The first clean sheet

The workshop floor was dusty, and the corners around the press were cluttered with boards waiting to be trimmed. The workbench itself was clear. Before printing, the tutor asked us to move every drink to a shelf near the door. She then passed around a clean sheet so that we could feel its surface. I began to understand how much of the process depended on separating the useful mess of making from the things that would spoil the final impression.

From the passage, select two words or phrases that describe the floor area around the press.