Tilley Printing and Martin Clark Master Printer

Martin Clark, Master Printer and proprietor of Tilley printing, oversees the printing of each of our letterpress posters. Printed in small batches, these posters have all of the quirks and inherent characteristics typical of letterpress, making each poster a unique and beautiful piece of work.

For anyone who has visited the Tilley Printing premises you will know what a special and unique place it is with a history stretching long before Martin took over ownership. Originally established in 1875, Tilley printing was one of many businesses run by the Tilley family. Luke Tilley was the archetypal entrepreneur whose business sense and hard work resulted in the family dominating many areas of trade in the thriving market town of Ledbury.

For the first half of the twentieth century Miss Leonie Tilley was the proprietor and instigator of some considerable modernisation of the premises including the introduction of electric power to replace the steam generator and in the 1930’s Tilley’s collection of type was expanded to hold many avant garde type faces of the day. During the middle of the century the Heidleberg Platens were introduced transforming the production of Letterpress printed material.

Martin’s personal history and involvement with Tilley’s began with his five year apprenticeship at the tender age of 15, later going on to achieve his status as a Master Printer. During his career, which has included some time working at the Oxford University Press, Martin has maintained the traditional skills and craftsmanship of the Letterpress Printer.

Tilley Printing may possibly claim to be unique in the fact it remains a ‘Jobbing Letterpress Printers’ still housed in it’s original premises since 1875.

You can read more about Martin and Tilley Printing on our blog here.

Mark Hearld artist, illustrator, printmaker & textile designer

Mark Hearld studied illustration at Glasgow College of Art and then completed an MA in Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art. From his studio in York, Mark creates collage and print inspired by wildlife around him. His work is part of a printmaking tradition in the UK that stems from mid-twentieth century artists like Bawden, Piper and Nash.

Mark’s approach to his work could be summarised as the antithesis of minimalism. He works with a number of elements and different media, bringing them together in dynamic and complex scenes the evidence of which can be seen not only in his collages, linocuts and lithographs, but also through the results of collaborations with writers, film makers, clothes designers and potters.

Tinsmiths and Ledbury have a long-standing association with Mark Hearld working on a variety of projects and often involving the expertise of Martin Clark at Tilley Printing. Mark’s latest collaboration with Tinsmiths is based on a pair of papier dominote prints which further evolved into a striking collection of stationery and items for the study.