Welcome to Whisky Jack Letterpress

I began setting up a letterpress print shop in 2014 when I acquired an antique Challenge 21-M proof press (ca. 1960s) from Victoria, BC, by way of Southern California, and moved into the historic Grain Exchange Building in downtown Calgary. I moved in the tabletop Chandler & Price that had been in my basement, and began putting together a collection of type ranging from 6-pt metal type to 8-inch wood type, with all kinds of bits and bobs scoured from the internet and classified ads. In 2019, I moved the whole shop closer to my home in Kensington.

At the time, I really had no idea what the master plan was. (I still don’t, I suppose.) I knew that I loved the craft and history and general pigheadedness of letterpress; as a poet, I believed in the artistry of the written word and felt its form ought to carry as much meaning as its content. I am slowly acquiring skills by making mistakes and asking lots of questions of my printer friends, and I hope to work my way into the book arts through small stationery projects and broadsides.

You can follow my progress on Instagram @whiskyjackpress and below. Please click on the projects below for more information, or to purchase.