I am Tamas Novokrescsenszkov, wayfaring printer and typographer, practicing my trade locally and all over the country. Like my collegues from medieval times I also started wayfaring. Not from necessity and not so adventourosly like them, but I also travel and I print at odd times this and that.
I am a typographer following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather who were also master- printers. I had no chance to go for a study-travelling, I only could learn from my own works. After finishing school, my professon was called hand compositor. I learned machine-typesetting on Linotype composing machines.
After the regime change in 1989 we had to do all types of printing, but our qualification was enough just in our own scope of activites. I had to make experiments in all the other fields, but I really liked it in all of my life: block making, photography, bookbinding, letterpress, offset printing, gravure printing, mimeograph system, stencil, cutting, gold lettering, wood type making, digital printing. Thanks to the lot of experiments now I have big printing experience and knowledge.
Thanks to linotype composing I developed a taste for machines and mechanikal engineering. I studied a lot about this science with the help and instructions of my old buddy, Bence Marci. I began to understand the connection of systems and their precise cooperation. Afterward I looked at every machine with this admiration. I learned the most about printing from the mechanics who are unfortunately peripheral specialists in the field of printing. My dear old mechanic collegues were: Márton Bence, Ferenc Benyák, János Almási and Karmi.
I am a typographer following in the footsteps of my father and grandfather who were also master- printers. I had no chance to go for a study-travelling, I only could learn from my own works. After finishing school, my professon was called hand compositor. I learned machine-typesetting on Linotype composing machines.
After the regime change in 1989 we had to do all types of printing, but our qualification was enough just in our own scope of activites. I had to make experiments in all the other fields, but I really liked it in all of my life: block making, photography, bookbinding, letterpress, offset printing, gravure printing, mimeograph system, stencil, cutting, gold lettering, wood type making, digital printing. Thanks to the lot of experiments now I have big printing experience and knowledge.
Thanks to linotype composing I developed a taste for machines and mechanikal engineering. I studied a lot about this science with the help and instructions of my old buddy, Bence Marci. I began to understand the connection of systems and their precise cooperation. Afterward I looked at every machine with this admiration. I learned the most about printing from the mechanics who are unfortunately peripheral specialists in the field of printing. My dear old mechanic collegues were: Márton Bence, Ferenc Benyák, János Almási and Karmi.
I learned more and more about mechanics. In old times to make a printing machine took even 10 years and costed a fortune. The precisity of type casting was under hundredths of a millimeter in the 14th century – unbelieveable and miracle for me!
I can express my admiration by trying to transfer my knowlegde about these machines and methods to the young enthusiasts who are really hungry for manuality.
The collection and reparation of antique machines became my passion. This printing machine collection and workshop is the result of the work and steadiness of many many years. All my life I improved the knowledge of this trade what I dearly love.
On my grandfather’s master certificate stands: printing master. My aim is to multiply perfectly what somebody has created as an intellectual product, should it be an object, an image or anything to print. To reach this, we have to learn, experiment and pass on the workmanship, to teach.
My favourite printing subjects are: letterpress, wood type and wood block making and paper mache. I would like to experiment and play with these as long as I am alive.
The saying of Feri Benyák is true for me as well, that I am a very happy man, because I played in all of my life and sometimes I even got paid for it.
I can express my admiration by trying to transfer my knowlegde about these machines and methods to the young enthusiasts who are really hungry for manuality.
The collection and reparation of antique machines became my passion. This printing machine collection and workshop is the result of the work and steadiness of many many years. All my life I improved the knowledge of this trade what I dearly love.
On my grandfather’s master certificate stands: printing master. My aim is to multiply perfectly what somebody has created as an intellectual product, should it be an object, an image or anything to print. To reach this, we have to learn, experiment and pass on the workmanship, to teach.
My favourite printing subjects are: letterpress, wood type and wood block making and paper mache. I would like to experiment and play with these as long as I am alive.
The saying of Feri Benyák is true for me as well, that I am a very happy man, because I played in all of my life and sometimes I even got paid for it.
A B O UT U S
Tamas Novokrescsenszkov, founder and leader of Letterpress Workshop and Museum
