„Journeyman Years“ in Letterpress

The journeyman years (Wanderjahre) is a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. After completing their apprenticeship craftsmen went on a journey of working lasting three years and one day. This way of additional training was widespread in crafts like roofing and carpentery but also in the visual arts like masonry, painting and in goldsmiths. These artistic jounrmeymen made a …

A farm full of books and a barn filled with stories: schedule 17-25 August

The schedule of events in August is finalised. There is much you can choose from: Open Studio, an exhibition of artist’s books, readings, guided tours. During the “tales in the barn” there’ll be readings from a choice of my artist’s books accompanied by the stories how the books came into being from a first glimpse of an idea through to …

A farm full of books and a barn filled with stories!

In 1999 I started making books in my own studio. What I had at the time was one proofing press and some metal type and a lot of enthusiasm. I went to a number of bookbinding classes. Two decades on from then I have two proofing presses, a number of smaller platen presses, some estimated 10 tons of metal type …

Open Studio: March + August

There are two Open Studio events coming up this year!The first will be on 15 March celebrating the first anniversary of artistic printmaking techniques being awarded cultural heritage status in Germany. We’ll be open on the Friday from 3pm to 8pm giving visitors the opportunity to have a go at one of the presses. More on this event and the …

My proofing presses

My first press was delivered in November 1998. It was a KORREX Hannover, an entirely manual cylinder proofing press. This press is a rather unrelenting teacher, I can tell you. I very much treasure it. The press came with its standard inking unit (carriage).  There are three rubber rollers, one of them with a pin on to which a handle …

Printmaking Lady

This is me: Annette. I’m a bookish girl. How could I possibly not end up in the book arts?


This image was taken at a colleague’s workshop, at Heinrich Buser’s Greno Printing Office. I was assisting with printing at his Heidelberg windmill which was, I admit, a very special experience. I myself don’t own such a magical machine. My presses are all manually operated, and that is perfectly fine with me. I got serious with printing in 1998 – that was when I bought my first proofing press, a KORREX Hannover. I am into wood- and linocut, letterpress printing using metal and wood type, and I’m into bookbinding. I’m a member of The Fine Press Book Association, the Oxford Guild of Printers and the BK (Bundesverband Kunsthandwerk).

Annette Dißlin – Photo by Eva Rahe

Oxford Guild of Printers