Get-To-Know: Ivan Gulkov of Pillowface Press

Pillowface Press, Established in 2006
San Francisco, CA USA

When people ask you what you do, how do you describe yourself?
I am a graphic designer with a score of anachronistic hobbies

Tell us about your shop. What is your setup? What equipment do you have? Is it just you?
It is a tiny hobby shop comprising of just a corner of a bedroom. My "big" press is a table-top 5x8 Kelsey. There is also a much smaller Sigwalt Chicago #9, used as a basis of a mobile printshop in a box that I occasionally take to fairs and events..

What originally drew you to letterpress? Who were your mentors along the way?
I got into graphic design as I fell in love with computers. I got into letterpress as I fell in love with graphic design. I learned the trade from books and internet forums.

Tell us about your current business. Who are your main clientele and what are they asking you to design/print?
As mentioned above, my real trade is graphic design. Letterpress is an involved hobby. I mostly print for myself, friends and an occasional client that appreciates the mysteries of the black art.

Tell us about your creative process. What is it like for you to take an idea from concept to production?
I tend to conceptualize and work out details on paper before picking up the composing stick.

Who and/or what inspires you? Where do you look for inspiration when you're stuck?
Bruce Rogers, William Morris. I walk the streets, look at signage and enter blind alleys.

What is your most frequent challenge when printing a job? (eg. registration, impression, coverage, etc)
Cutting the paper straight is usually the hardest part. Registration woes follow.

Tell us about one of your more challenging print jobs.
Printing a Resingrave engraving on a 5x8 Kelsey This turned into a job from hell!

Layers and layers of underlay, overlay, mucking about with inks, roller pressure, double and triple inking..the actual impression strength turned to be the least of the worries, and my trusty 5x8 proved quite capable of pressing a solid block of this size. It took some effort (hands were quite sore after 300 copies) but nothing exceptionally drastic.

The real hassle was the inking. The form turned out not only slanted to the side, but convex, so only the central part would properly pick up ink, leaving the sides with nothing but the lightest of ghosts. Not something one can easily fix with an underlay (of which I had about ten layers to fix the raised corner).

The solution: I skewed up the top roller to apply significantly more pressure on one side, with the bottom roller skewing up in the opposite direction. This lopsided ghetto setup required a fair bit of overinking to work well, but the level had to be just short of filling up the shallow carving lines. seeing as I had to add more ink every 15 or so impressions (the large solid form was eating it up like nothing I've seen before) this proved difficult to control.

The solution: over-ink, then pull the first few impression into a soft paper shop towel, until the lines clear of ink. Proceed as usual, until more ink is needed. Repeat.

Oh, and midway through the run, the rollers covered in tacky ink (generously stiffened with magnesium) pulled the block right out of the form (that I apparently neglected to lock tightly enough after the last bit of underlay), spilling the (thoroughly inked up) furniture on the floor.

Tell us about one of your favorite print jobs.
Incidentally, that was also my favorite one. All challenges were overcome, and the print came out perfect.

What's one thing you wished you learned faster when you were just getting started?
Invest in a paper-cutter early.

What other advice do you have for aspiring printers?
Read books, talk to old-timers, get a firm grasp of the cant.

If you could add anything to your shop today, what would it be? Why?
More space

What is your letterpress superpower?
Jeffing  

Favorite Press: Common
Favorite Typeface: Caslon
Favorite Paper: Handmade

Visit Ivan and see more of his work at: www.behance.net/oprion