Jack Stauffacher is among those for whom the book is an aesthetic, sensuous experience, something more than words and the ideas those words convey. One could say that he sees the book as a multimedia experience. As a creator of fine books, he lives the book: from the moment he selects a text, searches for just the right typeface, chooses the paper, designs the cover, prints the book on his own letter press, binds the book and gives it the final touches. He is involved in seeing, feeling, smelling, and even tasting the book.

Founder of the Greenwood Press in San Francisco, Stauffacher is a preeminent figure in the fields of fine book design and letterpress printing. He was recently described as a “design legend” by the American Institute for Graphic Arts (AIGA), which this year awarded him their medal for design excellence, along with Edward Tufte and Saul Wurman. His works have been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Art, and he lectures at museums and universities around the world.

Stauffacher works hands on, that is, directly with the material of his object. So what can he say to today’s digitally mediated culture? Plenty. His work ranges from traditional to abstract. His clients publish in book format, but also on the computer. And his enthusiasm for his craft stimulates listeners from all backgrounds. As stated on the AIGA’s webpage introducing this year’s laureates, “Jack Stauffacher’s work in printing books, typography, and design combines an informed reverence for the Classics with an insightful appreciation of innovation.”