Letterpress printing is the original form of printing - a form of relief printing that originally used moveable type but now uses polymer or metal plates. The method was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-1400s, using a wooden printing press based off a model used for pressing wine. The idea of using moveable type was borrowed from the Chinese, who had invented it some 400 years earlier. Before letterpress printing books were written by hand by monks and scholars and most people couldn't even read - Gutenberg's press meant that the masses could have access to the written word. The first thing printed on this new invention was the Bible. Gutenberg and his team printed 180 copies of the 1,200-page book over the course of 3 years. The original invention was based on the machine used to press wine and was fairly primitive compared to what we can do today. Wooden type was set on a surface and covered in ink. A sheet of a paper was placed on top and then a turn screw was used to apply pressure to the sheet so that the letters would be pressed into the paper.
Modern letterpress machines are mechanised and no longer used moveable type. Digital designs can be made into a polymer or metal plate that is placed on a bed or 'chase'. Rollers are used to transfer ink onto the plate and a mechanised arm apparatus feeds paper that is pushed against the inked plate. The level of impression can be adjusted so the design can be pushed into the paper more or less, depending on preference. Unlike digital or offset printing, letterpress printing means you can feel the design pushed down on the paper - imagine it as though you were using a typewriter and the harder you pushed the keys down, the deeper the letter and ink would sink into the paper.
We use Pantone spot colours for our ink and a wide range of paper stocks. Cotton-based paper tends to work best with letterpress printing because it holds the impression well and is soft enough to feel a bit fluffy.
Printing using the letterpress method is not as popular as it used to be on a commercial level. Because the machines need to be operated by hand it's not as efficient as using a massive digital or offset printer to print books, newspapers, etc. In the last 50 years, however, it's seen a bit of a resurgence as more and more people are discovering the unique and textured nature of the method. Nowadays, it's a technique used mostly for stationery or art. We tend to print mostly business cards, wedding invitations and greeting cards.
