Busy but enjoyable day at Dundee Contemporary Arts centre leading a class on letterpress. Enthusiastic friendly students make these great fun, and today's were no exception. All got into different ways of playing with the process, which I hope tempts them to follow it up.

Just out: a cautionary notice for prospective letterpress printers.

Pleased with the simulated cast name-plate produced for the 1866 Cropper Platen by friend Robert White. He used his computer-controlled router to cut it in laminate. The frame has four bolt-holes, so I'm assuming it was a name-plate there, and someone took it as a souvenir, so the wording is a guess. It could have been a Health & Safety notice...

OK, so fame at last. Not just pictured printing twice(!) in the centre spread of the local paper, but Ryan McLeod from Dundee who does podcasts interviewing artists released part 1 of his one with me (I went on too long to fit in 1, surprise, surprise) today, together with a poster we created together in the workshop. Podcaast at https://soundcloud.com/cccdundee/40-john-easson/

Visited today by a group from a Rotary Club. One member brought some stereos of car adverts from tthe 60s so I was able to print them for him to see, and explain that stereotyping is not always a bad thing. I notice that the Consul advert doesn't suggest women might want to buy cars!

Perthshire Open Studios Showcase Exhibition now on at The Bield Gallery. Open Studios runs from 2nd September to the 10th (see www.perthshireopenstudios.com ). George at The Bield hung my print next to Mary Brown's portrait of me, and now I have a photo of the print and 'The Printer', one of 'The Printer' next to the printer, and one of the print, the printer, 'The Printer', and the printer's wife.

Today's The Guardian gives great reason not to miss this year's PerthshireOpenStudios.com event. September 2 - 10.

Congratulations to St.Andrews students' drama group The Mermaids on reaching its centennial. I was only fringe to its activity, but still have a poster I did for them in 1961 ( by hand - before cheap photocopiers & instant print shops).

I hadn't realised Oscar Wilde was a feminist. Latest football poster using old blocks. One for Shirin Easson.

Just had a visitor from the States, Vickie from Michigan, spend three days on a crash course learning the basics of letterpress, as a friend there has acquired an entire old printshop. Great fun, she decided to start with 400 copies of a bookmark involving printing a large block, then two lots of text in a second colour (or in her case, color). As she said at the end, she learnt lots as she managed to make every possible mistake along the way--I assured her, there are lots more still to make, I've got the experience. On the whole it came out pretty well. I'm not showing it as I don't want to steal her thunder when she sends them out. She even coped with doing two of the runs on a treadle press, a bit daunting when you first start. Her friend's knowledge of letterpress extends to a three-hour visit to another press, which is why she wanted to get some idea of what they should be doing. With luck, they'll soon be in touch with other letterpress folk over there for help and advice.

Photos from Press Here Letterpress Workshop's post

Broadsheet 35 out now via the BPS mailing. The lavender paper colour seems to have washed out in the scanner.

Photos from Press Here Letterpress Workshop's post

Great time with a letterpress class at DCA (Dundee Contemporary Arts) Print Studio. Lots of friendly enthuisiasm and here's hoping several can carry on to setting up to join the letterpress community.