Analog Counterculture & Low-Tech Publishing Workshops

The Obsolete Press Mimeograph Revolution Roadshow, February-April 2026

Before there was social media, even before photo-copied zines, artists and writers found ways to publish their creations using stencil prints (mimeographs) dye-transfer prints (hectographs) and alcohol transfers (spirit duplication). Developed during the industrial revolution for copying documents without the use of a printing press, these quick and cheap techniques have been used by Avant Garde artists and poets, political dissidents and underground publishers since the 1800s.

Through public presentations and hands-on workshops, Rich Dana and Leisha Stanek of Obsolete Press share the history of pre-Xerox copier technologies and how contemporary artists and writers are using them to publish small editions of zines, chapbooks, prints, and flyers free from the constraints of the publishing industry, corporate social media platforms and A.I. algorithms.

Who We Are:

Rich Dana is a copier artist and the founder of Obsolete Press. Author of Cheap Copies!: The Obsolete Press Guide to DIY Mimeography, Hectography and Spirit Duplication, Rich has been collecting, restoring and distributing mimeograph machines to book art programs and community art centers around the US. He holds an MFA in book arts and an MA in Library Science. 

Leisha Stanek is co-publisher and editor at Obsolete Press. She is a writer, performance poet and book artist who specializes in typewriter art, DIY printing and chapbook production. Her current one-woman show, What We’re Doing in Iowa Instead of Church, is now available in a limited edition artist book and her unconventional mash-up memoir OBJECT will be released in 2026. 

To Book a Workshop, Demo or Lecture

The Spring 2026 Obsolete Press Roadshow will visit colleges, universities and community art centers through the Eastern, Southern and Central US starting in February. The roadshow offers presentations from half-day visits to 2-day workshops, depending on the host organization’s schedule and budget.

Half-Day Visit: A class visit and/or public presentation and demo with hands-on hectograph. One-hour slide-show and lectures are available for a general audience, book arts or art history focus.

One-Day Visit: A day of class visits, demos, hands-on instruction and presentations.Rich and Leisha set up their “pop-up copyroom” with hectographs, mimeographs and spirit duplicators for hands-on demos. These visits often include a morning and afternoon class and an evening public presentation.

Two-Day Visit: Presentations on history and technology, hands-on sessions with beginner and advanced techniques, and production of a cooperative book project. For schools, these can be tailored to existing class schedules and for community art centers, they can be offered as paid workshops.

 

 

Sample Workshop Descriptions

Obsolete Press Presents:

Analog Counterculture & Low-Tech Publishing: Hectograph and Spirit Duplication

Long before ink jet or laser printers, the hectograph was used to make copies when a printing press was not available. Using only dye-based ink and a tray of rubbery gelatin, anyone could produce publications for their class, club, office or organization. The Hectograph was also used by artists like Edvard Munch as a low-cost alternative to lithography.

Learn how to make and use the hectograph (and its mechanical counterpart the spirit duplicator) to create quick and easy editions of zines, chapbooks, posters, flyers and cards. Each workshop participant will leave with an edition of prints and the knowledge (and a starter kit!) to continue printing at home.

 

 

 

Obsolete Press Presents:

Analog Counterculture & Low-Tech Publishing: Mimeography and Stencil Printing

Have you ever wished that you could create those colorful Risograph prints without the giant Riso machine? Meet the Mimeograph!

In the 1870’s a Hungarian immigrant working in a Chicago kite factory invented a stencil paper that made it easy to print on paper without a printshop. David Gestetner’s stencil paper, along with a small desktop duplicating press introduced by Thomas Edison and A.B. Dick, sparked a revolution in indie publishing and later led to the development of the Risograph.

Learn how to create stencils, how to operate a mimeograph, and even how to print from stencils with no mimeo or riso machine at all! Workshop participants will learn about the history and technology of the mimeograph and then dive into hands-on instruction.

For more info, Contact ricardo.obsolete@gmail.com