About the Press
The Tight Squeek Press is a letterpress print shop and hand bookbindery serving as a production studio for its proprietor, Jon Hinkel.
Started by Jon in 1967, the press has been an artistic and literary venture, concentrating on the creation and production of unique and original works. Such works have included cards, prints and books by Jon as well as visiting writers and artists. Shop projects have commonly involved limited edition printing from hand-carved blocks and engravings, combined with texts arranged and printed from hand-set type impressed into hand-made paper.
Through the years, the shop's printing has remained exclusively letterpress, as this means of production is yet unsurpassed in its directness, in its loyalty to hand-carved images, and the qualities such presswork imparts to the page. The shop's bookbinding has followed in lively step, similarly embracing traditional methods and time-proven materials. We of The Tight Squeek Press are proud to offer limited edition original prints, cards and publications, all of which are created right here!
In addition to our in-house projects, we often accept contract work. For incoming projects, we may incorporate contemporary reproduction methods for images provided to us, and provide digital typesetting services when needed. In addition, we offer edition binding for preprinted texts, and apply careful repair to old and damaged books.
And, as an annual addition to our retail and service offerings, we run introductory letterpress and bookbinding classes here at the shop. Our classes are completely hands-on in their orientations, and are designed to provide our students with strong foundations through direct experience using tools, equipment and materials of the traditional letterpress and bookbinding trades.
