An inspiring afternoon with the art school at Gutenberg AG

20.11.25

On November 19th, Gutenberg AG had the pleasure of welcoming the Liechtenstein Art School to its facilities. For an entire afternoon, the students explored the diverse world of print production – from digital design to traditional letterpress printing. Working in four smaller groups, they explored the various stations, learned about the processes, and implemented their own creative projects.

Prepress – design your own boxes

The creative process began in the prepress department. Using Adobe Illustrator, the students designed their very own personalized box. They had a choice of around 30 different motifs, which they could combine as they wished and arrange into individual collages. This compilation was then used to create a print file, which was printed in the next step.

Digital printing – from design to finished product

The tour continued to the digital printing department, where the previously designed boxes were brought to life. After printing, the boxes were precisely cut out by machine. The students then folded their boxes themselves – a tangible result in just a few minutes. The direct connection between the digital design and the finished product particularly impressed many visitors.

Offset printing & finishing department – color, technology and precision

Here, the groups delved deeper into the world of printing. They mixed inks, took a look at the machinery, and learned how printing plates work and what role they play in the printing process. They were also able to create their own rotary blocks – a fascinating insight into handcraft and machine power, which not only familiarized them with the technical processes but also illustrated how much precision, experience, and sensitivity goes into every printed product.

Digital Media – custom stickers

Using smartphones and a corresponding app, the students created their own stickers. Within minutes, they held their personalized designs in their hands – a modern, playful approach to creating digital content. At the same time, they gained a deeper understanding of the interplay between the analog and digital worlds by experiencing how digital ideas can be directly transformed into a physical, tangible product.

Letterpress Studio – Hands-on letterpress printing

Finally, the tour led to our historic letterpress studio. There, visitors were able to operate an original letterpress printing press and create their own poster. The contrast between modern technology and traditional printing was a highlight for many.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the art students for their interest – and also to our dedicated departments who made this inspiring afternoon possible.