About Us

October Press specializes in letterpress printing of fine limited edition broadsides, notecards and books.

Deborah Kessler is the proprietor and printer.  The focus of her work is fine writing and illustration. She enjoys working with authors, living with their words, letter by letter, and seeing them come alive on the page to be shared with others. There’s also the calm of setting type, and the rhythm of feeding sheets, one at a time, into the press. This would not be possible without a community of writers and artists who inspire her. She is grateful for those who share her love of language and the written word.

Deborah has been involved with letterpress printing since 1981.  Her first instructors were Gay Reading, Margaret I. King Press (University of Kentucky) and Carolyn Hammer, The Anvil Press, Lexington, Kentucky.  For several years, she apprenticed and worked with Gray Zeitz, Larkspur Press, Monterey, Kentucky. After receiving a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Kentucky, she spent 30 years as a librarian in public, academic and medical libraries.

October Press is located in the Bluegrass Region of  Kentucky. Lexington is an area rich in private press history and tradition. Deborah spends part of each year on Amelia Island, Florida, where she is inspired by natural surroundings.  This is reflected in notecards depicting live oaks draped in Spanish moss, shore birds and sea life.

In addition to private collections, the work of October Press is found in museums, galleries, bookstores and special collections of university libraries.  It has been featured in national and international exhibits.

Printing Process

Letterpress is a 15th century printing technique. Text is set by hand, letter by letter, using metal type.

Type (or illustrated block) is then locked or tightened, into a frame, or “chase”. The chase is placed vertically into the press. Rollers roll up to collect ink from a disk before rolling down over the type to ink it. Only one color can be printed at a time.  Each sheet of paper is placed on the press platen. When the lever is pulled, the metal type is impressed into the paper. Impression can vary from light to heavy. This impression is part of the appeal of a letterpress print, as it adds a tactile feel to luxurious paper. October Press uses the finest handmade and mouldmade papers, often with deckle edges.  The result of this effort is rewarding, as it looks and feels beautiful. This process takes printing back to an era of quality and craftsmanship.