Kunstprenteverket Printing museum
Kunstprenteverket is a museum and working print studio dedicated to traditional printing techniques and their ongoing use. Its collection spans more than a century of printing technology, from early manual presses to industrial systems still in operation today.
Historic machines are preserved in working condition and continue to be used for contemporary printmaking, creating a living link between past and present practice.
Read more about the collection
Kunstprenteverket is both a museum and a working studio dedicated to the history, craft, and continuing practice of traditional printmaking. Its collection reflects more than a century of technological and artistic development, with printing equipment ranging from early 19th-century hand-operated presses to advanced industrial systems from the late 20th century.
The collection includes presses, typesetting systems, and workshop tools that document the evolution of printed communication — from hand-set wood and metal type to mechanical and industrial production methods. Together, these objects trace how text and image have been produced, reproduced, and distributed across changing technological eras.
A central aspect of Kunstprenteverket is that many of the historic machines remain operational. Through careful restoration and ongoing maintenance, they continue to function as working tools rather than static artefacts. This allows traditional printing methods to remain active within the studio environment.
As a result, the museum functions as a living workspace. Visitors encounter not only preserved equipment, but also the ongoing rhythm of production — the movement of presses, the setting of type, and the material processes of ink, pressure, and paper.
By maintaining both preservation and use, Kunstprenteverket operates as a hybrid institution: part cultural archive, part active workshop. It preserves technical and aesthetic knowledge while continuing to expand it through contemporary printmaking practice.
