A Private Press is a press which prints for the enjoyment of its owner, without regard to the commercial success of what it prints (it may or may not sell what it prints). Over the years, a number of Private Presses have felt the need to cast their own types (and in some cases make their own matrices and typefaces).
A Fine Press would be simply a press which emphasizes the quality of its work over pure commercial gain, but which still has to pay the bills through the sale of work. The line between Private and Fine presses is fluid, and the two are very much in sympathy. A few Fine Presses have undertaken the casting of their own types.
To these printers may be added a very few amateur or hobby typefounders who cast for the pure joy of making type without any consideration for printing with it. (It is a little-known fact that the purpose of printers is to wear out type so that typefounders - sculptors at heart - can make more of it.) See also the American Typecasting Fellowship.
There have of course been many entities who have made their own type for internal use (not for sale) - some larger commercial presses, many businesses which maintained their own printing departments, and so forth. For this other group, see the Notebook on In-House Typecasting
Atelier Press (Stan Nelson)
Shepherdstown, WV. Stan is one of the few remaining hand punchcutters. He also makes hand casting molds.
Denver Back-Alley Type Foundry
Tom Parson. Denver, CO.
Showing of his October 2011 casting of 18 point ornaments given as a keepsake for the 2012 American Typecasting Fellowship Conference, Portland
Golgonooza Letterfoundry and Press
Ashuelot, HN. Dan Carr [deceased 2012-06-26] and Julia Ferrari. In the years prior to the death of Dan Carr, Golgonooza functioned as a private press and private typefoundry. They formerly, however, offered handset and Monotype composition services, so I'm listing them in the regular commercial typefoundry section. The (blank) icon here links up-and-over to that.
Hill and Dale
1970s-present. Terra Alta, WV. The Hill and Dale Private Press and Typefoundry. Richard L. Hopkins. Rich Hopkins has been publishing the American Typecasting Fellowship Newsletter since its beginning.
Patrick Reagh Printers
Sebastopol, CA.
Showing of his casting of (English) Monotype "Flight Borders" (B1479-1488) given as a keepsake for the 2012 American Typecasting Fellowship Conference, Portland
Stern & Faye
?-2006. Sedro Woolley, Washington. Chris Stern and Jules Faye. An obituary for Chris Stern (d. Nov., 2006) appears in the American Typecasting Fellowship Newsletter, No. 32 (August 2008): p. 7. The typefounding side of this private press and typefoundry has been continued with the C. C. Stern Type Foundry, a working museum typefoundry.
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