The Printing Stewards
@printingstewards.bsky.social
Preserving the metal type casting tradition. Current focus is Greg Walters' legacy, and the American Type Founders Company.
@fritzswanson.bsky.social
@bowerbox.com
Erin Beckloff
https://printingstewards.org/
https://www.patreon.com/c/theprintingstewards
@fritzswanson.bsky.social
@bowerbox.com
Erin Beckloff
https://printingstewards.org/
https://www.patreon.com/c/theprintingstewards
Pinned
We preserve the largest collection of machines and casting material from the American Type Founders Company left in North America. ATF was formed in 1892 of 23 19th Century Type Foundries, persisting until its collapse in 1993. Our ambition is to restore the machines and bring ATF back to life.
Our workspace tour video is now available on YouTube! youtu.be/YdxOL5cm-Ik This short video gives you a tour of the work space we've created over several cleaning work sessions. Meet the five casters (of the 46 in the collection) that we will be working on in the near term.
Stewards Casting Diary 1.5: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
A short tour of the five main machines we will be working on.
youtu.be
June 17, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Our workspace tour video is now available on YouTube! youtu.be/YdxOL5cm-Ik This short video gives you a tour of the work space we've created over several cleaning work sessions. Meet the five casters (of the 46 in the collection) that we will be working on in the near term.
To really give you a sense of the progress we have made at the foundry, I have posted a short tour of our work area on Patreon. We've got five machines on deck, and the space around them to do our work.
www.patreon.com/posts/stewar...
www.patreon.com/posts/stewar...
June 4, 2025 at 7:52 PM
To really give you a sense of the progress we have made at the foundry, I have posted a short tour of our work area on Patreon. We've got five machines on deck, and the space around them to do our work.
www.patreon.com/posts/stewar...
www.patreon.com/posts/stewar...
We have 16 casters from ATF, and 3 are on a clear restoration track. This Saturday we cleared even more space around the machines so that we can actively work on them. I just sent a project management email this morning to establish our repair timelines. $3/month helps all this happen faster.
June 2, 2025 at 2:54 PM
We have 16 casters from ATF, and 3 are on a clear restoration track. This Saturday we cleared even more space around the machines so that we can actively work on them. I just sent a project management email this morning to establish our repair timelines. $3/month helps all this happen faster.
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
We agree with every single one of these!!
April 1, 2025 at 1:18 AM
We agree with every single one of these!!
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Dropped by @skeuomorphpress.org to check on @transbookhistory.bsky.social’s community print for Trans Day of Visibility & found it bustling, full of kids & families happily setting wood type & printing these incredible broadsides. If we founded Skeuomorph for anything it was for events like that
April 1, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Dropped by @skeuomorphpress.org to check on @transbookhistory.bsky.social’s community print for Trans Day of Visibility & found it bustling, full of kids & families happily setting wood type & printing these incredible broadsides. If we founded Skeuomorph for anything it was for events like that
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Adding this to my very short list of things I’m most proud of during my graduate career. It was exactly what I needed during these difficult times and I could tell it was what they all needed too!
Dropped by @skeuomorphpress.org to check on @transbookhistory.bsky.social’s community print for Trans Day of Visibility & found it bustling, full of kids & families happily setting wood type & printing these incredible broadsides. If we founded Skeuomorph for anything it was for events like that
April 1, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Adding this to my very short list of things I’m most proud of during my graduate career. It was exactly what I needed during these difficult times and I could tell it was what they all needed too!
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
New acquisition inspired by @literaturegeek.bsky.social. I just couldn’t resist! Had to have it!
June 2, 2025 at 12:34 AM
New acquisition inspired by @literaturegeek.bsky.social. I just couldn’t resist! Had to have it!
We had a great work session on Saturday! Join us on Patreon and learn about all of the progress we have made preserving and restoring historic typographic machinery, including some of the last remaining machines from the American Type Founders.
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
Forward! | The Printing Stewards
Get more from The Printing Stewards on Patreon
www.patreon.com
June 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM
We had a great work session on Saturday! Join us on Patreon and learn about all of the progress we have made preserving and restoring historic typographic machinery, including some of the last remaining machines from the American Type Founders.
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
My non-profit, @printingstewards.bsky.social , had another work session on Saturday. Join our Patreon and learn how we are saving historic typographic machines.
