A centre in York that is keeping the "endangered craft" of printing alive is having to move home - and is now appealing for help to fund the transition.

The Thin Ice Press, York's centre for print, was founded in 2017 by Professor Helen Smith and Dr JT Welsch. It was originally based at the University of York until its move to Coney Street as a result of the StreetLife project.

The centre was set up with the help of £108,000 in strategic capital funding. But now bosses at the centre are asking for a further £30,000 to help them move, cover costs and boost their sales and membership base.

Centre director Prof Helen Smith said: "We think it's the best equipped letterpress and relief printing workshop in the UK.

"This is a new type of creative space for York."

Combining expert researchers and practitioners, furthering the legacy of the heritage craft is at the heart of the centre.

Prof Smith added: "Traditional printing is in the red list of endangered crafts, these skills won't survive to the next generation."

York Press: A collection of 1920s proofing presses

StreetLife brought the centre and other projects to York’s Coney Street. An independent evaluation set the project’s economic and social impact at £1.39 million, with the centre welcoming more than 1,700 new visitors in its first nine months.

Prof Smith said: "We've had members coming in and find it's a place to combine ideas and develop skills.

"We've got a real understanding of print history from the academic side, which we use to build on modern techniques."

York has a history of print - particularly the De Little family. Robert Duncan De Little first started manufacturing wooden print letters in Micklegate in 1888, he and his family then went on to move to a factory on Vine Street, a site it occupied from 1900-1996.

York Press: Office of Robert Duncan De Little, Founder of DeLittle's Vine Street wood type print factory

After the death of grandson Robert James De Little, the factory in Vine Street was closed - a move which was considered by many to be the end of wood-style printing.

York's legacy is being continued in the centre through the hundreds of exhibitions and events held since its inception. A spokesperson for the centre added: "Our ambition is to be known globally: a premier destination for print."

The Thin Ice Press has to leave its current home but is hoping to relocate to the Old School House at Peasholme Green, although the site is yet to be confirmed.

The studio is appealing for crowdfunding ahead of their move on December 12. To donate, please follow the link here.