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High School Print Shop
My High School Print Shop teacher was a great guy. He had a considerable influence on my life. (I am ashamed I cannot remember his name). He was the one who peaked my interest in the printing profession and got me the job with Hall’s Printing and Binding”. He also taught Blue Print reading which became the basic course for much of my life’s profession. He even stood up to my English teacher on my behalf. (That is another story yet written)
Print shop was not just setting type and printing. It was a look into the new offset machines, the different new machines that were
taking the place of individual type, the preparation and make up of the metals used, silk screening, and the making of rubber stamps. (Rubber stamps and silk
screening made me popular with a few friends.)
My teacher allowed me to use the shop after school, during lunch, and during my study halls. Some of this time I was alone and without
supervision. Sorry Sir, but all of my time there was not for the betterment of my academic life. Some was for less than legal purposes. I will not go into
the profit portion, but I made one silk screen that was probably my best piece of work. Only other teenagers knew of it.
I was now 15 and could not wait to drive. I had driven my friends car and was quite proficient with a tractor, and couldn’t wait to
turn 16. In those days you would go to the DMV get your permit and when ready, take your test. You could drive at 16 during the daylight hours only (unless
going to and from work). You could drive at night at 17 if you had taken Driver’s Education. Otherwise, you had to be 18 to drive at night or drink
alcoholic beverages.
I knew this because of an older friend had gotten his license and informed of the entire process. I wanted to drive so bad I could taste
it. I went down to the DMV and lifted a couple license forms. I had one filled out and waiting. I showed my dad. I asked him what it looked like when it was
official. He showed me his license. All the State had done was take a filled in form and stamp it with their stamp. Of course the State had a special stamp
with an ascending number stamp built. If I could duplicate that stamp, I could make my own license.
I managed to get my dad’s license with out his knowledge. I measure the printing sizes, and took 2 or 3 photos. (The photos would
allow me to get close to the correct type (font) as well as a close color for the inkpad. The hard part would be the seal, but a little practice (with
patience) I would figure it out. I never could make a stamp that was good enough for me. I decided to silk-screen the seal portion.
I managed to lift a dozen blank forms from the DMV. I played with my enlarger until I had a perfectly sized copy of the seal. I used the
picture to cut through it and the “silk screen” material. I botched the first couple, but soon was able to reproduce the seal. By blotting the
silk-screened seal before the ink dried with a coarse blotter, the official NY stamp was more than adequate. I made a number stamp with a number series equal
to my dad’s but with a number completely different. It was perfect. I used one of my forms. You would have to place it under a powerful magnifying glass to
tell the difference if you were looking for a difference.
With the new form, it did look like it was just issued. Without going into further details, after I had used my 6th or 7th
form and made another stamp, I had two official looking licenses one showing my age as 16, one as 18. Both had stamp numbers identical to my dad’s license.
(After all, we both had the same name.) They did not look as if they were just issued. While I was at it, I made
a few extra stamped forms in case I found a friend or two who may wish to have a drink with me. (That was a problem I didn’t have)
Luckily we were never caught. The licenses passed muster every time. When I turned eighteen I tossed everything. It wasn’t a big deal
any longer to go in and have a drink. In fact at 18, it was probably a felony.
My High School Print Shop teacher was a great guy. He had a considerable influence on my life. (I am ashamed I cannot remember his name). He was the one who peaked my interest in the printing profession and got me the job with Hall’s Printing and Binding”. He also taught Blue Print reading which became the basic course for much of my life’s profession. He even stood up to my English teacher on my behalf. (That is another story yet written)
Print shop was not just setting type and printing. It was a look into the new offset machines, line-o-type, and other new machines that were taking the place of individual type setting. It was also the preparation and make-up of the metals used, silk screening, and the creation of rubber stamps. (Rubber stamps and silk screening made me popular with a few friends.)
My teacher allowed me to use the shop after school, during lunch, and during my study halls. Some of this time I was alone and without supervision. Sorry Sir, but all of my time there was not for the betterment of my academic life. Some was for less than legal purposes. I will not go into the profit portion, but I made one silk screen that was probably my best piece of work. Only other teenagers of that era knew of it.
I was then 15 and could not wait to drive. I had driven my friends car and was quite proficient with a tractor, and couldn’t wait to turn 16. In those days you would go to the DMV get your permit and when ready, take your test. You could drive at 16 during the daylight hours only (unless going to and from work). You could drive at night at age 17 if you had taken Driver’s Education. Otherwise, you had to be 18 to drive at night. You also had to be 18 to drink alcoholic beverages. The preferred form of proof was a driver’s license.
I wanted to drive so bad I could taste it. I went down to the DMV and lifted a couple license forms. I had one filled out and waiting. I showed my dad. I asked him what it looked like when it was official. He showed me his license. All the State had done was take a filled in form and stamp it with their stamp. Of course the State had a special stamp with an ascending number stamp built. If I could duplicate that stamp, I could make my own license.
I managed to get my dad’s license with out his knowledge. I measure the printing sizes, and took 2 or 3 photos. (The photos would allow me to get close to the correct type (font) as well as a close color for the inkpad. The hard part would be the seal, but a little practice (with patience) I would figure it out. I never could make a stamp that was good enough for me. I decided to silk-screen the seal portion.
I managed to lift a dozen blank forms from the DMV. I played with my enlarger until I had a perfectly sized copy of the seal. I used the picture to cut through it and the “silk screen” material. I botched the first couple, but soon was able to reproduce the seal. By blotting the silk-screened seal before the ink dried with a coarse blotter, the official NY stamp was more than adequate. I made a number stamp with a number series equal to my dad’s but with a number completely different. It was perfect. I used one of my forms. You would have to place it under a powerful magnifying glass to tell the difference if you were looking for a difference.
With the new form, it did look like it was just issued. Without going into further details, after I had used my 6th or 7th form and made another stamp, I had two official looking licenses one showing my age as 16, one as 18. Both had stamp numbers identical to my dad’s license. (After all, we both had the same name.) They did not look as if they were just issued. While I was at it, I made a few extra stamped forms in case I found a friend or two who may wish to have a drink with me. (That was a problem I didn’t have)
Luckily we were never caught. The licenses passed muster every time. When I turned eighteen I tossed everything. I could drink and drive legally. In fact, once it was legal, my drinking diminished.
I wonder. With computers like they are today, how many 15 and 16 year olds today are doing something similar?
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