) (c. 1400 – c. 1468) is known as the inventor of the printing press. The Encyclopaedia Britannica (no date) states that he resided in Mainz, Germany, and in 1450 began to print ‘commercially’ using a press he invented for use with movable type, hence the name letterpress printing (Steinberg, 1996, p.4). This is the history known in the West; printing with movable type started some eight hundred years previous in China and slowly spread west (Barrett, 2008).

Although the business of printing evolved – for example in the areas of typography, publishing, and design – ‘punch-cutting, matrix-fitting, type-casting, composing and printing remained, in principle, for more than three centuries where they were in Gutenberg’s time.’ (Steinberg, 1996, p.6) It was in the twentieth century, with the adoption of quicker and more cost effective print methods (lithographic offset printing and phototypesetting) that letterpress printing fell out of fashion. Printing presses and the associated equipment were scrapped by many printers or converted to fold and perforate paper instead.

In a wider context, at that time post Second World War Britain was embracing new technology and shunning the old (Jewett, 1944) (MacMillan, 2009).

As a commercial venture in the 1960s it seemed that letterpress printing was in its death throws (Williamson, 2013, p.68). In a face-to-face interview for this dissertation, printmaker, designer, and letterpress tutor Brian Hindmarch (2014) detailed that the craft was being maintained in the UK in the 1970s by a handful of fine press printers, poets, and art school anarchists exploring punk counter cultures and self publishing, e.g. through the creation of zines1.

1

Zines are self-published and uncensored magazines, often produced in the cut 12

Although it may have taken forty years for the craft to find its footing again, it seems to be emerging as a darling to the computer-bound communication and design professional of the new millennia. Indeed, for this study the three relatively new hobby letterpress printers who were found in the Yorkshire region all worked in this sector in various roles. Of the three ‘jobbing’2 letterpress printers interviewed, one previously worked as a graphic designer while the others undertook apprenticeships in the print industry.

When investigating contemporary letterpress printing it was difficult to uncover any authoritative research that would clarify and quantify the volume, state and popularity of contemporary letterpress printing, or reveal the demographics of participants. In a recent article in The Economist (A.C., 2014), research by Angie Butler of the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of England suggested that a third of those using letterpress have been doing so for less than five years, however her research was limited to letterpress printed artists’ books.

In a face-to-face interview letterpress printer Daniel Whinney (2014) suggested a correlation between emerging interest in vinyl records, film cameras and other analogue technology with a rise in interest with letterpress printing, and that this rejection of modern technology is not just simply in graphic design. The Economist describes this as ‘digital fatigue’ (A.C., 2014).

Oddly, both the rejection of and the embrace of new technology may have helped reinvigorate the craft.

‘Photopolymer soon became the industry favourite’ (Williamson, 2013, p.68) as graphics could be designed on a computer and transferred to a polymer plate that leaves the areas to be printed raised once exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, rather than composing a printing plate with individual letters, which some consider time consuming and design-limiting.

2

Commercially viable and accepting print jobs.

13

The rise of Web 2.0 must also have played a role. Those jumping from the communication industries to letterpress have brought with them the understanding of social media in building a community and promoting their business and as such increased letterpress printing’s share in visual culture through the likes of Instagram; a photo sharing app, which coincidentally allows the user to give their images a vintage analogue look.

Others too address cultural trends: ‘…letterpress has mostly seen its fame in glossy wedding magazines, lauded by the Martha Stewarts of the world, coveted by chic brides-to-be as the ultimate wedding stationery.’ (Mise, 2014, p.12) Trends in home furnishings have seen a demand for wood type letters as ornaments in the home and type drawers re-appropriated as coffee tables and wall displays, raising awareness of the ephemera of print.

The success of craft-based online market places - Etsy, Not on the High Street, and Folksy - has made it easier than ever for printers to run online shops and for people to be exposed to their work and easily purchase letterpress prints.

The overriding driver for a letterpress renaissance appears to be the desire in the printmaker to reconnect with the physical, to engage all their senses, and to feel authentic. For those that buy it, the individuality of the print counters the mass production of the other items in their life; having one of only twenty prints, for example, makes the owner feel special and unique compared to others.

With this burgeoning interest in letterpress printing the time seems right to use the momentum to transfer interest into participation and develop the audience.

14

Developing an audience for print in the digital era Audience development is defined by the Arts Council England as an:

‘…activity which is undertaken specifically to meet the needs of existing and potential audiences and to help arts organisations to develop ongoing relationships with audiences. It can include aspects of marketing, commissioning, programming, education, customer care and distribution.

‘Audience’ includes attendees, visitors, readers, listeners, viewers, participants, learners and people who purchase works of art.’ (Arts Council England, 2011, p.2) Audience development is important because it raises awareness of letterpress printing and encourages involvement; without such there is the potential for the craft to become endangered and the equipment destroyed. There are also the social and cultural benefits of participating in letterpress printing ranging from general health and wellbeing from arts participation to the wider economic benefits that sees the craft economy generating nearly £3.4bn annually for the UK economy (Crafts Council, 2014).

The particular demographics of the audience, designers and communicators who work in related fields but have little or no experience of letterpress, are discussed further in Chapters 2 and 3.

The letterpress businesses researched have had between one and three employees, making time and financial resources limited for investment in audience development. However Web 2.0 does help ease these pressures, e.g. a photograph taken with a mobile phone and posted to Instagram will take less time than printing and distributing a flyer and will reach a much wider and more targeted audience.

15

Examining the potential audience we see that increasingly sophisticated devices are commonplace - smart phones are now owned by 61% of the UK population, while household take-up of tablet computers has almost doubled over the past year to 44% which means that the ways and frequency in which people are connecting to the internet continues to evolve (Ofcom, 2014, p.3). In addition 47% of UK adults claim to access social networking sites, with Facebook being the most popular (Ofcom, 2014, pp.285-86), shifting the culture in how we wish to gather information and connect with others.

Printers have already recognised social media’s usefulness in promoting their business. They include the text #letterpress in their posts to categorise it, therefore it is included in any search for letterpress other social media users may do. This connects the active online community of printers and allows them to showcase their work and equipment through online content, like photography and video.

However, research indicates that New North Press (London) is the only UK print shop to have embraced video so significantly. In total they have eight videos embedded on their website, created by various filmmakers and highlighting different projects they have been involved in. The videos have been uploaded to online video sharing sites Vimeo and YouTube.

The marketing industry would suggest that video is the way forward for audience development and would say that it is no coincidence that New North Press was one of the easiest UK letterpress printers to find via the Internet and one of the most well known print shops amongst the printers interviewed.

16

Commercial research claims that: •

By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic (Cisco, 2014).

•

YouTube is consistently the third most visited site on the web (after Google and Facebook) (Alexa, 2014).

•

More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month (YouTube, n.d.).

•

Film increases the impact of brand communications by almost 70% (Logistik, n.d.).

•

YouGov research (September 2014) suggests that 72% of British people watch short online video clips, and 59% watch films online (Internet Advertising Bureau UK, 2014).

This ever-increasing number of online viewers and investment confirms that the use of video on Web 2.0 provides the ideal platform for audience development.

With this use of new technology in mind, what engagement in the arts means needs reconsidered. A National Endowment for the Arts study in 2012 showed that ‘meaningful arts participation’ now includes the creation, consumption, and engagement of art on an electronic platform, with nearly 71% of American adults surveyed participating in this way (National Endowment for the Arts, 2013).

17

Although this seems very positive, there are some downsides, as ‘consumers [find] it difficult to appreciate craft’s tactile, aesthetic properties on screen’ (Yair, 2012, p.1). However, what is lost in aesthetics is made up for through added value: ‘Social media allows the hidden stories behind the craft object to be told, and in the process builds buyers’ appreciation of the work and its value…

These stories are significant because, without them, it can be difficult for the potential buyer to recognise the true value – both cultural and monetary - of the craft object.’ (Yair, 2012, p.3) Yair (2012, p11) goes on to explain that ‘photos and video seem to be particularly important’ in building networks and conversations between makers and their audience.

The Victoria & Albert Museum (London) invests heavily in video content and points out that one of the benefits of this is that ‘it allows us to populate other sites with V&A Channel content, reaching new audiences while retaining ownership of the films.’ (Moffat, 2014).

