THE FINE CRAFT OF LETTERPRESS PRINTING

Letterpress printing is the ‘relief’ printing of text and image using a press with movable type or plates, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain an image. Invented by Johannes Gutenberg, it was the usual form of printed text from the mid-15th century until the 19th century and replaced hand-written calligraphy. If you ever have the opportunity to admire a 15th Century book you will see the enduring and timeless quality of letterpress.

Letterpress machines are impressive: heavy and substantial with thousands of mechanical parts. They come alive with a cacophony of clinking and whooshing. Letters and images look crisp and sharp on the page, and as you run your fingers over the surface you can feel the recessed texture of the type. So in both look and feel letterpress is distinctive. It is an enduring art form that produces beautiful, elegant and unique pieces.