Entry No. 51 — the New York City file — filed under: hands-on
The Arm Letterpress
The Arm is a real working letterpress shop that also restores Vandercook proof presses and trades in vintage wood type, so the equipment you print on is the genuine article. In the poster workshop you hand-set type from their unrivaled vintage wood-type collection, lock up a forme, and ink and pull your own posters on a proof press. It sits a short walk from the Bedford L.
The story
When printer Daniel Gardiner Morris set up The Arm in 2004, Williamsburg was still full of cheap industrial footprints and light-manufacturing grit. While the surrounding streets steadily transformed around it, Morris kept the shop anchored to heavy, line-of-sight mechanical printmaking—restoring vintage Vandercook proof presses, trading in rare wood type, and keeping hands-on letterpress work accessible in central Brooklyn.
This isn't a studio where you stare at vintage posters framed behind glass. The Arm operates as a working print shop and public press studio stocked with an unrivaled collection of antique wood type. Instead of staring at a vector file on a screen, you stand over wooden type cases, manually selecting worn letterforms, locking them into a chase, and physically cranking cast-iron rollers over paper.
What it's like
Stepping into the shop off North 7th Street—just a quick walk from the Bedford L—putting you right in the middle of working machinery, ink rollers, and type cabinets. During a poster workshop, expect a tactile, hands-on process: you hand-set wood type face-up, secure the forme with metal furniture and quoin keys, roll ink onto the rollers, and pull the arm of a Vandercook proof press to print your own stack. Classes are run on a seasonal schedule and require advance booking through their calendar or email, so don't expect to wander in off the sidewalk for an unscheduled pull.
The move: Hand-set wood type and pull a stack of your own letterpress posters together on a vintage Vandercook press.
📍 Before you go Beginner classes start around $200; poster sessions and group bookings are scheduled by season, so check the calendar or email ahead.
- 📍 Williamsburg, Brooklyn
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 281 North 7th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The City Reliquary — Walk two blocks down to trade printing ink for salvaged subway tiles, terracotta fragments, and oddball New York civic relics.
- Barcade (Williamsburg) — Trade the mechanical crank of a Vandercook press for the mechanical clatter of 1980s arcade cabinets just around the corner.
- Sunshine Laundromat & Pinball — Head north into Greenpoint to double down on tactile, analog machinery inside a laundromat that hides a room full of pinball games behind a dryer door.
Good to know
Do I need prior letterpress or design experience?
No experience is required. Beginner workshops walk you step-by-step through setting type, locking up a forme, and pulling prints safely on the Vandercook presses.
What will I actually make in a workshop?
In the poster workshop, you select physical letterforms from their vintage wood-type collection, layout your message, ink the press, and pull your own edition of hand-set posters.
How much are classes and how do I sign up?
Beginner workshops start around $200. Sessions and group bookings are released seasonally, so you need to check their calendar online or email ahead to reserve a spot.
Where is the shop located?
The Arm is located at 281 North 7th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a short walk from the Bedford Avenue L train station.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · greenpointers.com · medium.com · Untapped Cities
last checked: 2026-06-23