London theatre, Sadler’s Wells, agrees. Their video The Most Incredible Thing has been embedded on 58 other sites. They also refer to video as a way to ‘manage risk’, giving the new audience an opportunity to feel more confident in their purchase, breaking down barriers to their participation (Jayasekera, 2011).

Other organisations that share a similar audience as letterpress printing recognise the importance of film too; the Crafts Council (England) offer a whole section on their website entitled Craft on Film and the Creative Review magazine has recently launched a documentary series hosted on their website entitled A Passion for Craft.

18

The case for the use of film is strong and with better quality and less expensive technology, such as smart phones, it is within the reach of the printer. However, filmmaking is a skill in itself and requires time and confidence to master. There are additional difficulties if the person filming is also the person featuring. It may also be the case that the audience enjoy quality films with a high production value that simply cannot be achieved with cheaper technology and inexperience.

A possible solution, and in the spirit of the networking capabilities of Web 2.0, is for the letterpress printers in Yorkshire to work together on online video content by pooling resources, skills, and contacts for the wider benefit of the craft.

19

Chapter 2

Examples of audience development through Web 2.0 and online video content.

20

A variety of approaches have been used to raise awareness of, and interest in, letterpress printing to further develop the audience.

Possibly amongst the most well known is the 2009 movie Typeface, which profiles the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum (USA) and the parties interested in it. It has been shown in cinema settings, on television, private showings, and is available on DVD. Letterpress printer Kyle Durrie took a different approach and literally created movable type by building a print shop in a truck and touring America with it in 2011, offering workshops and print for sale to a variety of communities.

We Love Letterpress took a third approach, creating an online community where people can discover letterpress printers from across the world.

Chapter 2 further introduces and analyses these creative practices, offering a critique on their success in terms of audience development for letterpress printing and profiling Make Works as an alternative example of best practice outside of the letterpress printing community.

21

Typeface Typeface is an independent documentary film produced by Kartemquin Films, a not-for-profit organisation, and released in 2009 (Figure 3). The sixty-minute film was produced and directed by Justine Nagan on a modest $100,000 budget.

Centred around the rural Midwestern Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin (Figure 7) the film explores the history of the Hamilton wood type factory and the town, examining the people who made the type and those who wish to use it nowadays.

Figure 3

The Museum is a central character as it is one of the few museums dedicated to the preservation, study, production and printing of wood type. It has 1.5 million pieces of wood type and more than 1,000 styles and sizes of patterns, making the collection the largest in the world.

After an exuberant start where Chicago-based creatives literally dashed to the Museum to caress the type (Figure 4), the veil was soon lifted to reveal despair; grey in tone and filled with shaky hand-held shots it’s as if the depression of the rather dull and bumbling museum director and the crumbling building affected the film crew. Although this treatment did not allow the full beauty of both the printing process and the prints to come through it did drive home the failing state of the Museum, and of the country in its failing to protect its heritage.

The desire to care about wood type came from the plethora of knowledgeable historians, artists, designers, printers, and typographers who shared their personal connections with the craft, its importance, and the key role of the Museum.

22

Figure 4

To gather opinions on the impact of Typeface, the film (Figure 5) was screened to a group of six Visual Communication students. After the film all participants felt that letterpress printing was something that they would like to try; there was also concern over the potential loss of related skills due to the apprenticetrained final-generation of craft people dying out.

In a review for the Font Bureau, Inc. blog the shortcomings of the film are highlighted: ‘It must be difficult to capture the absolute pleasure of letterpress without seeing one in person...The enjoyment is as much tactile as it is visual. There was one instance in the film that came close: someone was squeezing ink onto a palette and the sound picked up the gooey lusciousness. I could feel my fingers wanting to get dirty. But then I’d find myself distracted that a documentary lamenting the demise of an antiquated art form was shot with a digital video camera.’

(Weissman, 2011)

Figure 5: DVD cover

23

The surveyed group seconded this notion, feeling that the shots were about recording activity and were too wide to capture the tactility of the process (Figure 7). The film did not fully express the joy of letterpress printing beyond the intrigue of it to a bunch of city-folk tired of their digital life.

Figure 6

Despite a lack of satisfaction with the filming choices it appears that the documentary rescued the Museum, which has recently [2014] moved into brand new and larger premises under the much-improved management of new museum director, Jim Moran.

It is difficult to know if Kartemquin Films set out to save the Museum or to simply document it and the people before it was too late; regardless, using film as a medium to discuss the production and use of wood type in letterpress printing certainly encouraged the members of the focus group to try the craft, with all viewers wishing to attend a workshop post-film.

24

Following a scathing review in Eye Magazine by Sally Jeffery (2010), one commenter said: Leah • 5 years ago ‘I seen this film a number of weeks ago and it [was] brilliant. I opened my eyes to the world of letterpress. A really interesting film, anyone with a love of typography should watch.’

The key part of Leah’s comment is the mention of an eager audience just waiting to be informed of the craft, in her example ‘typography lovers’. From Chapter 1 you can also add graphic designers and marketing/communication professionals. It does not take a great deal of persuasion to get these individuals to commit an hour to watch a film that sits on the edge of their sphere of interests, yet is new and interesting enough to motivate them to watch. It’s a captive audience in comparison to converting someone with little interest in design or craft practices – it is difficult to imagine engaging the disinterested audience in attending a film screening or purchasing the DVD let alone moving them through a journey to where they seek out opportunities to print.

Figure 7

25

Typeface represents a new wave of documentary films released over the past six years including, Helvetica (2007), Linotype (2012), Objectified (2009), Lemonade (2009) and Sign Painters (2014), all exploring visual culture and the people involved in it. Typeface is part of the current zeitgeist known as ‘hipster’; described as ‘a counter-culture tribe of young creative types’ (Ferrier, 2014). It is little wonder that they would seek out vintage and nonmainstream ways to express their creativity, in particular being open and receptive to letterpress printing. (Figure 30.)

This malleable audience may represent easy wins within audience development for letterpress printing but it questions whether or not they are the only group, or even the correct group, to introduce to the craft with a view to continuing and developing the skills. Should the audience be those one-step away from the craft, or those who are many?

26

Moveable Type Truck Kyle Durrie, owner of Power and Light Press in Silver City, New Mexico (USA), created the Movable Type Truck in 2011 (Figure 8) when she set up a print studio in a 1982 Chevy step van and took it on a ten-month tour of the States.

She parked up at farmers' markets, fairs, art galleries, community centres, and schools, providing printing demonstrations, teaching workshops, and sharing the

beauty of letterpress printing (Figure 10).

‘With an abiding interest in travelling the byways, Ms Durrie has become a Johnny Letterseed, stopping hither and yon to reintroduce generations brought up on on-screen displays of text to the delicious smell of ink, the satisfaction of handling heavy blocks of metal and wood type, and the joy of producing something palpable, made by dint of manual effort from start to finish. Who knows—she may win some converts to the resurgent metal arts.’ (G.F., 2011) This hands-on experience was what was lamented as missing from the onscreen experience of letterpress, and any new user is therefore able to engage all of the senses and have a much deeper and meaningful engagement and understanding of the craft (Figure 13). The fact that you could leave the van with an experience or a piece of print as a positive reward for participating in letterpress printing could be described as ‘operant conditioning’ and ‘behaviour that is rewarded or reinforced will be Figure 8: The Movable Type Truck near Harvard University

continued, whereas behaviour that is not rewarded will cease’ (Fill, 2013, p.81).

27

However, Durrie plotted the van’s route mainly based on visiting locations with well-known printing programs and shops (McCray, 2011) (Figure 9), targeting a captive audience and not having to take them from a ground-floor starting point.

In saying that: ‘The people who step inside the Type Truck range from artists, printmakers, and designers who have an understanding of language, design, and typography, to people who know nothing about letterpress printing. Kyle…has especially enjoyed working with teenagers. “‘This generation has been raised with virtual reality and a bit of an alienation that’s a part of our culture,…To see that moment when they realize ‘I have this physical thing I made! That was so easy!’ is very exciting.”’

(McCray, 2011) But in choosing venues like schools, libraries, community centres, and markets around centres of print new audiences were reached (Figures 10-13).

Durrie did not exclusively rely on word-of-mouth to promote her Moveable Type Truck, but Web 2.0. She used the online crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to generate the funds for the project, and whilst on the road blogged, tweeted and instagrammed the experiences. She also used film to support her Kickstarter project, and she undertook two interviews during the project (it is unclear but suggestive of her being approached to participate rather than instigating the film).

