The Story of Woodbank Press

Fine printing, classical typography, and the art of collecting books.

Woodbank Press is an independent fine press and bookselling imprint specialising in limited editions, fine press books, antiquarian books, and collectible literature.

Founded by publisher, editor, and author Tomasz Pichór, the press draws upon more than two decades of experience in the world of books. Throughout those years, an interest in publishing gradually evolved into a wider fascination with bibliography, typography, book history, and the traditions of fine printing.

Although Woodbank Press is a recent name, its origins lie in a much longer story.

A significant influence came through a series of visits to Whittington Press in Gloucestershire, England. Founded by John and Rosalind Randle in 1971, Whittington Press is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished private presses of the modern era. Encounters with John Randle and repeated opportunities to observe the traditions of typography, printing, paper, illustration, and binding at close hand provided a lasting appreciation of the craftsmanship that lies behind every exceptional book.

Tomasz Pichór with John Randle of Whittington Press, Gloucestershire, England.

Those experiences eventually led to the publication of a first fine press edition in 2013: The Revival of Caslon Types by Justin Howes. The volume brought together a selection of essays originally published in Matrix, the celebrated annual for printers and bibliophiles issued by Whittington Press. It featured an introduction by John Randle and a postscript by Nicolas Barker, the distinguished bibliographer and long-time editor of The Book Collector.

It was an appropriate beginning. A book devoted to typography, introduced by John Randle and concluded with a postscript by Nicolas Barker, reflected interests that would later define the character of both Rambler Press and Woodbank Press: typography, bibliography, printing history, and the traditions of the private press movement.

Over the following years, a series of limited editions appeared under the Rambler Press imprint. Produced in small editions, often limited to twenty-five or thirty copies, these books were designed for readers and collectors who value the physical qualities of books as highly as their literary contents. Classical typefaces, mould-made and cotton papers, traditional binding techniques, marbled papers, slipcases, and careful attention to historical detail became characteristic features of the editions.

Over the years, this programme has included works by Samuel Johnson, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Joseph Conrad, and other authors whose writings continue to reward careful reading and thoughtful presentation.

Woodbank Press builds upon more than a decade of experience gained through the publication of these books.

Many of the editions issued under the Rambler Press imprint drew inspiration from the age of European Neoclassicism and the Regency period, a remarkable era in which literature, architecture, typography, and the decorative arts achieved a rare balance of elegance, proportion, and restraint. It was the age of Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott, of John Bell and William Bulmer, of Bodoni, Didot, and Walbaum. The ideals that shaped the finest books, buildings, and objects of that period continue to influence our work today.

The name Woodbank Press is inspired by Woodbank Hall, a Greek Revival villa built near Stockport during the Regency period. The house embodies many of the qualities we admire in books: balance, proportion, restraint, and enduring elegance. More broadly, it represents an age that witnessed an extraordinary flowering of literature, architecture, printing, and craftsmanship. 

While our methods belong to the twenty-first century, our inspiration often comes from a period in which typography, printing, bookbinding, and design were regarded as arts worthy of the greatest care and attention. In that sense, Woodbank Hall serves not merely as a namesake but as a symbol of the values that continue to guide our work.

Based in Poland, Woodbank Press serves an international community of collectors, readers, libraries, and institutions. Alongside its own publications, the press offers a carefully chosen selection of antiquarian, fine press, and collectible books. Particular interests include literature, history, bibliography, private press printing, and the decorative arts. Every volume is selected individually, whether for its literary significance, historical importance, typographical distinction, or exceptional craftsmanship.

Selected books are also offered through established bookselling platforms, including Biblio and eBay, enabling us to reach collectors throughout Europe, North America, and beyond.

In an age increasingly dominated by the transient and the digital, the printed book continues to occupy a unique place in human culture. A well-made book brings together literature, art, design, craftsmanship, and history in a form that rewards repeated reading and lasting ownership.

Our aim is simple: to publish, sell, and promote books that deserve a permanent place on the shelves of collectors, readers, and libraries.