My education as a letterpress printer was greatly helped by printing coffee bags for ROW142, a coffee shop near the print shop.
The arrangement was simple: I printed the bags, and they provided me with great coffee.
Printing complicated coffee bags with multiple thicknesses was a valuable learning experience, as was figuring out how to do it reliably.
When ROW142 moved and became Receiver Coffee, I created a special limited edition coffee bag to commemorate the move.
“WALK THIRTY NINE STEPS.” Peter Rukavina, 2014
Receiver Coffee posted a tribute to this bag on Facebook, noting that it hangs behind their counter as a piece of art.
Author's summary: A letterpress printer's education through coffee bags.