Month: September 2024

Ok here’s how the story goes. The Clint Harvey letterpress journey started in a dusty old 1920s small goods warehouse on Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley. The place was affectionately called The Bacon Factory – not because we made bacon, but because that’s what it once was. For eight years, this gritty little gem was home to my letterpress journey. It had character—creaky floors, cracks in the walls and a basement that would scare the shit out of your mother. The smell of ink and grease, and plenty of quirks that made it perfect for a print studio. It was here that the wheels started turning, where my plans for sharing letterpress with community began to take shape. But as with everything in the inner city, developers came sniffing around, and boom, the building got sold. And we were out on our asses on the street.

Next stop: Eagle Farm. A 1940s bearing factory that once cranked out head gaskets for the Ford Motor Company. It was further out, a lot bigger but a shit load more expensive but we had 450 square meters of letterpress heaven. And let me tell you, it was pure bliss. The smell of ink mixing with motor oil from the old machines. We had dreams bigger than the space—hoping universities and institutions would see the value of these vintage presses and come knocking. But no, they were too glued to their screens and online classrooms to give a shit about real-world printing.

But we pushed on. We threw open the doors to the public and invited everyone in—hairdressers, architects, gardeners, the people who actually keep the world spinning. Workshops ran late into the evenings and even on the Sabbath. People connected through ink and sweat, making real things with their hands. Then BAM—COVID hit. Workshops were wiped out, but the bills sure as hell didn’t stop. Rent kept coming in hot.

We scrambled. The dream was shrinking, so we downsized. I threw half the studio into two 40-foot containers and leased a shoebox-sized space in the  Eagle Farm building. There we were—battered but still standing. We pivoted to online workshops, cranked up the music, drank some whisky, and carried on, refusing to let this thing die. It was a fight—a bloody good one—but still, it wasn’t enough. We were hanging by a thread.

It was time to rethink everything. Cue a Zoom call with a ragtag group of loyal supporters, some letterpress royalty, and a wild idea: a mobile studio. What the hell, right? We launched a GoFundMe campaign, and within 30 days, we had enough to make it happen. A 40-foot shipping container transformed into a letterpress studio on wheels.

Three years later, in 2024, we launched SPAM. “WTF,” a number of my close friends said, We launched this prototype mobile letterpress studio at the Atypi Typography Conference in Brisbane. The design community embraced us with open arms, and that’s when we knew we were onto something.

Now, we’ve got a new name Moveable Type Studio and a new chapter at The Paint Factory. This isn’t just some artsy fartsy joint. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s a community of creators who get their hands dirty. The building itself carries the legacy of Taubmans, a paint powerhouse. That history, of creating something solid and lasting, flows through these walls.  

The folks behind The Paint Factory aren’t your typical developers in suits—they get it. They believe in creativity, they back the makers, and they understand that sometimes, the world needs people a little mad enough to push back against the norm.

Because here’s the thing: in a world that’s constantly speeding up, maybe the real revolution is to slow the fuck down. Open your eyes. Feel the ink on your hands. Smell the damn paint. Touch the world around you, because that’s where the magic happens. We’ve survived because we’ve stuck to that belief, and now, at The Paint Factory, we’ve found a place where creativity and madness go hand in hand.

This isn’t the end of the journey—it’s just the next  step up the mountain.

How Movable Type Studio encourages Hands-On Creativity

In an age where digital tools and virtual environments dominate, design education has largely shifted to screen-based learning. While technology offers unparalleled convenience and accessibility, it often sidelines the tactile, hands-on methods that foster deeper understanding and creativity. At Movable Type Studio, we aim to reintroduce the power of kinaesthetic learning, offering a space where design enthusiasts and creative makers can connect with materials physically. Through our mobile letterpress studio, we provide opportunities to actively engage with design elements and principles in a way that digital platforms often cannot.

