MILWAUKEE — Technology may come and go, but one print shop in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood proves that some things have staying power. 

In the basement of Bay View Printing Co., things are still produced using letterpress machines. 

The most frequently used machine was built in 1936. Staff at the shop typeset everything by hand and then print them using the machines. In an era where the printing of event invitations, business cards, and business materials have largely gone digital, owner Ashley Town says the story behind how things are printed are often the selling point. 

“Knowing one person sat down, drew that, and then produced that specifically for you, it's comparable to going to a restaurant and knowing it's a farm to table situation,” Town said, who took over the century old print shop back in 2014. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bay View Printing offered classes so that the public could learn how to use the machines and appreciate the art of letterpress. The shop plans to resume the classes in the future. ​