Figure 9: Porridge Papers is a papermill and letterpress printing studio in Nebraska

28

Web 2.0 connected interested parties and gave opportunities for two-way conversations, thus creating a ‘tribe’.

‘What tribes are, is a very simple concept that goes back 50,000 years. It's about leading and connecting people and ideas. And it's something that people have wanted forever. Lots of people are used to having a spiritual tribe, or a church tribe, having a work tribe, having a community tribe. But now, thanks to the internet, thanks to the explosion of mass media, thanks to a lot of other things that are bubbling through our society around the world, tribes are everywhere.’ (Godin, 2009) Contemporary letterpress printers appear to be very aware of their tribe; as part of this research project I have followed many of them on Twitter and Instagram where a very enthusiast audience of likeminded people wait to hear letterpress printing news and discuss the craft.

Figure 11

Figure 10

Figure 12

Figure 13

29

WeLoveLetterpress.com An example of ‘leading and connecting people and ideas’ (Godin, 2009) within letterpress printing is the website weloveletterpress.com (Figure 14). Based in Germany, the two people who organise the English-language site, like me, are not printers but nonetheless love the craft and wish to support practitioners.

The very name of it suggests passion and community and their website reinforces this by pulling in conversations and visuals from across many social media platforms. It also profiles letterpress printers with a short interview and profile page, which includes images of their work.

Although superficially very exciting, engaging, and ‘leading’, very little of the content is produced by the website owners and the active element seems to be hijacked content, e.g. a live Figure 14

stream of Twitter posts marked #letterpress (Figure 14).

The website outlines its mission as: ‘…focus on helping them sell more of their beautiful work. That is our mission and we hope while browsing through the pages you fall in love with letterpress as much as we did (if you aren't addicted to it already anyway)…’ (We Love Letterpress, n.d.)

The site misses the mark on its mission; it is directory-like, acting as a middleman to letterpress print businesses rather than giving mechanisms that aid connections with the craft.

30

In terms of audience development it is of most use to those already knowledgeable; those engaged and simply wishing to extend the list of printers they like. A person new to letterpress printing will find it hard to understand the processes and how to take their involvement further than the passive reading.

It is also difficult to find print to purchase and you ultimately need to drill through several levels before being directed to visit the printer’s website (Figure 15).

Figure 15

31

A small sample group of five respondents, with no experience of letterpress printing, gave open responses on their thoughts of the We Love Letterpress website via social media. All felt that the site was for people with more experience than themselves and that a more streamline design with better organisation and explanatory text would assist. One respondent said ‘clueless as to the site's purpose… I don't get any sense of what letterpress is, what the site is going to tell me or what benefit I will get from staying on the site’ while another said ‘sadly it just didn't entice me to stay on the site.’ The only positive comment amongst the written feedback was ‘Looks groovy!’.

Overall it is not a ‘rich user experience’ (O'Reilly, 2005), as outlined in Chapter 1. It completely misses all the elements that people love about letterpress and is very low on quality visual content and there is an absence of video content. The Inspiration page – a collation of images of letterpress printed items – is the best bit of the website (Figure 16).

Figure 16

32

MakeWorks.co.uk An example of better practice would be makeworks.co.uk (Figure 17). It claims to be a directory of Scottish industry but is much more. ‘We are designers and advocates of locally sourced production. Our mission is to make it easier for creative professionals to work with [industry] and produce high quality work using local production.’ (Make Works, 2014) The site is a showcase of industry in Scotland, enlivened by professional and beautifully shot video and photography content that engages and informs. The presentation allows for quick and easy browsing of the comprehensive information provided on each company.

And, most importantly, the contact details for each business are presented in a very user-friendly manner.

Navigation is simple, allowing the user to follow a specific line of enquiry, e.g. printing, or to simply explore and discover.

Other videos and articles are suggested to the viewer based on what is currently being viewed, adding value to the experience and potentially increasing the length of time spent on the site.

Figure 17

33

To be successful this type of audience communication needs to: ‘present an offering that is new to the receiver; be interesting and stimulating; be personally significant.’ (Fill, 2013, p.130) Makeworks.co.uk delivers on this promise, and more - it has more content than one could view during one visit presented in an informative and interesting userfocussed way, covering topics both new and current to the visitor.

The videos are the key element to the site. Restricted to around 90 seconds each, the bite-sized work humanises Scottish industry through interviews, and illustrates making processes that adds interest to the subject matter.

Utilising a similar format and shooting style in each video, the viewer feels comfortable transitioning between genres as varied as woodcutting and gilding (Figure 18).

The site excites the user about Figure 18 Make Works’ Vimeo site where their videos are hosted

Scottish industry and actively builds the audience by giving them

reasons to care (people, skills, service, something in it for them), easy ways to continue to visit the site, and build their relationship with companies (highlighting more videos and photos, working links to makers websites, contact details, and other platforms to connect via) (Figure 19).

34

Figure 19

35

Specific lessons learnt from others’ work This chapter has outlined four examples of creative practice in audience development and highlighted good and bad practice within each; my creative response needs to be mindful of these lessons learnt by others.

By combining best practice and noting less successful elements, such as presuming the audience knows more than they do, or limiting reach, a creative response may be produced that develops the audience for letterpress printing in Yorkshire and takes into account the associated tight timescale and limited budget available to deliver it.

Key points to be considered within the creative response include:

•

Clearly explain what letterpress printing is and give examples of techniques and prints.

•

Illustrate the rich, tactile nature of letterpress printing.

•

Have a clear idea of who the audience is and where to find them.

•

Keep the audience and their needs at the centre of the work.

•

Make it as easy as possible for the audience to fulfil their potential or continue on their letterpress journey after initial contact.

•

Ensure storytelling and the presence of the practitioners in the work.

36

Chapter 3

Square Eye Printing: an audience development tool for letterpress printing

37

Square Eye Printing celebrates and explores the craft of letterpress printing and provides opportunities for current and new audiences to participate in the craft through a series of films hosted on a website – www.SquareEyePrinting.com.

The aims of the project are supported and communicated through social media.

Square Eye Printing aims to develop an audience for letterpress printing in Yorkshire; encouraging people to try or buy letterpress print. The target audience are those with creative interests but limited experience or knowledge of letterpress printing, e.g. the graphic designer or ‘hipster’. This is an easy group to win over if letterpress printing is presented to them in a way that matches their values and appeals to their aesthetics. They are also the most powerful in terms of quickly embracing the craft and introducing others to it through their social networks.

Chapter 3 describes the development of the Square Eye Printing, from its genesis as a documentary film through to its final form as a project that encompasses all the opportunities presented by Web 2.0 and provides reasoning for the choices made. It also illustrates the final work through text and images.

38

Initial response As a creative practitioner I have a short attention span for projects and am very task motivated; researching and responding over a six-month period with a blank-page approach does not suit my working style. For that reason I took a non-traditional approach to my dissertation and used a project I had been thinking about – a documentary film exploring a friend’s passion for letterpress printing – and basing my dissertation around this idea.

As I developed and researched letterpress printing I became increasingly interested in it as a heritage craft and the way the use of the skills are captured using video - not only to record living history but to be used by organisations such as the Craft Council and the Heritage Craft Association to promote awareness and understanding amongst their online communities. I was curious as to how the past and the future of letterpress printing sat together and what could be lost or gained in society’s transition to the digital era.

The goal for my creative response was therefore to shine a light on traditions whilst enthusing a new generation to see value in the equipment, the processes, and the output - encouraging the development of a new audience and support for current practitioners.

The film was confined to Yorkshire to minimise demand on resources. Giving a specific geographic context rooted and strengthened the work. Yorkshire’s historic relationship with letterpress printing reinforced the heritage aim.

Whilst developing the documentary I lent heavily on the ideas presented in Typeface (2009) to give direction to my pre-production work. My approach was to interview a range of local experts with similar credentials to those featured in the movie.

39

These included:

•

Print Gallery volunteers (Bradford Industrial Museum);

•

Visible members of the letterpress community - The Print Project and Derdlab/Oldfield Press;

•

Letterpress tutor and printmaker Brian Hindmarch;

•

Novice printers Sarah Nicholson and Dan Whinney;

•

Typographer Graham Tansley;

•

Graphic designer Aidan Nolan;

•

And employees of Cotton Letterpress, a letterpress-printing subsidiary of Facer Printers.

