Letterpress printing is a traditional form of relief printing where ink applied to a raised surface is printed onto paper using pressure. This beautiful process dates back to the mid 15th century and was widely used to print text in many forms until the digital age. It has since been revived and preserved by artists, designers and hobbyists all over the world who love and appreciate its unique textural beauty.

The use of Photopolymer plates have only fuelled this resurgence, as it’s now easy and affordable to make any digital file into a custom printing plate, meaning we’re no longer limited to the collection of type in our drawers.

WHAT IS LETTERPRESS?

the Process

  • a digital design is made into a printing plate

  • the printing plate adheres to a base and is locked up in the press

  • ink is mixed by hand and applied to the press rollers

  • once the press is set up and printing well, we print the run one piece at a time, ensuring quality and consistency with every piece.

  • the press must be cleaned after each colour/ink application, then set up with a new plate and inked again for the next colour.

WHAT WE MAKE

  • wedding invitations + stationery 

  • business cards

  • posters 

  • artist’s prints

  • personal stationery

  • greeting cards

  • postcards

  • promotional ephemera, etc!

wood type

Although we print 95% of our work using plates made from a digital file, we also print from our collection of original antique wood and metal type. This is used most often for posters and the process involves setting each piece of type by hand. Not only are the letters beautiful on their own, the way they print is like nothing else! Each little scratch or nick in the wood comes out in the print as unique texture, marking its history of 100+ years of use.