
Kraaiven Press,
Night Eye Books,
and Oculi Fine Editions
The Kraaiven Press is the private press of Maurice Lutgens, a gastroenterologist turning into a printer. A passion for books, typography, paper and illustration have led to the creation of my workshop in Kraaiven industrial zone of Tilburg, the Netherlands.
My focus is handset text with metal type. I own full composition types of Altdeutsche Fraktur and Garamond Stempel, with Caslon on the way. These are complemented by several display types. The heart of my workshop is a Korrex Berlin proof press from 1970 with a rare inking mechanism to print larger runs.
My bibliophilic soul belongs to fiction. From fantasy to science fiction, the weird to gothic, and the dystopian to supernatural horror. So expect my works in that area. My own work will be published under Night Eye Books. I strive to have these books made by hand as much as possible from printing to illustration to binding. I believe in preserving these manual crafts and arts as a counter balance to our digital era.
I work closely with my friend Tim Buisker in a collaboration called Oculi Fine Editions which combines his Crooked Eye Press with my Night Eye Books in two fine oculi.