Jill Cypher

Jill holds an MFA degree in Advertising Design from Louisiana Tech University. She was the graphic designer for the University of Delaware Publications Office from 1978 to 1984.

Jill, with her husband-partner Ray Nichols, opened Cypher + Nichols + Design, their own advertising and graphic design business, which operated from 1984 through 1999. Some C+N+D clients included Esquire Magazine, Winterthur Museum, Hagley Museum & Library, Direct Radiography, Alanx Products, Omega Medical Center, and Delaware Manufacturing Alliance among others. The firm’s work received numerous awards from the Advertising Club of Delaware, Print, Graphis, CASE, and the University and College Designers Association.

Jill served as president of the Advertising Club of Delaware as well as several terms on its Board of Directors. She was a cofounder of Raven Press at the University of Delaware with interests in letterpress printing, paste paper designs and bookmaking. She is currently president of Lead Graffiti (formerly Wallflowers Press), a letterpress studio producing creative typography cards, posters, and other items.

Memberships:

          American Printing History Association
          Fine Press Book Association
          Amalgamated Printers Association (803)
          .918 Club

Ray Nichols

Ray holds an MFA degree in Advertising Design from Louisiana Tech University. He was coordinator of Visual Communications at the University of Delaware from 1978 to 2005 (retiring in 2006), where he helped lead the program to an international reputation. His own design work has been honored in juried exhibitions by the Art Directors Club of New York, The One Club for Art & Copy, University and College Designers Association, along with inclusion in annuals by major design organizations such as Print Magazine and Graphis Posters. His graduates are regularly included in design and advertising competitions including the One Club for Art and Copy, D&AD (London), Art Directors Club of New York, Communication Arts, and Graphis.

Ray, with his wife-partner Jill Cypher, operated their advertising and graphic design business, Cypher + Nichols + Design, from 1984 through 1999.

As a co-director of Visual Communications / UK while directing study abroad trips to London, Ray fell in love with letterpress printing. He was the co-founder of a letterpress studio called Raven Press at the University of Delaware.

Ray was also a professor in the Center for Material Culture Studies, where he designed and maintained their website and won awards for the recruiting and publishing materials he helped produce. Through CMCS he has overseen the production of two books on the history of the New London Road community (an African American Community in Newark, Delaware), including a cookbook. Ray is a past president of the Advertising Club of Delaware.

In 2008 The Art Directors Club of New York announced an annual award for instructors in the fields of advertising design, graphic design, interactive design, photography, and illustration. Ray was included as one of five in the inaugural exhibition held in October 2009 at the ADCNY gallery in New York City. The ADCNY describes the ADC Grandmasters as educators whose teaching careers in and mentoring have impacted generations of students and whose legacy is a far-reaching network of industry leaders and professionals in advertising and design.

Memberships:

          American Printing History Association (currently Vice-President of the Chesapeake Chapter)
          Fine Press Book Association
          Amalgamated Printers Association (803)
          William Morris Society
          .918 Club / Lancaster, PA

Mike Kaylor

Mike started setting type at the age of 12. He began the Literary House Press at Washington College 22 years ago when he introduced letterpress printing and book arts to compliment the school's Literary House and widely known undergraduate writing program. Over those years hundreds of students have been introduced to the "power of the press," many of whom have gone on to start their own presses and book binderies. Through his work at Washington College Mike has produced over 900 broadsides and has worked with nobel prize winners, pulitzer prize winners and many of the most important living writers and poets.

Mike has studied and worked with Heidi Kyle, Daniel Kelm, Gary Frost, Julie Chen, Dale Doroshaw, Michael Burke, Shanno Lieno, Laura Wood, Terry Chouinard and many other fine printers and book artists.

He was a founding member and long time president of the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Printing History association. His letterpress work appears in many institutions and private collections.

Mike also teaches literature and history at the Gunston School.

Memberships:

American Printing History Association