Printing the Covers for Superman on the Roof

In early June we gathered in Boston to letterpress the covers of this year's winning chapbook, Lex Williford's Superman on the Roof. This year we were thrilled to print again at Union Press in Union Square, Somerville, enjoying the expert help of Union Press’ Eli Epstein. Over two breezy New England days, we mixed ink, set type, and cranked out over 400 beautiful 2-color covers on a Vandercook press.

We used a Kraft-colored paper from the French Paper Speckletone collection for the covers, and used red and dark blue inks that allude to the colors of the iconic Superman logo. The title story of the collection features a small boy dressed as superman standing on the roof of the house, so we played with that idea by having the title stair-step down the roof of the house. The cover and interior were both designed by our award-winning designer Rebecca Saraceno. The covers came out beautifully and the finished books are lovely, featuring metallic bronze endpapers and warm white interior pages. The book launches August 9—order your copy now!

Here are some photo and video highlights from the letterpress printing process:

Red ink on press with house artwork

Round 1 finished and ready for blue ink!

Blue ink on press

Finished covers drying

More finished covers drying

Our printing team! From L to R: Heather Butterfield, Kathleen Rooney, Rebecca Saraceno, Eli Epstein, and Abby Beckel

Many, many thanks to Eli Epstein of Union Press for his help, expertise, and use of Union Press' equipment and inks.

The finished chapbook is now printed and bound and ready to read. Order your copy of this limited edition contest-winning chapbook! More details about the book and the book trailer here.