What is Kinaesthetic Learning?
Kinaesthetic learning emphasises learning by doing. Rather than relying solely on visual or auditory instruction, kinaesthetic learners process information by interacting with it physically. This learning style is particularly beneficial in creative fields like design, where abstract ideas—such as composition, balance, and contrast—can be challenging to grasp through passive methods alone. Manipulating objects, experimenting with layouts, and engaging in the physical process of making are essential for truly understanding the nuances of design.

The Digital Dilemma: Loss of Physicality in Design
As design has moved increasingly online, the immersive, tactile aspect of experimenting and learning has diminished. Digital platforms emphasise clicking, dragging, and simulating environments rather than experiencing them. While this approach has its benefits, particularly in making education more widely accessible, it leaves little room for kinaesthetic learners to engage in the understanding of design elements and principles fully.

The result? Creatives may miss out on key aspects of their process, especially when it comes to understanding design elements like hierarchy, typography, and spatial relationships. For instance, moving text and images on a screen can’t compare to the physical experience of arranging type by hand or adjusting ink and pressure in a printing press. The decline of hands-on experimentation risks eroding crucial problem-solving skills, craftsmanship, and a fundamental appreciation of materiality in design.

Reviving Hands-On Learning Through Letterpress

At Movable Type Studio, we bring back the essence of tactile learning by providing a hands-on approach to design through letterpress printing. This historic craft is more than a nostalgic nod to the past—it’s an active, kinaesthetic experience that grounds makersin the physicality of design. Letterpress allows users to see design principles like alignment, contrast, and repetition come to life in real-time, as they feel the weight of type blocks, adjust ink distribution, and engage with the mechanical process of printing.

Our workshops introduce participants to these core elements in an embodied way. When they handle the lead type, adjust the printing press, or experiment with ink consistency, they are physically connecting with design principles. Balance is no longer an abstract concept—it’s something they can feel as they align type within a frame. Contrast is something they can see in the way ink interacts with the paper.

The Physicality of Design Principles in Action
Design elements such as line, shape, texture, and space are vital for visual communication, but experiencing these concepts in a physical way provides a more profound learning experience. When particapants at our workshops work with tangible materials—whether they’re setting type, arranging compositions, or exploring the sensory aspects of ink on paper—they gain a visceral understanding of these principles.

For example:

• Contrast is evident in the tactile difference between inked and uninked surfaces or between bold type and delicate paper.
• Alignment becomes a mechanical process as much as a visual one, with students learning to ensure that blocks of type sit flush, both visually and physically.
• Hierarchy is no longer an abstract concept but something shaped by the physical arrangement of elements on a page, with weight and pressure playing a role in visual emphasis.
  
  This process goes beyond understanding; it develops problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and a deep appreciation for the craft of visual design. These kinaesthetic experiences strengthen creative thinking, allowing designers to work more intuitively with materials while also honing their conceptual abilities.

Connecting with Creatives Across the Country
Our vision for the Movable Type Studio is to take this unique approach on the road, connecting with creatives and design students around the country. Each stop offers a chance for participants to explore physicality in design, reinvigorating their understanding of key principles in a way that is often neglected in today’s digital classrooms. From urban design studios to regional creative hubs, our goal is to provide workshops that elevate and expand participants’ grasp of visual communication through hands-on practice.

By engaging with letterpress, participants strengthen their ability to make informed design decisions with a focus on experimentation and materiality. They leave with an expanded toolkit—one that goes beyond software proficiency to include an intimate understanding of how physical materials shape design.

Conclusion: Bridging the Gap Between Digital and Physical Design
In a world increasingly driven by digital tools, kinaesthetic learning reminds us that the best design practices are often rooted in physical interaction. Movable Type Studio is not only preserving the craft of letterpress but also reigniting the importance of learning by doing in visual communication. Our workshops provide particapants with the opportunity to physically interact with design principles, reinforcing the connection between their hands and their creative minds.

As we travel the country, we look forward to fostering deeper connections between creativity and physicality, inspiring a new generation of creatives who understand the power of hands-on learning.

For more information on upcoming workshops, stay tuned to the Movable Type Studio blog.