The Orange Zest: 10pt Press

The purpose of the Zest is to dig deep into the world of design, and focus on the process and the product and all that is involved. This week I get incredibly geeky with the tortured artist behind the unique and meticulously created broadsides from 10pt Press. Sean Lynch was faced with an interesting challenge five years ago as he found himself in possession of an antique printing press. I suppose you would have one of two choices, to preserve and care for the press or to utilize it and produce a series of prints that are both artistic and literary. Sean made the right decision and since has published limited edition broadsides from Hosho McCreesh, Tony O'Neil, Justin Barrett, Brian McGettrick, and Christopher Cunningham.

If you are like me when you discover a finely crafted product you want to know how it was created, so that's what I ask Sean.

Orange Alert (OA): I love that panoramic picture of your work space, what type of printing press do you have, how old is it, and how did you come to own it?
Sean Lynch (SL): The press (Anna) is a 1830 Hopkinson's Improved Albion Letterpress {Serial No. 349, model number 40}. She's one of the oldest of her type in Ireland (if not the oldest Albion). It was donated to me by Queens University at Stramillis, Belfast 5 years ago. They needed a good home for it when they rebuilt part of the campus. I (of course) accepted on the grounds it could be used by the degree students as a resource if they ever needed it. No hot art & design chicks however, have ever asked to use it...

OA: The size of you broadsides seem to be unique. How do you decide on the sizes and do you cut the Italian card stock yourself?
SL: I hate the "A" system of page sizing. I prefer more "letterbox" or "panoramic" format. It's amazing how much better a A4 page looks when you scythe just 10mm off. But I just judge it by eye really and have the golden mean somewhere in the back of my head but I'm sure they're never exact. I sit and cut the broads out of the Italian/French stock myself with a scalpel and a ruler. It's a pain in the tenders and takes forever but worth it in the end I think. I could just buy myself a guillotine. Yep, I think now I say that, I need to get a guillotine.

OA: Your author selection has been fantastic. Do you take submission or are you reaching out to this poets?
SL: Author selection has been down to the cosmos really. Through chance and happenstance a friend introduced me to Kevin Ring at Beatscene Magazine and the Dan Fante became my first multimedia broadside. Again, through a close friend I was introduced to Hosho McCreesh's work and it just lit a fire in me I suppose. The network grew an through designing for the GPP (Guerrilla Poetics Project) I lucked out finding Justin and Chris - whose work also ups my pulse. Brian McGettrick's work I have been following for years and he put the cherry on the first round of Broadsides. I've never really thought about submissions. I've just emailed the guys I like and stuck my neck out.

OA: What's next for 10pt Press?
SL: Jesus. Chris and Brian's broadsides release are imminent. My commercial work has swallowed me up recently and the Press a couple of months behind. I am going to do something different and new with a guy from England, Mark Vanner, whose work I worked with when designing an edition of 'remark'. I think his work is amazing and I know it will inspire me to some thing great (modesty...). Will be working on the inards of the forth coming McCreesh/Cuningham collection (to be published on Orange Alert Press!) - and I'm tingling with anticipation to see this printed.. I've got a few guys who I will be publishing after that but it's too early to give details. Once I recover from backruptcy and rob a bank I will be able to live and breath the Press - which is the goal. The world will be my lobster.

For more on 10pt Press and to order any of the broadsides please visit their site.