why letterpress?
Letterpress printing is a centuries old printing method in which ink and metal type (now-a-days photo-polymer plates) meet the printing surface with literally a ton of pressure. The result is a beautiful impression or "deboss" that can be seen and felt. In the past the printer's aim was to "kiss" the paper leaving no detectable trace of the actual printing method. Now a deep impression is the only way to know that it was produced in such a
laborious manner. Most of our printing presses reign from the late 1800's and early 1900's. (Apx.3 TONS of antique cast iron currently calls D+P Studio home!) Each sheet of paper is hand fed through the press one at a time and each color is hand mixed and requires its own attention, setup, and run.
Letterpress Printing is ideal for dark printing on light stock (or on occasion metallic silver on dark stock) and clean layouts with minimal solid areas. These are by no means set laws, but just one particular equation that makes this printing method excel in our eyes. Letterpress is a beautiful mix of art and science- and that's what we love about it. The craftsmanship can be perfected, however It also means there may be slight variations in color, ink coverage and impression between individual pieces, but everything that leaves our studio is just as beautiful as the last. Our antique printing presses will create beautiful character filled stationery that you can treasure for ages.