Initial contact was made via email, followed by an informal meeting and location recce, and then filming. This contact was not only for direct use in my creative response as the interviews but also served as primary research.

The primary research brought to light that letterpress printing is a multi-sensory experience with beauty and interest in both the process and the final print. The love of the ink and imperfect letters discussed with the printmakers influenced the shooting style; close rich shots of equipment and printers in action (Figures 20-22). As I undertook more interviews and posted videos the audiences’ reaction confirmed the style was appropriate to the target audience.

Figures 20-21: Illustrations of shooting style.

40

As different areas of interest were explored and triangulated the film increased in proposed length from ten, to thirty, to possibly sixty minutes. Within the context of this study the length was a concern; it would limit the audience and decrease editing quality due to inexperience and time constraints.

In addition gaps appeared in the documentary narrative; Leeds Print Festival, West Yorkshire Print Workshop, and word artist Aidan Moesby proved difficult to organise interviews with, and no contact could be made with individuals with opposing views and letterpress virgins.

Figure 22

41

Idea development Early creative experimentation resulted in a short sixty-second film and a twelve-minute site-specific documentary. Reflecting on these pieces and the work of other creative practitioners I began to contemplate a series of short films instead.

Short films would be less restrictive and allow for better creative responses to research, e.g. at the Bradford Industrial Museum interview it was mentioned that nuts, blots, and cogs are hidden in modern technology and people being able to see the workings of presses is part of the fascination in the craft; in response I was able to make a series of films about the presses in action (Figures 21-23).

Figure 23

42

I felt that this new strategy would improve audience development for letterpress printing by:

•

Having a series of letterpress videos on a broad range of subjects machinery, processes, and people - which would be of interest to an equally as broad an audience.

•

Being able to add to the series at any time - giving an ability to stay current with content and thus gives viewers a reason to return.

•

Shorter online videos generate more views than longer videos - ‘in 2012, ReelSEO counted the length of the top 50 YouTube videos and found the average duration to be 2 minutes, 54 seconds’ (Lee, 2014).

•

Increasing the desire to share the videos - e.g. the printer is more likely to embed a video that is just about them on their website than a one-hour documentary that also showcases their competitors.

Examining the videos on the Make Works website (Chapter 2) and other video content providers, like The Avant/Garde Diaries (Mercedes-Benz initiated project featuring events and video interviews with extraordinary people), and Like Knows Like (short documentaries presenting creatives who use digital platforms to share their work) confirmed that bite-sized films would be more beneficial.

Additionally they highlighted that a website was needed to help the videos fulfil their potential. A longer film could stand alone but creating a series needed coordination and identification amongst videos. A website allowed for the addition of text to contextualise the films and calls to action, such as event listings, that could take the audience on to the next stage of their development and provide information worth revisiting or recommending.

43

Although this change of direction would better achieve the aims of the project much of the filming had already been undertaken and it was a matter of adaptation and innovation to edit the footage as a series rather than a documentary film, as well as rejecting some now irrelevant footage, e.g. the Graphic Designer who commissions print but does not print.

I was also open to ideas of alternative ways to create documentary film. Taking Typeface as a traditional presentation of the form films like Blight (2007), created by artist John Smith for BBC2’s Sound on Film series, made me question my initial conservative and traditional views on documentary film. I made The Original and Proofing Press films to play with both the sound and camera work to challenge the traditions and present a more contemporary vision of letterpress (Figure 24).

Figure 24: recording the use of the Proofing Press at The Print Project with a GoPro and head attachment - part of the Print Room series

44

The types of films were broken into two categories: the human story-telling ‘meet the printer’ side (Figure 25), and the mechanics of the craft as seen in the Print Room (Figure 26). Both combined to deliver the key messages (see Key Messages). This categorisation provided direction to editing and the outstanding filming.

Figures 25-26

To unify the series I created a name and logo for the work (Figure 29). Initially the Yorkshire Prints brand was considered but rejected for Square Eye Printing - its descriptive message of the video content and the similarity to printers’ names added creditability to the site, whereas Yorkshire Prints sounds conservative and shop-like. A more modern approach was taken to the typography of the logo to specifically target the aesthetics of the target audience.

The branding is placed on each video (Figure 27) and across the website and social media (Figure 28 and 31) giving consistency and professionalism. The logo employed letterpress styling but was created digitally. This was disappointing as it removes authenticity, but unavoidable due to difficulties accessing letterpress-printing resources.

The word ‘letterpress’ was not included in the title to avoid limiting the project.

Areas on the edge of letterpress, such as linotype, could then naturally be explored. In addition, it allows for further print methods to be included, e.g. linocuts, which are closely connected to the craft and could prove to be gateway activities to letterpress.

45

Figure 27

Figure 28

Figure 29

46

Key messages To be successful in developing an audience for letterpress printing Square Eye Printing needs to communicate a range of key messages and remove barriers to participation by addressing concerns.

Throughout the development I had tried to include these key messages in the interview questions, website sections and copy, and video editing.

•

The craft is fun and accessible.

•

A wide variety of people take part.

•

There are different skill levels within the craft.

•

The letterpress community are friendly and welcoming.

•

There are different ways to letterpress print.

•

People learn letterpress printing in different ways.

•

It does not have to be expensive or difficult to start or support printing.

•

There are lots of ways to get involved.

•

The craft is an important part of our heritage and worth conserving.

•

Letterpress printing has a continuing and important role in society.

•

Letterpress is modern and exciting, not dusty and ageing.

In addition I have tried to bear in mind that many people may not even be aware of what letterpress printing is or that the craft is still being practiced and this needs addressed in an informative manner, without being patronising.

Integrating the key messages with the creative response is an important way to achieve the aims of the dissertation.

47

Audience Much has been discussed in the dissertation about a captive, waiting audience, e.g. graphic designers, and the hard-to-reach audience with little experience of art or creative practice in their daily life. The investment required to reach the latter group is outside the realms of this research project and therefore the easier to reach group are my key audience to develop through Square Eye Printing (Figure 30). In saying that, it is important to note that both groups may start with the same lack of knowledge and understanding and the website and video content would be of interest to all.

The easy-to-reach audience also represents the most vocal and the most connected to others who could potentially get involved. Making use of their social networks, on- and off-line, could be very beneficial in audience development for the craft.

A key audience is also the letterpress printers who’s work and image feature on the website and in the video content. Relationship building is required to establish and maintain goodwill and support and success relies on a partnership approach.

Figure 30

48

Reaching the audience To assist in reaching the audience the following mechanisms would form a strategy:

•

A presence on social media - Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram and regular interactions with interested parties.

•

Letterpress printed flyers or posters promoting the website for distribution at print and craft fairs, creative cafes and those near media hubs, independent shops, and key venues like creative studios.

•

Investing in search engine optimisation (SEO) to increase the likelihood of inclusion in search results.

•

Regularly adding new content from different practitioners to keep the audience and letterpress community interested thus encouraging wordof-mouth (or -tweet) recommendations (letterpress printed business cards required for networking).

•

Partnerships with key events or organisations, e.g. Leeds Print Festival, to create related video content and access their audience.

•

Raising awareness via the mailing lists of other arts based organisations, like the Leeds Visual Arts Forum and West Yorkshire Print Workshop.

•

Using Google Analytics to view visitor numbers and behaviour to inform adjustments and site development.

49

Square Eye Printing Square Eye Printing is the completed creative practice evolved from the research undertaken. It is an audience development project that focuses on producing video content hosted on a dedicated website, www.SquareEyePrinting.com, that explores and celebrates letterpress printing in Yorkshire and promotes opportunities for involvement as well as showcasing the practice of those currently involved (Figure 31).

All work, web design, copy writing, photography, video, branding, was created by me with the exception of the gallery images presenting the printers’ work.

Figure 31: Square Eye Printing homepage.

50

The website has six sections:

•

About letterpress – explains the craft, its use, and its history.

•

The Print Room – introduces techniques and equipment through film and text, some films include oral history dialogue.

•

The Printers – profiles a wide-range of letterpress printmakers from a variety of backgrounds

•

Gallery – a showcase of letterpress printed items from practitioners across the world posted on Instagram.

•

Try Print – listings of events, workshops and practitioners in Yorkshire.

•

About Square Eyes – further information about the site and how to get involved, including contact details.

