Desert Dog Pressing On: Colorado Mesa University Partner

Desert Dog Press is a community print shop and rare production gem located in downtown Grand Junction. They are a part of Colorado Mesa University and their goal is to share the magic of printmaking with all ages within our community. As an essay photographer, I was in the first letterpress class offered through CMU in the spring of 2020 and I fell in love with the tactile nature of the experience. My great, great grandfather owned Modlin Print Shop in Indiana in the early 1940s and so the press shop environment felt deeply engaging and meaningful. Letterpress, printmaking, screen printing and book arts are their specialty. DDP has multiple letterpress machines with wood and metal type available, a beautiful etching press and soon a four-color t-shirt press. DDP offers workshops throughout the year as well as open studio hours for artists to use the space for their own projects.

Devan Knapp proofs color and registration on a #4 Vandercook proof press.

Devan Knapp and Eli Hall run Desert Dog Press housed behind 437co, — Colorado Mesa University’s art gallery. They worked for many years acquiring the presses and equipment needed to open Desert Dog Press to the Grand Junction community.

Registering the paper before the print run.

Typesetting gothic wood type, created in the early 1900s.

Originally published in the Spring 2022 of Spoke+Blossom.