Letterpress Basics: Time to Print

This is the fourth in a series of posts speaking about the basics of letterpress. I started off with how to use a composure stick, next working with metal type and then on to moving your composition from galley to chase ready for print. There are a lot of visuals taken from my own hands-on experience learning the basics of letterpress in Paris with Thomas Gravemaker some years back. This is an overview and would suggest anyone interested in the craft to take on a workshop for more in-depth knowledge. So without further ado, it’s time to print!

CUTTING PAPER DOWN TO SIZE

Weekend Letterpress Workshop in Italy

Wonderful letterpress workshop over the weekend with the lovely designer and instructor Katarina Czikorovà. She came all the way from Slovakia to Italy to learn a new printing technique and walked away with some business cards too!

We covered a lot of ground in two days... learning the basics, doing practice compositions with the proof press, closing the chase up nice and tight, measuring twice for perfect alignment, mixing color and finally prints on the table top press. She got the last train out of town, but we were able to finish her two sided cards in two colors printed on a variety of cotton and card stock paper (and eat a bowl of pasta)!

If you are interested in a private or tandem letterpress workshop please contact me for details. More details and pictures of other workshops conducted on my website.

Letterpress Appointment Cards

Square appointment cards. A follow up to some business cards designed for client. Paper choice this time around was card stock, not cotton. Still this light blue recycled paper (with flecks of dark brown) marries natural cotton paper used for business cards well.

The logo design was inspired by the palmette motif which has a long history that dates back to Ancient Greece and Egypt. This simple symbol has been thought to represent many things like an early version of the halo as well as a connection with the sun’s sunset and sunrise.