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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press

@umdbooklab.bsky.social
850 followers 117 following 31 posts

Founded in 2018, BookLab is the University of Maryland English Department’s letterpress workshop, book arts studio, and bibliographic makerspace; and the Plaintxt Press is our imprint. Come visit in Tawes Hall 3248. We make small language models.

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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Thanks to all who joined our Wayzgoose festivities last Thursday! Our fabulous BookLab assistants Sophie McCarthy, Isabelle Berube, and Sam Dibella showcased work they've created over the past year.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Dear UMD friends: please join BookLab today for our annual Wayzgoose (printer's celebration) from 2:30-4:30 pm in Tawes Hall 3248. Our BookLab assistants will be showcasing their work, and we'll have light refreshments on hand. Hope to see you there!
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Happy to lend a hand! 🏳️‍🌈
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Wanna buy us some ink? Today is UMD’s big campus-wide fund raiser!
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Today the MAKING WORDS students worked cooperatively on three different presses to print this 1935 Walter Benjamin quotation on a multi-layered background. They turned out awesome.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
LET’S GO
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
NOX day (by Anne Carson) is always a favorite.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
ChatGPT as tactical media. A little bit of resistance printing today by @kmkraus.bsky.social . All handset type.
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Reposted by UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press
Dylan Lewis @iamdylanlewis.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Me demonstrating the resiliency of a single piece of paper that went through a press in @umdbooklab.bsky.social for ~40 unique, overlapping impressions
Photo of a man wearing a plaid shirt holding up a single sheet of paper with numerous letterpress ink impressions on it
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Some of the work on display yesterday at our Wayzgoose.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Aww. 😘 Never say never!
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
One of our interns so dedicated they are OUT MAKING PAPER in this weather. (We all but forbade it.)
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
It’s that time of year again.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
First work on our new sign press (and a bit of an homage to its retail provenance).
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
A certain slant of light . . . welcome to our newest addition, a Morgan Sign Company Line-o-Scribe with a 14x22” print bed, our largest yet. This particular press was used in a family-owned hardware store in Georgia until recently.
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Reposted by UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press
Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Gradually filling up the galley tray. If you're not here don't get out of sorts, just ask!
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Reposted by UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press
Dylan Lewis @iamdylanlewis.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
CFP for the 3rd annual (!!) Queer Bibliography symposium. @18thcenturysam.bsky.social & @elizaaudacis.bsky.social have worked so hard organizing this! 📚 full cfp here: bit.ly/QueerBib2025 📁 submission form here: bit.ly/QB2025Propos... This call will close 31 January 2025. Share widely & submit!
Graphic with the text:
June 11-12 2025
Queer Bibliography: In the Making

Newcastle, UK and cyberspace

Contact: queerbibliography@gmail.com
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
Hello Bluesky! We’ve been parked here for a while but this account will be becoming more active. Founded in 2018, we are the U. of Maryland English Dept.’s letterpress and makerspace for book arts. We like good trouble. Follow us for updates; we would love to be included in your starter packs!
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 23/04/2024
Big congrats to our longtime colleague and friend! english.umd.edu/news/dylan-l...
english.umd.edu
Dylan Lewis Named to Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography
By Chloe Kim English doctoral candidate Dylan Lewis has been named to the Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography, a prestigious community of scholars housed at the Rare Book Scho...
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 20/03/2024
Check out Nat McGartland and other fab folks in this gathering of emerging letterpress artists and activists: partnersinprint.org/event/print-...
partnersinprint.org
Print Futures: Spring 2024 • Partners in Print
The next Print Futures is Apr. 7, 2024. This online program spotlighting emerging letterpress printers is free to attend. Co-produced by PiP & LEAD.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 09/02/2024
Open hours this semester! Wednesdays 12-2 and Thursdays 10-2. Tawes 3248.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 30/01/2024
Congrats to BFF Dr. Christina Walter on this amazing write up about her office and curio collection! today.umd.edu/a-peek-insid...
today.umd.edu
A Peek Inside … English Professor Christina Walter’s Office
With Collection of Optical Toys, Seeing Isn’t Always Believing
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 31/12/2023
Happy New Year! (gift article) www.nytimes.com/2023/11/25/b...
nytimes.com
South Korea’s City of Books
With some 900 book-related businesses, Paju Book City, northwest of Seoul, is an intentional and euphoric celebration of books and the bookmaking process.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 23/12/2023
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 15/11/2023
Just a typical day in BookLab, with two generations of Drs. Chico sharing treasures of the centuries (and of Spain’s Rastro market). Thank you to everyone who turned out!
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 14/11/2023
Happening Wednesday! A cabinet of curiosities and table talk. Free and open to all.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 09/11/2023
We're revamping our newsletter. Subscribe! eepurl.com/iilNC5
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 07/11/2023
😍
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 26/10/2023
We have cartonera! Cartonera are a tradition of Latin American bookmaking using found and recycled materials, especially cardboard that is then decorated for the cover. Thanks to Diana Proenza for educating us, and the great @titachico.bsky.social for finding us these samples in Chile!
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 19/09/2023
Join us next week for a nature print pop-up! Tuesday and Wednesday 12-2pm
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 19/09/2023
Happy Type High Day! We love this poster from our friends at Davidson College Letterpress Lab. September 18 is like pi day for printers: the date corresponds to 0.918 inches, or the standardized height of a piece of type!
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Reposted by UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press
Rob Montoya @robdmontoya.bsky.social · 18/09/2023
Second annual Queer Bibliography Conference at UCLA @calrbs.bsky.social ! Not to be missed, so save the date! Book history, bibliography, and queer studies folks take note! 📚 📜 #libraries
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 06/09/2023
It’s hot, but we’re printing. And accessorized.
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UMD BookLab and the Plaintxt Press @umdbooklab.bsky.social · 05/09/2023
Comes visit us this semester!
Our open hours this semester: Monday and Wednesday 11-3, Tuesday and Thursday 11-2.
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