Porter Garnett 10 commandments for craftsmen

After finding our Harrild & Sons Albion iron hand press had been part of Laboratory Press at the Carnegie Institute of Technology back in the 1920s, we recently visited the Hunt Library at Carnegie Mellon University to see some of the things printed back in the day.

Porter Garnett who initiated the fine press program at CIT wrote out these 10 commandments printed in a small booklet printed at the New Laboratory Press, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute of Technology. Handset in Hunt Roman, a type designed by Hermann Zapf, Printed 18 June 1963.

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DECALOGUE FOR CRAFTSMEN
by Porter Garnett of the Laboratory Press

1. Thou shalt not imitate.

2. Thou shalt not cater.

3. Thou shalt not seek effectiveness for its own sake

4. Thou shalt not seek novelty for its own sake.

5. Thou shalt not employ expedients.

6. Thou shalt not exploit thyself nor suffer thyself to be exploited by others.

7. Thou shalt not concern thyself with the opinions of any but the sensitive and the informed.

8. Thou shalt not give to anyone the thing he wants unless for thyself the thing that he wants is right.

9. Thou shalt not compromise with popular taste or with fashion nor with machinery nor with the desire of gain.

10. Thou shalt not be satisfied — ever.