The videos are broken down into two categories:

•

The Print Room, where the processes and equipment are introduced (Figure 32).

•

The Printers, where interviews are included of letterpress printers detailing their first experiences of the craft and their joy for it (Figure 33).

Figure 32

Figure 33

51

These categories have been carefully considered to capture as many interests as possible as well as challenge any barriers the viewers may have to participating in the craft, e.g. ‘I’m a woman and that’s a man’s activity’, ‘I’m not very good at writing’, ‘I’ve never done it before’.

Each page hosting a film includes text with background information on the topic and information on where it was recorded and how to see more of the practitioners work (Figure 34).

The films try to capture the tactile nature of the craft, the care and love of printing, and the distinct tools used.

The personalities of the printers are highlighted by including more candid moments, giving them openness and warmth. Their thoughts, experiences and use of letterpress are explored in the five to eight minute long videos with a view to humanising letterpress printing and communicating the key messages.

Videos about the equipment are more experimental, employing unexpected music or filming techniques to capture the imagination of the target audience and communicate the forward-thinking nature of the site. They are between one and three minutes in length. The human element is maintained as people connect more easily with other people than machinery.

Image choices are based on the primary research and what many of the practitioners said were their favourite parts of printing, e.g. the ink, or the letters.

52

Figure 34

53

Chapter 4

An evaluation of Square Eye Printing

54

Reflecting on the creative response in terms of academic learning, the work has evolved in parallel to primary and secondary research and each could not have existed without the other. The symbiosis is most evident in: •

The choice to create short films instead of a long documentary.

•

The shift from fearfulness and negativity for the craft as seen in The Last Letterpressers, which was influenced by Typeface (2009), to celebratory and positive after spending a week in the company of a jobbing printer (The Print Project) and better understanding the modern face of letterpress printing.

•

The development of a website and social media to support the videos.

However, the key measures of success for an audience development programme like Square Eye Printing is the reaction of the audience. This was measured in two ways: through data collated by software that measures websites and social media use; and an electronic questionnaire provided to www.SquareEyePrinting.com visitors.

55

Social Media – Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook The most significant Vimeo statistics (Table 1) show that the videos promoted via social media received more views than those not promoted. See Appendix 1 for the full statistical report.

Video (duration)

Twitter post

Number of views

Period (weeks)

Daniel Whinney (07:07)

Personal

140

4

Sarah Nicholson (06:25)

No

50

3

Printing using a Proofing Press (01:24)

Personal & Printers

188

5

The Original Heidelberg Printing Press (01:00)

Personal & Printers

152

7

The Last Letterpressers (12:00)

No

67

6

The Arab Press (02:26)

No

37

3

Printers

Print Room

Table 1: Collated data from the Vimeo statistics (all figures taken from 7 January 2015).

This provides strong evidence that video content must be used in conjunction with social media. The video must be taken to the audience rather than hoping they will find it. In addition making use of other’s networks helps to spread the message.

As discovered in Chapter 3, a video of 2 minutes 54 seconds is optimum for share-ability, and Table 1 indicates that the shorter films are marginally more successful but the difference is not remarkable enough to suggest that length overrides content in this instance.

56

The associated Twitter and Facebook accounts are in their infancy and follower numbers are therefore low (Facebook 16 / Twitter 28). Currently it is mostly the letterpress community who are engaged, which could indicate that the key strategy for its use could be awareness raising and networking, rather than audience development, encouraging printers to get involved with Square Eye Printing and think about audience development.

Website visitors Google Analytics (see Appendix 2 for full statistics) has been recording visitor activity on the website for four weeks, noting 200 sessions from 123 visitors.

They have come from the UK, US, India, Australia, Russia, and Slovenia, Indeed Alan Menzies, a full-time letterpress printer in New Zealand, emailed Square Eye Printing [5 January 2015]: ‘I am encouraged by your interest in this dying craft of what is a major part of life, even though most people would not even give it a second glance! If I can be of any more assistance to you, or the printers you have come in contact with would like to communicate, please drop me an email!’ This suggests a wider audience for a Yorkshire-centric site than expected.

As suggested in the primary research, the Printers section is very popular and is the most visited page (after the home page). Adding more interviews to the site would therefore prove successful for the aims. The Print Room is third in popularity. On reflection this section would benefit from videos that explain and illustrate the letterpress printing process and terminology further. This is particularly relevant as About Letterpress is the second most popular page, which may also indicate that the website is introducing a new audience to letterpress printing and promoting an accurate understanding of the craft is important.

57

Web visitors survey A formal online survey hosted on www.SquareEyePrinting.com was issued to collect qualitative and quantitative data from website visitors. Completed by 30 participants (24% of website visitors) the results indicate that the site and videos are successful as an audience development tool.

The demographic of those completing the survey shows a good mix of respondents, although a more equal gender split would have been preferable: 83% female (Q18), mixed ages of 18 to 70 (Q19), and all providing job titles that fall within the desired target audience range (Q20).

The key findings were: Q2.

89% wanted to letterpress print as a result of their visit to the website.

Q3.

79% wanted to buy a letterpress printed item after visiting the site.

Q4.

66% of people felt more knowledgeable about letterpress printing because of the content of the site (28% felt they knew the information already).

To examine the effectiveness of online video content, participants were asked about their behaviour and responses after viewing at least one. The results showed that: Q5.

74% felt they were strongly or entirely influenced by the videos when indicating if they would buy or try letterpress in Q2 and Q3 (scale rated between 6 and 10, where 1 was no influence and 10 was entirely).

58

Q10. Given a multiple choice of their favourite website content, 59% said the videos of the printers and 49% said the videos of the printing presses.

All visual content rated highly with photographs being selected by 52% of question respondents, whereas 34% or less respondents selected the text and links.

Q6.

On average, people watched two to three videos (40%), with 30% watching more and 15% not watching any, later stating time constraints or a work environment as the reason.

Q7.

44% watched each video all the way through, while 30% watch one video and part of the others.

It is surprising and reaffirming that people watched more than one video and on the whole watched them in their entirety, evidencing engagement and interest in the subject and the aesthetics of the videos. The deliberate photography and video style of richly coloured close-up shots are appealing and motivational to the target audience.

The evaluation of the use of Web 2.0 also showed success: Q11. 93% found the website easy to use and 7% said ‘not entirely’.

Q13. Only 4% said they would not visit the site again.

Q14. 75% would recommend it to a friend, while 25% thought ‘maybe’.

Q15. 39% would follow Square Eye Printing on social media, 14% already have and 43% said maybe.

59

Overall these results are very positive, which is particularly pleasing as a lack of audience research during the development stages is a fundamental flaw and could potentially have lead to work that pleased me as the maker but not the target audience. In saying that, advice was sought from letterpress printers and the secondary research clearly indicated that video would work so decisionmaking was still well informed.

Some negative feedback was recorded too. A few responses to the qualitative research questions highlighted my weaknesses as an inexperienced filmmaker and the decision to use a template website builder.

One respondent stated they ‘couldn’t be bothered’ to watch the video, and others said time or technological constraints made it difficult for them to watch videos. These responses highlights the importance of visual content as a whole and the benefits of the ‘Gallery’ page on the current website and photographs across all pages.

60

General findings Reflecting on personal findings and informal discussions with members of the target audience and print community, additional thoughts include that: •

The sound quality of some interviews could be improved.

•

Some of the experimental videos - split-screen, GoPro - though worth exploring, were not as effective as others.

•

The shallow depth of field and out of focus shots did not always assist with the narrative.

•

Optional subtitles or video transcripts should be considered for accessibility reasons.

•

A letterpress printed version of the logo is needed to match the ethos of the work.

•

The website is not as user-friendly as it could be because the cloudbased web development platform (Wix.com) is not very open to adaptions - a bespoke website needs to be considered.

•

The hero image on the homepage (Figure 34) is not obviously letterpress related and was confusing for non-printers. Ideally it should be replaced with pictures of movable type in a scrolling gallery or thumbnail format.

•

Better interconnectivity between subjects is needed, e.g. the page about Sarah Nicholson could link to a page about Derdlab Press where she prints. Being more user-friendly may remove barriers to participation.

61

Missed opportunities As discussed previously, the photo-sharing app Instagram is popular amongst the target audience and letterpress printers. Concerns over the visual quality of film stills as images prevented me for exploring Instagram as a viable option, however, what I failed to consider was its ability to host videos up to 15 seconds in length. To present letterpress printing on the Instagram platform in the short format would highlight innovation in the craft and cement many of the key messages in the audience minds.

