Letterpress

Letterpress is considered the oldest form of printing and it remained the primary way to print until the twentieth century when offset printing was developed. The process of letterpress starts when ink is applied to raised surfaces of a metal plate. The metal plate is pressed into paper to create an impression. Letterpress plates are available as photopolymer or copper. We prefer to use copper plates because copper gives a deeper and stronger impression. The cost for copper is slightly higher than photopolymer but the overall quality is much better. Letterpress is most often used for business cards, save the dates and custom wedding invitations.

Design Tips

Type and patterns work best with letterpress. Large solid areas are not ideal. Solid coverage is harder to control and will often look mottled. Letterpress works best on thick, cotton stock. The amount of impression is a personal preference. When letterpress first started as the primary form of printing, very light impression was used because both sides of the sheet were being utilized. The trend now in letterpress, is to see a heavier impression. We always make sure to have a conversation with our customer regarding how much impression they would like.