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Letterpress printing is a unique and distinctive craft that produces a luxurious and tactile feel that no other printing technique can replicate. It dates back to the fifteenth century when Johanne Gutenberg invented the first printing press. Printers used type made from metal or wood to print. It was a very slow, labour intensive process that was done almost entirely by hand and required a high level of craftsmanship. To print well was to 'kiss' the paper, it was frowned upon to make an impression.
Letterpress printing today is all about printing with deep impression on quality, often thick cotton papers and has evolved along side technology. We now have the ability to design artwork on the computer & output via film to our photo polymer plate maker, allowing for both letterpress & contemporary design to work together to produce exceptional print jobs.
With a lot of love and passion our letterpress machines have been restored & will live on for many years to come, It does help that they were made to last! Our oldest, a treadle machine was born in 1880 and our youngest press in Germany in 1972.
If you are designing for letterpress please take a look at our guidelines on our page for designers. Following these guidelines will ensure your printing is of the highest quality and will proceed smoothly. We offer black ink only letterpress at very reasonable prices.
Letterpress printing
letterpress without ink (blind debossing )
Blind debossing is letterpress without ink. The simplicity of a blind impression is stylish and understated and is a great way to add design without adding extra colour. Sometimes it can be too subtle especially with small type so we like to add a varnish/ink to achieve a slight tonal variation from the paper. We also like to add a varnish or the same coloured ink onto coloured paper when blind debossing as it creates just enough contrast between the artwork and the paper to make your information or design visible. A letterpress blind impression is a cheaper option than debossing with a metal die. It can create an impression on one side of the card stock without affecting the other side like the debossing method will, if a heavier gsm board is used. If using an ordinary card stock, a blind impression will show though to the back side of the stock and should be taken into account in the design.