62

Summary of findings Square Eye Printing is an effective tool for audience development in a letterpress-printing context. The website and video content made 89% of visitors want to try letterpress printing and 79% buy letterpress printed items.

The visual content of the website is the most successful element, with the videos about the printers proving the most popular. These videos work best when shared on social media, particularly when shared by the featured printer with their network.

The audience is very positive about the design of the website and the aesthetics of the videos but going forward there are a small number of improvements that can be made to ensure the site is as user-friendly as possible. In addition developing an Instagram presence would prove a positive future step.

63

Conclusion The concept of employing online video content to develop a new audience for letterpress printing in Yorkshire was tested through the development of a series of short documentary films under the banner of Square Eye Printing.

What was discovered was that online video is a very successful audience development tool for letterpress printing, but it is even more successful when used in conjunction with a dedicated website. The findings not only suggested a website but the full adoption of Web 2.0 was required (spearheaded by video content) to optimise success. Square Eye Printing required a ‘tribe’ formed through social media that not only included the new audience for the craft but an integration with the pre-existing letterpress printing community for sustainable success.

Web 2.0 was not enough to ensure success, the videos needed to appeal to the intended audience to motivate participation in letterpress printing. Close-up shots that express a passion for the craft and exploit the textures, patterns and lushness of the materials and the expressiveness of the final prints work much better than wide shots that capture activity and process.

The videos also had to have the right content: revealing hidden stories, communicating the aesthetics of the craft, and adding value for the viewer.

Audience development for letterpress was a valid research concern as the importance of the craft as the cornerstone of the Information Age cannot be underestimated. It forms part of our cultural, political, and social heritage.

Letterpress printing is not only of interest historically but also presents an interesting perspective on the digital phase of the Information Age as those suffering from ‘digital fatigue’ seek out an antidote by reconnecting with the hand made. Ironically without the convergence of Web 2.0 and letterpress printing through the community embracing social media it may not have been possible to introduce this new audience to craft.

64

Bibliography Books Alcorn Baron, S., Lindquist, E.N. & Shevline, E.F., eds., 2007. Agent of Change: Print Culture Studies after Elizabeth L. Eisenstein. US: University of Massachusetts Press.

Baines, J., 2009. The Freedom of the press belongs to those who control the press: The emergence of radical and community printshops in the 1970s London. In N. Carpentier et al., eds. Communicative approaches to politics and ethics in Europe. Tartu, Estonia: Tartu University Press.

Barrett, T.H., 2008. The Woman who discovered printing. London, UK: Yale University Press.

Eisenstein, E.L., 1979. The Printing Press as an Agent of Change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Fill, C., 2013. Marketing Communications. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Ltd. Giaccardi, E. ed., 2012. Heritage and Social Media. Abingon, UK: Routledge.

Hughes, D. 2014. First Steps in Letterpress. Marston Gate, UK: Amazon.co.uk, Ltd. Jury, D.,2006. Letterpress: New Applications for Traditional Skills. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision SA. Jury, D., 2012. Graphic Design Before Graphic Designers. London, UK: Thames & Hudson Ltd. Klanten, R. ed. And Hellige, H. ed., 2011. Impressive. Berling, Germany: Gestalten.

Mise, B., 2014. Adventures in Letterpress. London, UK: Laurence King.

Rovers, C., 2010. Reinventing Letterpress. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision SA. Ruggie Saunders, C. and Chiplis, M., 2013. For the Love of Letterpress.

London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Steinberg, S.H., 1996. Five Hundred Years of Printing. 4th ed. London, UK: The British Library.

White, J. C., 2013. Letterpress Now. New York, USA: Lark Crafts.

Williamson, C., 2013. Low Tech Print. London, UK: Laurence King Publishing.

65

Film and Television Blight. 2007. [TV film] Directed by John Smith. UK: BBC2. [Video online] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yil33Hb9BpM [Accessed 9 January 2015] Godin, S., 2009. TED Talk: Seth Godin: The tribes we lead. [Video online] Available at: http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead/transcript?langua ge=en#t-185980 [Accessed 22 December 2014].

Typeface. 2011. [DVD] Directed by Justine Nagan. USA: Kartemquin Films Magazine and Journal Articles A.C., 2014. The renaissance of printing. Well Pressed. [Online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2014/12/renaissanceprinting?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/well_pressed [Accessed 3 January 2015].

Adams, R., 2014. Craft beers + beards + bicycles = what? Solving hipster maths. [Online] Available at: http://theconversation.com/craft-beers-beardsbicycles-what-solving-hipster-maths-33807 [Accessed 21 December 2014].

Christie, A., 2014. More to Print Than Meets the Eye. Crafts, (250), p.36.

G.F., 2011. Have press, will travel. [Online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/21522358 [Accessed 21 December 2014].

Jeffery, S., 2010. Typeface, the movie. [Online] Available at: http://www.eyemagazine.com/blog/post/typeface-the-movie [Accessed 21 December 2014].

Jewett, F.B., 1944. Science and Technology in the Post-War World. Nature, 153(3886), pp.502-03.

Levy, S., 2005. The Trend Spotter. [Online] Available at: http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/13.10/oreilly.html [Accessed 18 December 2014].

McCray, L., 2011. Taking Type to the Streets. Uppercase, pp.93-95.

McQuivey, J., 2012. A picture is worth 1,000 words, an online video is worth 1.8 million. [Online] Available at: http://www.techjournal.org/2012/05/a-picture-isworth-1000-words-an-online-video-is-worth-1-8-million/ [Accessed 31 December 2014].

Rego Barry, R., 2010. Film Review: Typeface. [Online] Available at: http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2010/06/film-reviewtypeface.phtml [Accessed 21 December 2014].

66

Newspapers Ferrier, M., 2014. The end of the hipster: how flat caps and beards stopped being so cool. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/jun/22/end-of-the-hipster-flat-capsand-beards [Accessed 21 December 2014].

MacMillan, M., 2009. Rebuilding the world after the second world war. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/11/second-world-warrebuilding [Accessed 18 December 2014].

Reports Arts Council England, 2011. Audience Development and Marketing. [Online] London: Arts Council England Available at: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/doc/audience_development.doc Crafts Council, 2014. Measuring the Craft Economy: defining and measuring craft, report 3. Industry Report. Newcastle: Crafts Council Crafts Council.

[Accessed 31 December 2014].

Cisco, 2014. Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2013– 2018. [Online] Cisco Available at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/ip-ngn-ipnext-generation-network/white_paper_c11-481360.html [Accessed 31 December 2014].

Godin, S., 2008. Tribe Q&A. [Online] Available at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/files/TribesQA2.pdf [Accessed 22 December 2914].

Internet Advertising Bureau UK, 2014. IAB/PwC study: Mobile video adspend triples. [Online] Available at: http://www.iabuk.net/about/press/archive/iab-pwcstudy-mobile-video-adspend-triples [Accessed 31 December 2014].

Jayasekera, K., 2011. Buidling audiences and driving sales through digital.

[Online] London: Arts Marketing Association Available at: http://culturehive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Using-social-and-digitalmedia-to-reach-and-engage-audiences.Kingsley-Jayasekera-Jesse-RinghamSam-Scott-Wood.2011.pdf [Accessed 31 December 2014].

Moffat, K., 2014. The V&A Channel: making and sharing short films. Case Study. Culture Hive.

National Union of Journalists, 2013. NUJ briefing on the future for local newspapers. [Online] Available at: file:///Users/KJG/Downloads/future-of-localpapers-briefing-december-2013.pdf [Accessed 18 December 2014].

Ofcom, 2014. The Communications Market Report. Market Report. London: Ofcom Ofcom.

O'Reilly, T., 2005. What is Web 2.0. [Online] Available at: http://www.oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=1 [Accessed 18 December 2014].

67

Yair, K., 2011. Craft & the Digital World. Research Paper. London: Crafts Council Crafts Council.

Yair, K., 2012. How Makers and craft organisations are using social media effectively. Briefing Note. London: Crafts Council Crafts Council.

Social media Queen Elizabeth II, 2014. Information Age: Royal Opening. [Online] Available at: https://twitter.com/BritishMonarchy [Accessed 05 January 2015].

