The Library has extensive holdings in fine printing. The collection provides support to BYU programs in history, graphic arts, English, and other areas, as well as to researchers, faculty and visiting scholars. It also complements other portions of the History of Printing Collection by showing the modern application of earlier printing and publishing techniques. Our collection emphasizes Utah and regional printing (Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast regions), but it also contains examples of fine printing from around the world, including a selection of the output of the English fine presses.
Modern fine printing stands within the tradition of the the best printing since earliest times, emphasizing high quality materials (often including handmade papers) and workmanship (often including hand binding and usually including hand presswork) and often including original artwork, in contrast to machine produced books. Fine press books and ephemera are usually issued in limited editions of 100-400 or less. The period covered by the modern fine press movement includes the late nineteenth century revival of fine printing (including William Morris and the Kelmscott Press, the Doves Press, and the Ashendene Press) and continues into the twenty-first century.
A complete list of presses that have been collected will be found here.To find the work of an individual press from this list, do a creator search in the catalog:
Go to the Library home page.
Click on the drop down arrow to the right of the search box (or left of the magnifying glass).
At the bottom of the popup window, choose "Alphabetic browse"
Click on "creators"; enter a search term (e.g. Tryst Press)
The Dolphin. New York : Limited Editions Club, 1933-1941. RARE QUARTO Z 119 .D66
Fine Print. San Francisco : S. Kirshenbaum, 1975-1998. CONSERVATION LAB Z 119 .F55
The Fleuron : A Journal of Typography. London : Fleuron, 1923-1930. RARE Z 119 .F62
Matrix: A Review for Printers and Bibliophiles. Risbury, Herefordshire : Whittington Press, 1981- RARE Z 4 .M37x
Parenthesis: The Newsletter of the Fine Press Book Association. Witney, England: Fine Press Book Association, 1998- RARE Z 231.5 .P7 P37
Printing History. New York : American Printing History Association, 1979- RARE Z 124 .A2 P74
I. General sites
Organization formed by individuals interested in the art of fine printing; publishes journal Parenthesis. The FPBA is open to both British and Americans interested in fine printing, and the journal is published alternately by American and British fine printers.
American Printing History Association
Organization dedicated to the study of the history of printing and related arts and crafts.
Includes links to dealers and printers.
The Invention and History of the Printing Press
Links to numerous websites with information on the history of printing.
II. Sites for particular fine printers
American Presses
Arion Press (San Francisco, Calif.)
Owned by Andrew Hoyem; successor to Grabhorn Press
Midnight Paper Sales (Stockholm, Wis.)
Imprint of wood engraver and fine printer Gaylord Schanilec
Site dedicated to the work of Thomas Bird Mosher (1852-1923)
Scripps College Press (Claremont, Calif.)
A learning press for students in the book arts program at Scripps College.
Tryst Press (Provo, Utah)
Owned by Provo, Utah fine printers Rob & Georgia Buchert
University of Iowa Center for the Book
Yolla Bolly Press (Covelo, California)
III. Dealers’ pages
Specializes in fine printing
In addition to dealing in fine press books, Oak Knoll Press publishes books about book arts, including fine printing and the history of printing.
Metasite for finding dealers that have specific out of print fine press publications.