Desert Trail Press & Rare Type Collection

Welcome to the Desert Trail Press & Rare Type Collection! We are non-profit organization dedicated to preservation, education, and outreach through letterpress printing. At our spacious facility in Aztec, New Mexico, we host exhibitions, tours, and classes. We also run the Trail Snack Press, a mobile print studio that lets us bring letterpress to the community as a way to record, share, and celebrate the diverse voices of the Four Corners. Come by and see us soon!

Experience Something Unique!

Desert Trail Press is open to visitors free of charge! Stop by our gallery to see the current exhibition. If the presses are in action in our studio, come observe and ask questions. Demonstrations can also be arranged by appointment.

Explore, Play, Join

Explore the rich history and artistic possibilities of the unique medium of letterpress.

• See an Exhibition
• Join a Class
• Get Involved 

Our Facility

Our home base in Aztec, New Mexico features a 1000 square foot gallery space for rotating exhibitions and a 1200 square foot working letterpress studio. This “living museum” houses of thousands of historic hand-carved wooden letters, a variety of cast metal fonts, four antique printing presses, and bindery equipment all used for classes area about classes>, outreach programs, and projects by our staff, community members, and resident artists.

Our Staff

• Susan Dodge, Director
• Lynn Franklin-Lee, Studio Manager
• Amos Kennedy, 2025 Visiting Artist

Hours

• Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
• Closed major holidays