British Printing Society

The British Printing Society (BPS) has been a great connector of all types of small printers in the UK since 1944. Today the Society supports branches of members; a conference; a Publishing Group; a magazine; and a host of local branches.

William Brace visualised an organisation which would enable printers to exchange views and experiences, pass on hints and tips, and generally promote a spirit of craftsman­ship and friendliness.

British Printing Society, Prospectus, assumed to be 1970s

Background

William Brace founded the Society in Bristol in 1944, originally called the Amateur Printers’ Association. Brace was born in Liverpool in 1904, but was injured in World War II bombing of Bristol in 1941. Printing was a component of his therapy.

What started as a local group of hobby printers, became the International Small Printers’ Association in 1948. Following the standard small organisation politics, it was not until 1973 that Brace was admitted to the Executive of the BPS. He died in April 1983 but the BPS continued on, and now awards the Brace Award for exceptional service to the Society.

The first symbol of the Society included a printing roller; Rod of Mercury (messenger of the gods), surmounted by a pine cone as the symbol of healing; and a scroll of parchment set with the ‘seal of success’.

By 1947 the Society had 250 members. In that year a local branch was formed in London with a second branch in Birmingham being established in 1950. News of two further branches in development: Liverpool, and Bath, Bristol and District was included in a February 1951 newsletter. By 1958 the Society had twelve branches.

Small Printer

Following the 1944 foundation, plans were made for a journal called Impressions, but this never came to pass. Brace issued an eight page magazine The Torch in 1945 running for three issues. Hobby Printer followed (with four issues), and between 1947 and 1954 the Society’s magazine was Newsletter.

Ispanews took over for 128 issues until 1965 when the Small Printer became the BPS’s magazine when the Society’s name changed to the British Printing Society. Incidentally, all magazines were printed by Society members up to 1961.

Small Printer now appears every other month, edited by Mike Edwards. Mike has established a great-looking and substantial magazine that feels appropriate to the Society’s aim of showcasing all that small printers can achieve.

The Society Today

Just as letterpress has moved on, the BPS has had to move on since formation in 1944. It’s easy to forget at times that some printers’ suppliers were not keen to help the amateur, with Calson saying they ‘would not encourage it’. We’ve also been through a Desk Top Publishing (DTP) revolution and for many people letterpress printing was just a route to getting their words on the page. Happily the BPS now feels like a welcome home for letterpress printers.

The BPS today offers a nice magazine every other month: the Small Printer is probably the best way of keeping up with fellow printers in the UK and across the world. For those wanting human contact, the BPS has a series of local branches that meet up from time-to-time as well as a convention to which all members are invited.

For those members producing work more frequently, or who want to exchange printing, the BPS’s Publishing Group is designed to share member’s printing.

---

Location

Bristol as place of foundation for the BPS.

---