WHAT IS LETTERPRESS PRINTING?
Letterpress printing involves squashing the raised surface of wood or metal type against paper, by means of a printing press. It was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century, and remained the primary means of printing and distributing information until the 20th century, when offset printing was developed.
The Heritage Crafts Association placed letterpress printing on its ‘endangered’ list in 2019 – although there are currently considered to be sufficient craftspeople to transmit the skills to the next generation, there are serious concerns about the ongoing viability of the craft.
I guess this makes me an endangered species.
WHAT TYPE OF PRINTING PRESS DO YOU USE?
The main press is ‘Martha’, a beautifully restored Arab Crown Folio, dating back to the 1870s. This type of press is known as a ‘clamshell platen’, and works by bringing together both the ‘forme’ of type, and the platen holding the paper. There are also two smaller presses, which work on the same principal – ‘Inker’, a Model Press No.4, dating back to the end of the 19th century, and ‘Billy’, an Adana 5” x 3”, from the 1950s.
WHAT IS A PHOTOPOLYMER PLATE AND WHY DO YOU USE THEM?
A photopolymer plate is a printing plate which provides a raised area from which a design (lettering or illustration) can be printed. The plate is positioned on the printing press, and inked in the same way that wood or metal type is inked, and the design is then transferred to your paper. Whilst this is not ‘traditional’ letterpress printing, it produces some great results and is a lot of fun as you have so much freedom over the design.
I’M A GRAPHIC DESIGNER - CAN I COME AND PRINT SOMETHING THAT I’VE DESIGNED?
Yes, absolutely! Letterpress printing is a fantastic way to bring your designs to life. Please contact me to discuss your project.
CAN YOU DESIGN SOMETHING FOR ME?
Whether it’s wedding stationery, business stationery or a one-off totally bespoke item, I’d love to hear what you have in mind. Each project is unique and that’s what makes it so much fun. It may even be that you’d like to come and print your project yourself, and if so, I can guide you through the process from start to finish.
HOW CAN I BUY SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN PRINTED AT PRINT BARN PRESS?
Most of what is produced at Print Barn Press is available for purchase. At the moment, I'm working on various ranges of stationery which is printed in relatively small quantities. If you’ve seen something that you like the look of here on the website, please email via the contact page and I’ll be happy to help.
WHAT SORT OF WORKSHOPS DO YOU OFFER?
I run letterpress printing workshops for small groups of a maximum of two or three people. The workshops page shows details of the kinds of events that are currently offered, but I'm open to ideas – if there’s something you’re itching to print, give me a shout and we can see if it’s possible!
HOW DO I BOOK A WORKSHOP?
If you would like to book a workshop please email via the contact page.