by Gabrielle Hernandez
Senior design student Lauren Baronoskie knew she wanted to be more involved with the historic wood type collection she first encountered in class. By applying for the Rob Roy Kelly Summer Residency, she was able to treat the 19th-century archive as a living medium rather than a museum artifact.
“The opportunity to reimagine it and recontextualize it in a time like now has been super intriguing to me,” Baronoskie said.
Baronoskie was one of the students selected for the 2025 cohort of the residency, a five-week program where students design, set type and produce new prints using the Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection. The collection comprises 166 wood typefaces, gathered by design educator Rob Roy Kelly starting in the 1950s.
For students, the experience is immersive and fast-paced. Baronoskie produced seven final prints throughout her residency, working with 13 different typefaces.
“We were here ten to six every day,” she said. “It really started with a pitch. We would all come together, present an idea on the screen, get feedback, and rework it from there.”
Once a concept was approved, the lab shifted into full production mode.
“It was a team effort of getting it on the press and pulling 100 of each,” she said.
Design Lab staff member Gabi Williams offered a perspective shaped by both experience and proximity. A design department alumna, Williams now works in the lab helping students print, troubleshoot and build confidence with letterpress. She has served the residency as a staff member since its start, watching students navigate the same learning curve she once experienced herself.
Williams said the residency stands out because it allows students the luxury of uninterrupted time to work deeply with the presses and the collection, something that can be hard to achieve during a regular semester. She also encourages students interested in the residency to spend time in the lab before applying, not as a requirement, but as a way to build comfort and curiosity.
“If you are already familiar and trained with letterpress printing, definitely come into our space and use the presses and get some projects under your belt,” she said. “The more letterpress projects you have to demonstrate that you’re comfortable doing that, that’s exciting for us to see, that you’re excited about the process.”
While the residency is grounded in the preservation of a historical collection, its driving force is student engagement. Students shape the work, lead the design direction and carry each print from concept to production.
Design Lab Manager Henry Smith, who has overseen the RRK collection since 2019, said the program was created specifically to get students actively working with the type.
“I wanted to embark on a project that was an excuse to get students in here working with the collection and providing them space and resources to embrace letterpress and the collection into their practice,” Smith said.
The first week of the residency is intentionally slow. Students study the drawers of type, review past projects and gather visual references. After that, the pace shifts dramatically.
“It’s this constant flow of generating things, making a pitch, working together to make it happen and bring it into the world,” Smith said.
Interest in the residency has grown each year, with applications increasing significantly. Design faculty member Carly Law, who also helps review applications, said the enthusiasm reflects a renewed appetite for hands-on making.
“We’ve had a huge influx of interest,” Law said. “In previous years, we’ve only had three or four, and last year we had 11 students apply, which has been super encouraging for us as print enthusiasts.”
Law’s own background in graphic design, printmaking and professional pressroom management shapes the program’s structure. She said the residency intentionally mirrors a working printshop, giving students experience they might not otherwise find on a college campus.
“This summer, it was really great for us to focus on production,” Law said. “We worked very efficiently. We tried to make sure that we had folks setting type ahead of time and prepared to jump on press. We had paper ready. We recorded how long it took to print a run… The students made incredible work at a very high volume.”
For Baronoskie, the residency permanently reshaped her relationship with letterpress and the collection.
“You become so much more comfortable with the collection, obviously, but the presses as well,” she said. “My advice for anyone who wants to do it is that you absolutely just should!”
As the residency continues to grow, the focus remains on the students whose creativity brings new life to the 19th-century type. Each print becomes both a historical record and a testament to the next generation of designers learning through ink, wood and daily practice.
To learn more about The Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection, visit https://rrk.finearts.utexas.edu/
Gabrielle Hernandez is the communications manager for the School of Design and Creative Technologies.