Websites Mercedes-Benz, 2014. The Avant/Garde Diaries. [Online] Available at: http://mb.mercedes-benz.com/en/avd/ [Accessed 9 January 2015] Alexa, 2014. The top 500 sites on the web. [Online] Available at: http://www.alexa.com/topsites/global [Accessed 31 December 2014].

BBC, 2009. Global Recession Timeline. [Online] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8242825.stm [Accessed 18 December 2014].

Brafton Editorial, 2013. Survey says: Marketers increase social & video content budgets. [Online] Available at: http://www.brafton.com/news/survey-saysmarketers-increase-social-video-content-budgets [Accessed 31 December 2014].

Collins Dictionary, 2014. Information Age. [Online] Available at: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/information-age [Accessed 18 December 2014].

Collins Dictionary, 2014. Web 2.0. [Online] Available at: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/web-2-0 [Accessed 18 December 2014].

Crafts Council, 2014. Craft on Film. [Online] Available at: http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/articles/search/655af7475bd9aa5aad4a829a78e b04de [Accessed 9 January 2015] Creative Review, 2014. A Passion for Crafts. [Online] Available at: http://www.creativereview.co.uk/passion-for-craft [Accessed 9 January 2015] Hatch Show Print, 2014. History of Hatch Show Print. [Online] Available at: http://hatchshowprint.com/ [Accessed 23 December 2014].

Lee, K., 2014. Infographic: The Optimal Length for Every Social Media Update and More. [Online] Available at: https://blog.bufferapp.com/optimal-lengthsocial-media [Accessed 22 December 2014].

Spadeinvaders, 2014 Like Knows Like. [Online] Available at: http://likeknowslike.com/ [Accessed 9 January 2015]

68

Logistik, n.d. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.logistikgroup.com/ [Accessed 1 December 2014].

Make Works, 2014. About. [Online] Available at: http://makeworks.co.uk/about [Accessed 22 December 2014].

National Endowment for the Arts, 2013. National Endowment for the Arts Presents Highlights from the 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts See more at: http://arts.gov/news/2013/national-endowment-arts-presentshighlights-2012-survey-public-participation-arts#sthash.amED7kH9.dpuf.

[Online] Available at: http://arts.gov/news/2013/national-endowment-artspresents-highlights-2012-survey-public-participation-arts [Accessed 31 December 2104].

Science Museum, 2014. Information Age. [Online] Available at: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/infor mation_age.aspx [Accessed 18 December 2014].

We Love Letterpress, n.d. About. [Online] Available at: http://weloveletterpress.com/about [Accessed 22 December 2014].

Weissman, D., 2011. Review of the Documentary “Typeface�. [Online] Available at: http://www.fontbureau.com/blog/review-documentary-typeface/ [Accessed 21 December 2014].

YouTube, n.d. Statistics. [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/yt/press/en-GB/statistics.html [Accessed 31 December 2014].

69

Appendix 1: Vimeo statistics https://vimeo.com/stats 7 January 2015

70

38 32

119 29 46 33 20

The Ludlow Typograph

The Last Letterpressers Sarah Nicholson -­‐ letterpress printer

The Arab Press

Andrew Burton: Letterpress Operator at Cotton Letterpress

82

122

0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

The Ludlow Typograph

The Last Letterpressers Sarah Nicholson -­‐ letterpress printer

The Arab Press

Andrew Burton: Letterpress Operator at Cotton Letterpress 0

0

0

1

0

0

0

The Original Heidelberg Printing Press Daniel Whinney -­‐ letterpress printer

Printing using a Proof Press

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

2

comments downloads likes

7

10

8

19

29

54

80

62

sd local plays

20

33

113

412

176

total embed loads

52

147

total local loads

The Original Heidelberg Printing Press Daniel Whinney -­‐ letterpress printer

Printing using a Proof Press

title

40

66

78

67

232

204

464

323

total loads

6

15

19

10

28

50

27

72

sd embed plays

11

22

31

57

80

87

124

108

total local plays

4

12

23

38

51

33

44

46

hd local plays

6

15

19

10

29

53

28

80

total embed plays

0

0

0

0

1

3

1

8

hd embed plays

17

37

50

67

109

140

152

188

total plays

0

0

0

1

3

7

16

14

sd local finishes

1

2

2

2

16

14

37

35

total local finishes

1

3

1

2

12

10

14

22

sd embed finishes

1

3

1

2

12

10

15

24

total embed finishes

1

2

2

1

13

7

21

21

hd local finishes

2

5

3

4

28

24

52

59

total finishes

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

2

hd embed finishes

71

Appendix 2: Google Analytics www.google.com/analytics 7 January 2015

Appendix 3: website survey results 7 January 2015

30 responses

Summary Percentage figures calculated in this document are based on the total number of questionnaire participants, whereas the percentage figures given in the body of the dissertation are calculated using the total number of participants who answered the specific question.

What is your experience of letterpress printing before visiting the website?

Never heard of it before

3

10%

Heard of it but never tried it

11

37%

Have always wanted to try it but haven't yet

5

17%

Have tried it before

2

7%

It is my hobby

6

20%

It is my job

2

7%

After visiting the website do you want to letterpress print?

Yes

25

83%

No

3

10%

After visiting the website do you want to buy letterpress printed items?

Yes

23

77%

No

6

20%

Do you feel more knowledgeable about letterpress printing after visiting the site?

Yes

19

63%

No

2

7%

Knew the information already

8

27%

How much did the videos influence your responses to Q2-4 above?

How many videos have you watched on the website?

0

4

13%

1-2

4

13%

2-3

11

37%

3-4

5

17%

more than 4

3

10%

1

0

0%

2

0

0%

3

4

13%

4

2

7%

5

0

0%

6

1

3%

7

3

10%

8

9

30%

9

2

7%

10

2

7%

Of the videos that you watched, how much of each did you watch?

Watched all the way through

12

40%

All of some and part of some

8

27%

A small part of each

4

13%

I didn't watch any videos

3

10%

Can you explain why you did or did not watch the videos, or why you only watch parts?

The videos helped to tell the story of the people behind letterpress, what it is and their love for it. It helped me to understand it as I could see it in action.

I watched the ones if people letterpress printing hobbyists. The last one I couldn't hear the man very well.

I only watched halfway through for each video, mainly as after that point I felt that I had already heard their most important stories and the key points about letterpress itself.

I watched the whole videos because they were beautiful to watch and interesting too. It's interesting watching an entire process being explained but for some reason hearing an individual speaking about their personal experience of letter press is more engaging, perhaps because you're getting a much more unique perspective, it feels like an exclusive insight rather than a documentation! It doesn't feel like I'm receiving pure information (although that is still interesting, but maybe that's because I'm an art student so it's my area of interest anyway!)

I found the first couple interesting so wanted to see what others were about. I had to watch one twice as it was a split screen and I was paying too much attention to one side to follow the other. I found it distracting and confusing at first.

Love watching film of letterpress of any variety, lack of time today had me skipping through a little bit Would have liked to watch part or all of the videos, but would not play on the PC I was using at the time. - Sorry!

I am a retired teacher who started my working life in letterpress printing. I still print and run letterpress workshops at inkspotpress in Brighton. I am fascinated by the number of younger people who are returning to such old technology.

Proofing Press - funky music but the swooping up and down angles made me feel a little seasick! Sarah Nicholson - she was so engaging and funny. I loved the editing between showing her talking and what she was making. I also now want a "Life is too short for single gins" poster. just time and it made me feel too nostalgic for the sounds and smells...

I enjoyed hearing the opinions on each video, and the stories of how people got into letterpress. As a printer myself a lot of it resonated, and it's always nice to hear it from others with a passion for it. The videos are nicely shot, and it's a fascinating area to look into, especially now with such a revival going on.

No time.

Only had a limited time so if the video caught my interest I watched it all.

Otherwise, skimmed through it.

Didn't have enough time They are well done and informative Interested in everything that is letterpress printing. No time!

If I had more time I would have watched them all to learn more about each process. The ones I did watch I found really interesting so I intend to come back to watch them all and learn more when I have the time available. The Typograph one was really interesting but I'd never heard of that process before but the film was seeming a tad repetitive so I didn't watch all the way through but I really liked the use of music along with the authentic sound effects they made me feel a part of the process and understand the working method more and made me feel more connected to it.

