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 explore any 15th
Century book you will see the enduring and timeless
quality of letterpress. Letterpress fell out of favor as more
efficient forms of printing were developed, but it has recently
had a renaissance with the renewed interest in craft and
quality.

Letterpress machines are impressive: heavy and substantial
with thousands of mechanical parts. They come alive with
a cacophony of clinking, clunking, and whooshing. The star
of our studio is our beloved Heidelberg Windmill press, which
inks plates and then presses against soft, cotton paper; not
just printing graphics but also creating shaped indentations
of them in the paper.

Letters and images look crisp and sharp on the quality paper, but you can also feel the imprint. As you run your finger over the page 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.