The contemporary production of movable types.Research perspectives for letterpress printing betweentypographic culture and digital craftsmanship.

My contribution wants to be an attempt to lay the foundations for an overall discourse on the subject of letterpress printing. I introduced the theme with a brief historical excursus: the aim is to make fully understand the innovations underlying the crisis of this particular printing process. Then I have concentrated on the reasons that still lead to printing with movable types, traced back to both the printing process and the final artifact. Reflecting on the needs of those who deal with letterpress, I have collected some case studies of those who still make types today. Finally, I have identified some possible research topics in this field, involving the study of the History of Typography, the use of a range of technologies, and the need for a methodological and interdisciplinary debate.