I gained an interest after the first video and wanted to watch them all then Sometimes I find it difficult to envisage processes by reading instructions, I learn by seeing or doing or a combination of reading and seeing and so it made it easier for me to understand the processes.

Although there isn't that many films, I felt I went for the once which sounded or looked the most interesting. I had an understanding of what letterpress is and what Square Eye Printing was so wasn't sure I needed to watch all the films.

Square Eye Printing is something which I'd be interested in, so I would probably come back to the website and view different ones.

I was reading this at work and so was unable to listen to the videos I watched one because it was linked at the bottom of the page I was on, I didn't really know what it was about when I clicked on it! I found it again on the Print Room page so chose a different one to watch instead. Really I watched them because you asked me to!

I wanted to get a flavour of more.

I couldn't be bothered - I preferred looking at the gallery to see the end product and the sorts of designs that are achievable.

No sound on my computer; time constraints at work. The ones I watch looked very interesting though!

I'd like to see more letterpress printing videos about ....

The actual products/artwork that is made with letterpress, it's always nice to see a display of the end product as well as the process. It's also nice to see how people react to these products-not only the good responses but equally the bad, the indifferent, the strange reactions to seeing an art form that is being used in a completely different way to it;s original intention. I like to see how different people respond to artwork as an artist. everything : ) Japanese or Chinese letterpress printing would be cool to see because they store the characters very differently (vertically) Hand type setting More printers being enthusiastic about letterpress and why they love it. The three videos in the Printers section are fascinating, and the printers' enthusiasm for letterpress is brilliant!

Techniques?

More you can do on your own as looks like heavy machinery involved.

The history of letterpressing, and contemporary designers using it to produce commercial products.

How joe bloggs can do it home or what else there is around the country. Also how you can support the industry and keep it alive.

Setting the type. (?) hobby printers and DIY letterpress techniques Composition.

An individual piece of work! From the inspiration, through the process and onto the finished piece! A kind of making of/ behind the scenes! Maybe of a piece that could then be bought!

The history? And maybe showing people's favourite fonts and letters. What's the largest block? What colours work best? How heavy are they? Machinery etc.

Continuing to interview a wide variety of practitioners. Perhaps more of a focus on the real craft aspect: people who not only have a passion but have skills and insights to share – allowing people to learn as much as be inspired.

Individual makers making different kinds of products and using printing methods for original products and purposes

What are your favourite bits of the website

Videos about printers

17

57%

Videos about the printing presses

14

47%

Photographs

15

50%

Text

10

33%

Links to letterpress printer's websites

9

30%

Links to Square Eye Printing on social media

6

20%

Other

0

0%

Did you find the website easy to use

Yes

27

90%

No

0

0%

Not entirely

2

7%

How would you describe the website?

Professional

24

80%

Disorganised

0

0%

In development

5

17%

Ugly

0

0%

User friendly

22

73%

Confusing

0

0%

Knowledgable

15

50%

Exciting

8

27%

Informative

22

73%

Welcoming

15

50%

Incorrect

1

3%

Nice

6

20%

Boring

0

0%

Hard to use

0

0%

Other

6

20%

84

Would you visit the website again?

Yes

22

73%

No

1

3%

Maybe

5

17%

21

70%

No

0

0%

Maybe

7

23%

Would you recommend the website to a friend?

Yes

Would you follow Square Eye Printing on social media, like Twitter?

Yes

11

37%

No

1

3%

Maybe

12

40%

Already have

4

13%

What do you think is missing from the website?

You could perhaps have made yourself more visible?

Maybe a more factual bit written about the history of letterpress explaining to compete novices what it is - without needing them to watch a video The public seem unaware of the complexity of the whole process. Despite seeing the machinery working I still don't think they will get it and just how long it takes. It used to be called the 'art preservative' so maybe more emphasis on how the amazing technology combines with imagination.

I think it would be good to have an online shop of all the printers work, instead of having to go to each printers website or find them online. After looking at the website I feel a lot more interested and motivated to buy printers work, and having an easy link to be able to do this would very much increase the likelihood of me buying some.

More information, especially somewhere that brings together who you are, what you do, and what letterpress is. At the moment that info seems to be spread across the website. I felt like I wanted more information about letterpress printingwhy it's special, why you like it, the history of it. I think it would be nice to hear your voice more- there's only a little section on you and I think you should make more of your interest in both film and printing as this is your USP. Can't think of anything Although easy to read, I think the black font on white background is a little stark for such a colourful subject. Some fonts to evoke block printing in the header navigation would make it look more fun. Some of the sentences are quite long.

As some of the descriptions are about processes some numbered bulleted lists might help - e.g. on the Korrex Nurnberg page.

It does the job as it is but it can always be changed and expanded.

More links to suppliers of paper, equipment, makers and a glossary of term perhaps Some of the links appeared to be slightly broken: I couldn't watch all the videos at the time. This could have been a temporary issue though!

At the moment it's yorkshire focused. It would be good to expand it to the rest of the country.

Perhaps a really concise introduction to what Squarer Eye Printing is on the homepage Subtitles on the videos Interactive home page Just maybe a few pictures of the actual printers! The people make it special compared to digital print so it could possibly do with them being put to the forefront a little more! (But that is just my personal feeling if I really think about it... If you hadn't asked the question It wouldn't have jumped out as something that was necessarily "missing") Tricky, my mobile won't let me view all the content

Please use this space to tell me anything further about the website and videos that you've not yet had a chance to.

I loved your description of the Ludlow printer being a demon in the print room and then send it to hell! This enticed me to watch the video, although there wasn't much of an explanation as to what hell was. Please expand for a numpty like me! Your choice of music for the videos is spot-on. Funky but not overpowering. Also thank you for not having hugely long videos.

I really like the way you have shot and edited the videos. The website has a lovely warm. nostalgic feel to it.

One of the suggested links at the bottom of one video wasn't working which did make me read more as I didn't know which section the video was in but disrupted my flow I found the 'try print' section quite difficult, like when I clicked on the events or courses or heritage I then had to go back to choose the next one. This is a really small thing but it just felt that it would be easier to use. Apart from that, I love it! It visually looks good and it tells me all the information I need.

I think there may be a link missing, on some of the pages there is an image that looks like it should be clickable to take you to the Arab Press video but it wasn't a link.

The reason I would not follow on social media is simply that I prefer not to use social media in general.

Nothing really. A suggestion, maybe, that you include a blog with links to other websites in this country and around the world. (This has just reminded me that it something I should do for myself. No matter what our age there is always something we can learn.)

Overall, I think that this is a fantastic website. I was drawn into it and wanted to explore it and click on all of the links. The text is very well written, informative without being over the top. Love the films - they are wonderful, especially the ones about the printers. Background music is fab and really fits the subject matter. Only thing I would change - make the About Square Eye link a bit more prominent. The About page was really interesting and I found it by clicking on the logo, bottom right. I would make it more prominent than that or by getting to it through the 'More' link in the menu. I would even put it as the second item in the menu (where the Survey link is currently), although it does occur to me that the About link might be visible if the Survey link wasn't there, once the survey has finished.

A few things- The video of the close planten press seemed very quiet even with my volume all the way up, and I wanted to hear what the man was saying. The videos on the bottom of 'About Square Eye' page didn't work so I think the links are broken?

Also the sentence on that page where you say you are doing what you do best to record what you love seems to be missing a comma or might be better as two sentences- it took me two readings before I understood what you were saying.

This is a minor issue but at the same time I think what you are saying in that

sentence explains the entire website (if someone asked 'why does this website exist?' that would be the answer).

I've found a few broken links - including at the bottom of the gallery. Not sure if it's because of the browser I'm viewing the site on? I'd also be interested to see how the site performs across various platforms (mobile/ tablets)

What gender would you describe yourself as?

Male Female Other

What age?

under-18

0

0%

18-24

7

23%

25-30

5

17%

31-40

7

23%

41-50

6

20%

51-60

0

0%

61-70

4

13%

71-80

0

0%

80+

0

0%

Prefer not to say

0

0%

5

17%

24

80%

0

0%

How would you describe your career interests?

Marketing / Communications / Advertising

6

20%

Web / Apps / Content

7

23%

Graphic Design

6

20%

Typography

8

27%

Printing

8

27%

Making and Crafts

11

37%

Artist

7

23%

Creative Industries

10

33%

Mechanical

2

7%

Other

9

30%