02/25/2026 10:55:43 AMInk on fingertips. Laughter in the air. The steady rhythm of a press doing what it’s done for centuries. On Saturday, February 14, the doors to the new El Pueblito Letterpress Studio at Northern New Mexico College’s El Rito Campus opened wide, and the community showed up in the most beautiful way. More than 40 people traveled from Abiquiú, Española, El Rito, and even Santa Fe to celebrate the studio’s Valentine’s Day Open House. Inside the El Pueblito Building, guests stepped into a space that feels part workshop, part time machine. Under the guidance of instructor Andrew Furse, visitors explored the fundamentals of traditional letterpress printing, handset type, metal leads, rich inks, textured paper, and the satisfying pressure of small presses bringing designs to life. This wasn’t just a tour. It was tactile. Real. Alive. Families gathered around trays of letters. Kids and adults alike composed their own Valentine cards using real letterpress type, carefully arranging characters, inking rollers, and pulling prints by hand. Some made cards to give. Some made them to keep. Every single one carried that slightly imperfect, deeply human charm that only letterpress can create.Milam ShahLina Alegrelina.alegre@nnmc.eduCommunityContinuing EducationEl RitoLetterpress