The Tiny Press

The tiny press is a small (but beautifully formed), private press, founded in 2023 and run by Sheena Calvert. It’s part of her larger studio: the .918 press, which has been in existence for over 25 years. Working as an artist, designer, typographer and writer, Sheena has almost 40 years’ experience in working with the letterpress printing medium, and has produced work in the UK, the US, and the Netherlands. The name ‘the tiny press’ is a nod to the author, printer and book designer, John Ryder. His own endeavour, called The Miniature Press, was once located in Richmond, which is where Sheena lives, with her dog ‘tiny’. The tiny press is committed to continuing the long-standing tradition of small, independent presses, in celebrating the craft of letterpress printing, and their role in allowing creative and intellectual freedom to flourish. It’s where the past, the present, and the future of language as a material medium come together, and where the ‘archive’ of printing materials which Sheena has amassed over 25 years come alive. The tiny press is a place to play, explore, and (perhaps most importantly), have fun.

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Located in unit 5 of the artist’s studios next to the London Museum of Water and Steam, in Brentford, the equipment in the press, including the type and cabinets were shipped back to the UK from the US, in 2005. Adana presses in two sizes, which the tiny press uses, were added in 2010. The press expanded in 2024, when the .918 press, including a Vandercook Universal 1 press moved from East London and merged with the tiny press.