Anyone doing any letterpress?

[stephenj148]

Being a graphic design student, and in a history of graphic design class, we got to visit a small, local letterpress shop. I have to say it was quite the experience, and I noticed that he had a very small letterpress that he used when he got started and made money doing business cards...

here is his website His website

Not that I'm thinking of trying to make money off of letterpressed business cards or trying to make millions of of letterpress, because I know how tedious it can be and how you really won't get paid for the amount of work you need to do. But it seems to be such an awesome experience and a cool hobby to get into, no for a full blown business.

Not looking for anyone to tell me how much of a PITA it is and it's not worth being involved in.

I'd like to see what some people have done with letterpress or if anyone knows where you might be able to find some good (smaller) letterpress machines.

 

[jasonx]

I'm in the same boat. I've bought two Heidelberg T-Platen presses I'm fixing at the moment with the intention of printing on them. I just bought a photopolymer plate maker also. Not looking really to add to our current business but I saw it and thought it looked awesome so getting into it slowly. Its more of a hobby for me and I love the sound of the presses when they are running. The one on the pallet was used for die cutting so might keep that one the way it is and print on the newer looking one.

Briarpress.org has some fairly good resources on that site.

I also have a little Adana press.

Pics attached.

 

[FireSprint.com]

This is so cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY

 

[Wiggum PI]

Coming from someone who had a brief experience with them 20 years ago, they are designed to kill and take limbs off people..thats all
That does make 'em pretty cool though...

 

[Pat Whatley]

A couple of years ago I salvaged about 500 pounds of type and a small roller press from a sign shop that was about to be bulldozed. I still haven't managed to find the time to play with it but it just seemed a damn shame to let it go to a landfill. They tried for years to find someone to buy it, or just take it, and nobody was interested.

It's one of those art forms that's going to be all but lost. It will still have it's place in very high end printing work but there are going to be fewer and fewer of those. It's beautiful stuff, though.

 

[FatCat]

Stephen, before getting into signs I spent 15+ years in the offset printing industry starting in 1992. Even back then letterpress was rare, but like you, I was drawn to it because of what it was. (Love that video that FireSprint posted, I've watched it for years and it never gets old to me.)

If you're looking for equipment, presses can be found. It all depends on the size and format you want to print. There are smaller, table-top models (like the Adana above) for doing things up to, say, 6" x 6" or 8" x 8". But if you want a real press you should look at a Heidelberg windmill like Jasonx has posted. Many of these are still out there running, but most no longer print, they've been converted to do stamping, die-cutting, etc. So if you can find one with all the ink train and rollers needed to print as well as the type cases, lockups, etc. you should be good to go there.

HOWEVER, I think your best option is to go back to the shop you visited and speak with the owner. If you're serious, you can learn a great deal from him. Perhaps offer to work for free (or almost free) in exchange for the knowledge he can give you. Being an apprentice to someone who knows what they are doing is the fastest way to learn a trade. You never know, in time you may be able to buy him out when he is ready to retire..?

Good luck to you, and I hope you can make your dream a reality.

 

[omgsideburns]

When I sold my old printing company, the guy who picked it up turned it into a boutique letterpress / screenprint stationary company. I'm pretty jealous of the direction he took it.

A friend of mine started a letterpress shop here and relinquished his half of the company to his partner when he left to pursue higher education. This company has also expanded rapidly.

Letterpress is cool but you have to have a good design to make it worth the money you're going to have to charge to make it profitable. Also the equipment has doubled in value over the last five years.

 

[stephenj148]

Stephen, before getting into signs I spent 15+ years in the offset printing industry starting in 1992. Even back then letterpress was rare, but like you, I was drawn to it because of what it was. (Love that video that FireSprint posted, I've watched it for years and it never gets old to me.)

If you're looking for equipment, presses can be found. It all depends on the size and format you want to print. There are smaller, table-top models (like the Adana above) for doing things up to, say, 6" x 6" or 8" x 8". But if you want a real press you should look at a Heidelberg windmill like Jasonx has posted. Many of these are still out there running, but most no longer print, they've been converted to do stamping, die-cutting, etc. So if you can find one with all the ink train and rollers needed to print as well as the type cases, lockups, etc. you should be good to go there.

HOWEVER, I think your best option is to go back to the shop you visited and speak with the owner. If you're serious, you can learn a great deal from him. Perhaps offer to work for free (or almost free) in exchange for the knowledge he can give you. Being an apprentice to someone who knows what they are doing is the fastest way to learn a trade. You never know, in time you may be able to buy him out when he is ready to retire..?

Good luck to you, and I hope you can make your dream a reality.

I'll be going back there for sure. Such a fun process and everything about the environment is awesome

 

[Alti-Plotter]

This is so cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY

Great video, thank you for the link. I love this kind of printing. « ..letterpress puts a bite into the paper... »

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

I too started off in in offset & letter press printing before going into screen printing and then onto sign business. At the begining it was fun, but after awhile it got boring really quick. I use to set type one letter at a time and some of the presses I ran were so old they were powered by pushing up and down on a foot peddle, then I moved on to a Helm Supper Jet printing envelopes that to was fun in the begining.
Years later a friend gave me a 2 color AB **** ran a couple of jobs on it, then I gave the press away. I do miss the smell of Van Sons printing ink.

I will stick with the sign business, never really gets boring and I also like the smell of solvent inks, LOL