Fine Press Book Association

Fine Press Book Association: "The Typographic Design Unit
by Christopher Wakeling

It ought be an easy enough task to note down what one ‘does’; however, I must admit in this case it has proved a tough assignment. Perhaps I should start by stating what my Typographic Design Unit (TDU) is not. It is not a private press in the traditional sense; nor is it a commercial letterpress printing shop, typesetting house or design studio with an agenda for some form of cultural change.
When I am asked ‘What do you do?’ the reply, ‘Oh, I’m a typographer’, seems inadequate, as it is open to a number of interpretations depending on the questioner’s experience. I like to think of myself as a ‘designer’, one with a preference for working with letters, words and type – whether metal, wood, photo, digital or drawn – in fact, type or lettering in any shape or form. Add in paper and ink, and we can narrow things down to someone who enjoys orchestrating the production of printed material. I would describe myself as someone with an eclectic personality who enjoys dabbling in this, that and the other."