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
Forward! | The Printing Stewards
Get more from The Printing Stewards on Patreon
www.patreon.com
June 1, 2025 at 3:50 PM
My non-profit, @printingstewards.bsky.social , had another work session on Saturday. Join our Patreon and learn how we are saving historic typographic machines.
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
www.patreon.com/posts/forwar...
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
This suggests to me that the insert was produced by some other entity that makes deals for their stuff to be included in newspapers? I can't wait for the part where we find out what the hell happened.
bsky.app/profile/elec...
bsky.app/profile/elec...
This is greyed out behind a paywall, but it ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer too: www.pressreader.com/usa/the-phil...
PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions
Digital newsstand featuring 7000+ of the world’s most popular newspapers & magazines. Enjoy unlimited reading on up to 5 devices with 7-day free trial.
www.pressreader.com
May 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM
This suggests to me that the insert was produced by some other entity that makes deals for their stuff to be included in newspapers? I can't wait for the part where we find out what the hell happened.
bsky.app/profile/elec...
bsky.app/profile/elec...
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
This is the end result of the Sun-Times gutting its arts and entertainment staff through layoffs and attrition
This was just posted by @tbretc.bsky.social on another platform. The Chicago Sun-Times obviously gets ChatGPT to write a ‘summer reads’ feature almost entirely made up of real authors but completely fake books. What are we coming to?
May 20, 2025 at 12:33 PM
This is the end result of the Sun-Times gutting its arts and entertainment staff through layoffs and attrition
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Trying to get my head round how this could make it to print. Many warning signs for all of us
This was just posted by @tbretc.bsky.social on another platform. The Chicago Sun-Times obviously gets ChatGPT to write a ‘summer reads’ feature almost entirely made up of real authors but completely fake books. What are we coming to?
May 20, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Trying to get my head round how this could make it to print. Many warning signs for all of us
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
404 Media got to the bottom of it! www.404media.co/chicago-sun-...
Chicago Sun-Times Prints AI-Generated Summer Reading List With Books That Don't Exist
"I can't believe I missed it because it's so obvious. No excuses," the writer said. "I'm completely embarrassed."
www.404media.co
May 20, 2025 at 2:53 PM
404 Media got to the bottom of it! www.404media.co/chicago-sun-...
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
This is exactly what I mean when I say that it is impossible to reduce friction, only to move it around.
The text-making-up machine dropped the friction of "research" to zero, but every single person downstream of that "research" who has to act upon it now shoulders a double workload.
The text-making-up machine dropped the friction of "research" to zero, but every single person downstream of that "research" who has to act upon it now shoulders a double workload.
Librarian here. Got an email from a patron about our "poor selection" of books on AI, w/ list of new books that we HAD to get so ppl could stay informed about this important subject. Title, author, synopsis.
Of 11 titles on the list, 10 Did Not Exist. At all.
"Yeah, I got it from Ch*tGPT, why?"
Of 11 titles on the list, 10 Did Not Exist. At all.
"Yeah, I got it from Ch*tGPT, why?"
May 20, 2025 at 1:25 PM
This is exactly what I mean when I say that it is impossible to reduce friction, only to move it around.
The text-making-up machine dropped the friction of "research" to zero, but every single person downstream of that "research" who has to act upon it now shoulders a double workload.
The text-making-up machine dropped the friction of "research" to zero, but every single person downstream of that "research" who has to act upon it now shoulders a double workload.
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
I just feel an overwhelming sense of sadness this morning over this? There are thousands of struggling writers out there who could write a brilliant summer reads feature and should be paid to do so. Pay humans to do things for fuck's sake.
This was just posted by @tbretc.bsky.social on another platform. The Chicago Sun-Times obviously gets ChatGPT to write a ‘summer reads’ feature almost entirely made up of real authors but completely fake books. What are we coming to?
May 20, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I just feel an overwhelming sense of sadness this morning over this? There are thousands of struggling writers out there who could write a brilliant summer reads feature and should be paid to do so. Pay humans to do things for fuck's sake.
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Funnily enough, I was just talking to someone who is researching his book in the library. We agreed that one day, AI might trash-ify the internet to the point that anyone doing any research will be back at the library, leafing through paper books like the good lord intended.
