Letterpress Printing

...or at least the way I do it.
Letterpress printing is done with many types of different presses, using a variety of diverse processes and methods. This is the way I create most of my own prints.

When the artwork is complete, it is separated into individual printing plates or files according to color. Each unique color gets its own plate, therefore, a three-color print requires three unique plates. These individual color separations are each converted to a black and white image. This digital file is output as a negative onto film, where the black remains black, and the white becomes transparent on the film.

This film is placed over a flat photopolymer plate and is exposed to UV light. The black areas of the film block any light from hitting the polymer plate, while the transparent areas allow light to pass through. The exposed part of the plate hardens and remains in its original height, while the unexposed areas remain soft and are later washed away with water, leaving the desired image as a relief printing surface.

The plate for the first color is then mounted to an aluminum base, which holds firmly in the desired location. This base is locked up into the chase, and is loaded into the press bed.

The previously inked rollers then transfer ink to only the raised area of the plate. Paper is placed on the platen of the press, opposite of the base. When the press closes, the inked image is pressed against the paper and transfers the mirror image of the plate.

The desired number of sheets are printed using the first color of ink and the first plate. Then the chase is removed, and the plate is taken off of the aluminum base. The ink is cleaned off of the press, and the second color is applied.

The second printing plate is mounted to the base and loaded into the press bed again. The image is registered to the appropriate position on the previously printed sheet, and all of the sheets are run through the press a second time. The same process is repeated for any subsequent colors.

If, for some odd reason you’d like to learn more about letterpress printing, here are a couple of great resources: briarpress.org : wikipedia

Touch me
Like I mentioned, there are many different types of letterpresses. This is a model of my Chandler & Price 10x15. Mouse over its different parts to see what they do.