Yago Bolívar veteran

How long have you been printing?

I got my name and surname set in linotype when I was 12, but I guess that don’t matter. Five years ago it is.

Describe your first encounter with letterpress

Ten years ago I got two pieces of wood type in a surprise bag a colleague brought me from Berlin. A year later a friend gave me another two and the four letters formed my name. True story.
I think the first time I printed was when I was doing this course on type design and we went to Madrid's Museo de la Imprenta and did a workshop with Eva de la Rocha and Roberto Gamonal.

Where did you learn?

Here and there. A lot of trial and error with a good base provided by Eva de la Rocha and Roberto Gamonal.

Who was your most influential teacher?

I think Emilio Sdun has been the person who most opened my eyes to printing.

What super power would you like to have?

Everlasting patience.

Do you prefer to work alone or with others?

Sadly (or not) alone.

What do you most value in your friends?

Honesty and good will.

When do your best ideas occur to you?

Anytime. Usually when the deadline is almost due.

If you were to die and come back as a typeface, which would it be?

Cooper black.

What tool do you use more often than any other?

I just love the V5 Pilot pens and Edding 1200 brushpen, both black.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

I must start by saying that I almost never finish them, but:
– The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds
– Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed. Conversations with Paul Cronin
– Todo lo que era sólido - Antonio Muñoz Molina
– Arduino for Musicians: A Complete Guide to Arduino and Teensy Microcontrollers – Brent Edstrom

If you could study with any printer throughout history, who would it be?

I like my fellow letterpress workers very much and would not change them for any glorified mummy, although I always had curiosity for that man Coster. He might have made a deal with the devil.

If you have your own shop, what equipment do you own?

Two platen presses and two proof presses (Korrex and Fag). Twelve lead type cabinets and one tall wood type cabinet.

If you could change one thing about your shop, what would it be?

The place has a lot of humidity and is packed with old useless forms and useless stuff.

When and where are you the happiest?

When everything is set and printing perfectly, when I am making music and when I am drawing. Opening a bottle of wine is often a happy moment as well.

What is your greatest fear/worry?

I have a tendency to ruin jobs without noticing, like leaving stains on the page, dirty fingers, etc.

What do you think is useful about what you make?

I try to communicate ideas.

What’s your day job?

I am in charge of the coordination of the masters of visual communication in Istituto Europeo di Design Madrid.

Do you use any other techniques or media besides letterpress?

Not really.