Back then, every single letter for each word was manually typeset and positioned by a different wooden carving or lead casting. A piece of paper would carefully be placed on top of the type and gentle pressure was applied to create a beautiful kiss impression known as letterpress.
In the beginning of the 19th century, there were other forms of printing that were able to make a more efficient “kiss” on paper. This made letterpress printing lose its popularity and letterpress machines were gradually used less, almost obsolete. Fortunately, fast-forward to today, deep impression was discovered, allowing letterpress to evolve into an art form rather than a standard printing practice. It is the bite on paper that saved letterpress.
In the 1980s, letterpress was revived by a group of people who appreciated the tactile feeling and craftsmanship of letterpress which made a great impression on them. They needed something special to set letterpress works apart, and that is how the beauty of the bite was resurrected.
How it Works
Plate
Designing for letterpress is a feat that requires deep knowledge in foundations of the craftsmanship. Unlike standard offset or digital printing, we work with limited amount of colours to allow the content to thrive.
Digital designs will then be produced on polymer plates via a UV light-sensitive photographic process. And we are ready for print as soon as the polymer plate is aligned to a metal based and locked into the press.
Ink
A separate plate is produced for every colour being printed. That’s right! One colour and one piece at a time. It is indeed labour-intensive. Though this is so we can attest that the quality is well-worth the time, effort, and investment.
We use spot colours when printing by matching our inks to the Pantone® Matching System (PMS). We work with a few base inks to mix the perfect colours by hand. Colours are accurately weighed out to match the specific colour formula.
Paper
Leave it to us to recommend what would suit your print best by choosing the right paper. We will cut down the papers to the allocated size of your print.
Now, we should be ready to ink up the machine and roll. Running up the perfect colour on press, checking on registration, and adjusting the proper impression always needs inspections for consistency at its best.
Press
The cut paper will be placed into the machine where a clamshell-like action will take place. The machine will pick up the paper piece by piece whilst the rollers are inking up the plate concurrently. And it’s…showtime!
The meticulous printing and the impression (the bite!) will be made at the same time. It would then deliver the letterpress printed paper back to the delivery tray. Once all the prints are dry, we will cut the prints to its finished sizes.
Book a consultation
If you are interested in an in-depth session to go over details regarding your ideas, designs or to receive a quote for your project, we invite you to book an appointment with us.
Get an instant quote
Jump right in and explore the options to get an instant estimate of your personalised stationery.
Request a sample
If you’d like to have a feel for what we produce, order a sample pack to get better understanding to each printing method, paper stocks, and characteristics of our stationery.
‘All our knowledge begins with the senses.’
Immanuel Kant