Printing for the Million

While trawling through Ebay for some new rollers for a tiny Adana press that I picked up some time ago, I happened across this 1930's letterpress guide. It's so succinct and clear - it has even been printed using a letterpress - you can only just feel and see the indentation of the type through the pages and the photos are reproduced buy using a halftone screen of tiny dots.

I have attached the book below as a super cool reference for anyone that is interested in researching or reading about the finer points of letterpress. (You're welcome ;-)

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO READ

OR

A glance at the processes behind letterpress. - design to plates - Episode 2

DESIGN TO POLYMER PLATES

The second installment of our 'how to letterpress' series (If you missed the first episode 'Mixing Ink', click HERE)
There are many considerations when designing for letterpress (for a detailed run down go HERE)

Since the polymer plates are quite an expense, I try to consider using my designs in several ways. Can the polymer plates be used as as a coaster, a card, gift tags, invitation etc? This gives me the opportunity to expand my range and re-use the plates over and over.
Once I have finalized a design on my computer, I email the file off site to have negatives or film made. Polymer plates are made from the negatives or film. Making the plates involves light, exposure, chemicals, wash off etc. Kind of - but not quite - like developing photographic film - old school!

Here is a fantastic video from the very successful team at Hello Lucky (my idols!)

A glance at the processes behind letterpress. - Mixing Ink - Episode 1

Mixing and Making colours - Episode 1

There are numerous ways to mix inks. This is my humble version!

Choose a colour - I find colour combos I like on the web, from other print media, photographs anywhere! I  match the colour as close as I can using Pantone colour swatches. However, if I input the Pantone colours into my monitor chances are they will look vastly different on screen. Everyone's monitor has a different colour setting as well as different indoor lighting environments. Seeing a hard copy of the colour and matching it to a Pantone swatch is really the best way.

Letterpress inks are also greatly affected by paper stock. Even the slightest hint of cream or brown etc can change the colour tones of the ink.

HINT: I have found that swapping 50% of the transparent white in the mix with opaque white can help make the final ink colour more opaque and therefore brighter - but I have only just discovered this so more experimenting is required!

A Pantone formula tells you what percentage of each base colour you need to mix (I have 10 base colours but you can get by with less)  If you are mixing 100grams, and the Pantone formula is 50% transparent white, 10% black, 40% yellow, then you can change the percent measurements into grams. If you only need 50grams (usually my preferred quantity) then you halve the quantities when you are weighing them.

In the mix below, I set out to make a retro aqua (now called 'Valiant Aqua' after the colour of the car my Father in law owned!)

process blue, blue, green, transparent white & opaque white are required for this mix

I use a piece of scrap gloss card to mix upon. It lets me add straight onto the scales and as it makes for easy clean up.
This mix was for 50gms (yes I know, not entirely accurate, but close enough....)

Mix with spatula and Hey presto!

Vegimite jar and label

My storage of choice is the small Vegimite jars. they are the perfect size and have a nice wide opening, a great screw top lid and it reminds me to only put on the ink disk, the same amount of ink as you would Vegimite on a slice of toast..

Tune in next time for 'Design to Polymer Plates'