May 20, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Funnily enough, I was just talking to someone who is researching his book in the library. We agreed that one day, AI might trash-ify the internet to the point that anyone doing any research will be back at the library, leafing through paper books like the good lord intended.
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
"Honey, could you give this a once-over before we print it with our name on it?"
me (I'm Honey), approx. 20 seconds later: "That first book doesn't exist. You want me to read the rest, or is it time to just trash the whole thing?"
me (I'm Honey), approx. 20 seconds later: "That first book doesn't exist. You want me to read the rest, or is it time to just trash the whole thing?"
I'm afraid I've confirmed that The Philadelphia Inquirer ran the same "Heat Index" supplement that the Chicago Sun-Times did
May 20, 2025 at 3:15 PM
"Honey, could you give this a once-over before we print it with our name on it?"
me (I'm Honey), approx. 20 seconds later: "That first book doesn't exist. You want me to read the rest, or is it time to just trash the whole thing?"
me (I'm Honey), approx. 20 seconds later: "That first book doesn't exist. You want me to read the rest, or is it time to just trash the whole thing?"
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
I spoke to the person who AI-generated the Chicago Sun-Times reading list. Says he's very embarrassed. This was part of a generic package inserted into newspapers and other publications, so likely to run elsewhere. He didn't know it'd be in Chicago Sun-Times
www.404media.co/chicago-sun-...
www.404media.co/chicago-sun-...
Chicago Sun-Times Prints AI-Generated Summer Reading List With Books That Don't Exist
"I can't believe I missed it because it's so obvious. No excuses," the writer said. "I'm completely embarrassed."
www.404media.co
May 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
I spoke to the person who AI-generated the Chicago Sun-Times reading list. Says he's very embarrassed. This was part of a generic package inserted into newspapers and other publications, so likely to run elsewhere. He didn't know it'd be in Chicago Sun-Times
www.404media.co/chicago-sun-...
www.404media.co/chicago-sun-...
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
The machines are coming alive! Here is the first casting diary. Hopefully one of many. Spoiler, it did not kill me. But, I think most of our videos could go under this title. In this video we cast 144pt type! The largest in the world! And we learn what needs to be fixed.
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
Stewards Casting Diary One
YouTube video by The Printing Stewards
youtu.be
May 11, 2025 at 8:26 PM
The machines are coming alive! Here is the first casting diary. Hopefully one of many. Spoiler, it did not kill me. But, I think most of our videos could go under this title. In this video we cast 144pt type! The largest in the world! And we learn what needs to be fixed.
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
The machines are coming alive! Here is the first casting diary. Hopefully one of many. Spoiler, it did not kill me. But, I think most of our videos could go under this title. In this video we cast 144pt type! The largest in the world! And we learn what needs to be fixed.
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
Stewards Casting Diary One
YouTube video by The Printing Stewards
youtu.be
May 11, 2025 at 8:26 PM
The machines are coming alive! Here is the first casting diary. Hopefully one of many. Spoiler, it did not kill me. But, I think most of our videos could go under this title. In this video we cast 144pt type! The largest in the world! And we learn what needs to be fixed.
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
youtu.be/KAv3mX0CLRA
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Please join me tomorrow in watching novelist, colleague, friend, and now fellow Jeopardy! player @dmoren.com on his first of ??? games! Check your local listings!
May 7, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Please join me tomorrow in watching novelist, colleague, friend, and now fellow Jeopardy! player @dmoren.com on his first of ??? games! Check your local listings!
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
The last poster wall iteration for a while- students need all the press time for their finals. Grab a poster if you need one for a May Day march and resist this rights-snatching bullshit that's going on. #letterpress
May 1, 2025 at 12:51 PM
The last poster wall iteration for a while- students need all the press time for their finals. Grab a poster if you need one for a May Day march and resist this rights-snatching bullshit that's going on. #letterpress
Reposted by The Printing Stewards
Today's nerd purchase (with bonus cat foot): Nineteenth Century American Designers & Engravers of Type, a collection of biographical essays from the Inland Printer. #letterpress #typefounding
May 3, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Today's nerd purchase (with bonus cat foot): Nineteenth Century American Designers & Engravers of Type, a collection of biographical essays from the Inland Printer. #letterpress #typefounding